Thread: Using oil with coticule questions

I have a 5"x2" extremely hard coticule that I like to use time to time. I only use the coticule for finishing so I was thinking about using some sort of honing oil.

How much of a difference has using honing oil on a coti made for you guys?
What are long term effects of using oil on a coticule?
honing oil suggestions? (never used honing oil before)
How do I handle coticule after honing session? Do I clean it up somehow or just leave it as is if I am only using it with oil after?



I don't really mind if the coticule had to be used with oil only since I only use it for finishing a blade or two.
Pictures of the stone if you are curious https://imgur.com/a/fv7wH I believe it is a la dressante coticule

Instead of oil why not try Glycerine first. It'll thicken up water a touch but unlike oil it's not going to impregnate the stone and change it's characteristics if the stone is porous.

You should be able to get a small bottle from a pharmacy. I think you guys call them drug stores.

Other names for the same stuff are. Glycerol, glycerin, And it's the VG component in E cig liquid.

If you've got an extremely hard coticule. Oil will not penetrate the surface and you can easily wash it off post honing with dish soap.

Oil can make the finish on a stone a bit better just by giving it some cushion. A hydroplaning technique. I enjoyed using it. Some coticule responds really well to oil.

Long term. If you clean it after every use... Nothing... If you don't.... Nothing. Like a hard black or translucent arkansas. Easy to wash any oil off because it doesn't penetrate the surface.

A couple water soluble oils are smiths honing oil and ballistol oil. I use Ballistol oil (liquid not the spray) on my Arkansas stones and dilute it 50-50 with water. Being water soluble these oils will wash righ off your stones easily and work as a honing oil should IMO.

So what happens if I use coticule as oil stone and overtime the oil did penatrate the surface. Would it just be an oil only stone? Or would it need to be lapped until it was a clean surface

If it did penetrate you would struggle to use water on it in the future. As the water would bead off. And it might have a long term effect on the glue of a backed coticule. You may also find the hone looses it's abrasive power under slurries making it a finishing or near finishing stone without the ability to reset a bevel. For a razor only stone this isn't going to be a problem but if you wanted to use it for knives as well you may have slowed it to the point of been useless.

It's your stone so do what you want with it. I personally wouldn't use oil unless I had to, but then I do a 1 stone method when the coticule comes out.

I would also never buy a coti that I knew had been used with oil, Because I don't like anything oily getting near my synthetics.

Think I will test out the stone with some honing oil later then. Right now it has pretty good cutting power but I only use it as finisher, slurry on it feels a bit weird (with dmt plate and slurry stone that was cut close to it/brother stone or something). Luckily this coti isn’t backed with anything and just an inch of pure Coti. I have few jnats I can one stone hone on, and I just use my coti for touching up some Sheffield Razors anyway. Will test it out though and see how it goes, will probably stay water only unless oil is a nice noticeable difference

concerning water or oil i found this one quite helpfull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VCo1_fozD0

i use ballistol too becauue of the above mentioned reasons.

Coticules are non-porous, but from your picture, if the cracks in the stone are not sealed, then all bets are off.

Oil and Cotis are about as contentious around the forums as Tape, & GD's

But when there are products like Smith's and Balistol that are water soluble readily available it is simply a non-issue.

I stopped using actual Oil years ago, the products above give as good if not better edges even on Arkies and Charnley's with ZERO risk of contaminating a Waterstone. They also allow you to adjust the Viscosity at anytime during honing...