Thread: Beyond the coticule...or not.

I am not an expert at all! BUT
My 3 finishers are a coticule (that is very very slow), 12k ss, and a thuringian. By hht they are all pretty close, unless I do a 0.5 micron diamond strop after the 12k ss, which gets scary sharp. I have tried the coti and the thuri either after an 8k ss or after the 8k ss + 12k ss. Not sure there is any improvement to do the 12k prior to the natural stones. probably a waste of time i.e. redundant. All of that said my most comfortable shaves are probably from coticule edges. I need more shaves to say that its true all of the time, of course. Now I want a japanese stone to try etc.

If you want a keener edge after maxing out on your coticule on water, here's a budget option before springing for another expensive stone.

Rinse off your stone, massage some talcum powder into the dry stone and do some thirty or so very light X-strokes. You can add a few drops of water if you don't like honing on a dry surface, but you don't have to.

Best regards,

Pieter

If I want additional polish after the Coticule, I usually go to the Arkansas True Hard (Hard Black or Translucent). Sometimes to the Zulu Grey. Once you go natural, stay natural.

Originally Posted by Pithor

If you want a keener edge after maxing out on your coticule on water, here's a budget option before springing for another expensive stone.

Rinse off your stone, massage some talcum powder into the dry stone and do some thirty or so very light X-strokes. You can add a few drops of water if you don't like honing on a dry surface, but you don't have to.

Best regards,

Pieter

Yes this is true, you can also use oil.

Originally Posted by Brontosaurus

If you like using a coticule and are getting a decent edge off it, you have entered the realm of natural stones. Personally, I don't see the reason to move back to synthetic stones afterwards. I am one of those guys who finds a coticule edge to be very smooth, but not close enough, so I will either use a Welsh purple slate from the UK eBay seller or a red-pasted hanging strop afterwards to up the ante a little bit. 1k/3k Suehiro synth combo > coticule > purple Welsh slate generally gets me there.

I was going to say Welsh slate it works really well I have one and it does provide a closer shave and for the price you carnt go wrong

Originally Posted by Disburden

Yes this is true, you can also use oil.

Does an oil residue remain? Can one complete clean off the oil?

I never have tried actual oil on a coticule, but there are water soluble options that clean off easily. You can use glycerin, Smith's Honing Solution, or Ballistol. Any of them can be diluted with water to adjust their viscosity and when you are done you simply rinse the hone with more water for complete removal.

Originally Posted by Pithor

If you want a keener edge after maxing out on your coticule on water, here's a budget option before springing for another expensive stone.

Rinse off your stone, massage some talcum powder into the dry stone and do some thirty or so very light X-strokes. You can add a few drops of water if you don't like honing on a dry surface, but you don't have to.

Best regards,

Pieter

That is something that I will have to try!

Originally Posted by Utopian

I never have tried actual oil on a coticule, but there are water soluble options that clean off easily. You can use glycerin, Smith's Honing Solution, or Ballistol. Any of them can be diluted with water to adjust their viscosity and when you are done you simply rinse the hone with more water for complete removal.

Thanks, I have some Smith's and will give it a try.

I have used synthetic edges out to 16k, coticule and JNAT edges and then pasted edges and to be honest a coticule edge is nice but not quite keen enough for me and the 16k edge is a tad to surgical but does soften after a few stropping. My favorite edge so far is take my edge to a 12k NN then do a JNAT finish on just a hint of slurry then just to bump and soften the edge just a tad more I do just 10 laps of .5 CrOx and it seems to be about right, I honestly could get by without the CrOX but I think it ever so slightly softens and rounds the edge but I have so hard scientific proof just very comfortable shaves.