Thread: Coticule vs BBW

Here’s a pic of the BBW side of my combo along with a non-matching natural combination slurry stone. The colours seem pretty true to life on my iPad.

Originally Posted by DZEC

Nice looking stone. I’m picking up a reddish coloration in both stones. Is that a true representation of the actual colour? The BBW side of mine is more bluish grey.

I wouldn't call them particularly reddish, as in the case of a Lorraine stone, for example. I'll have to look at them again, but it might be a slight color shift in that the image was color-corrected on an older laptop and moving a new one can change the corrections ever so slightly.

Tried another one of my vintage combo Coticules.

The BBW side delivered outstanding results, rivaling and bettering my Escher edges.
Very fine and slow BBW side.

Very keen shaves and very skin friendly. I'm liking everything I'm getting from them so far.
I purely use them on water only. YMMV.

Sidenote, the natural combo Coticule I inherited from my great grandfather and my great great grandfather had both sides heavily used, something I always wondered about, especially when some contemporary people state that the BBW side in the past has mostly only been there for support/backing and not to be used for razor honing, a point I strongly disagree with and think is utter BS. The BBW is a highly capable stone, maybe not all make for good finishers, but they serve their purpose.

I've had a few conversations with elderly people that mentioned the BBW side is the magic side, so yeah like that.

My vintage BBW edge gave a better shave than my Escher edge in a side by side shave test using two similar Swedish framebacks, de gustibus non est disputandum.

My Nouvelle Veine natural combo BBW is up next for a test shave.

I broke out the BBW yesterday on a Sheffield blade

went 1-5-10 Chosera

Then light slurry and a dilution out to plain water on the BBW

Been a long time since I had dug that stone outta the Hone Chest

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I broke out the BBW yesterday on a Sheffield blade

went 1-5-10 Chosera

Then light slurry and a dilution out to plain water on the BBW

Been a long time since I had dug that stone outta the Hone Chest

Keeps it fun and interesting when you can find the time.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I broke out the BBW yesterday on a Sheffield blade

went 1-5-10 Chosera

Then light slurry and a dilution out to plain water on the BBW

Been a long time since I had dug that stone outta the Hone Chest

With what results? How was the shave?

Reading “tristan” and Glen’s post above, it gave me an idea. I took a near wedge through to a thuringian stone and then took a different BBW that I have and tried a light slurry to clear water. Stropped and tested. Nope. This BBW is an old stone that has some remenence of a coticule naturally joined to it so I flipped the stone over and did some light passes under running water on the coticule side. Stropped and tested it (HHT and a quick test swipe on my face) and hell no!! I’m not putting my face through that. Took it back to the thuringian and within a few minutes had it keen and ultra smooth again.

I’m sorry but I am taking myself out of this thread (although I’ll watch and hopefully learn). I am just not a Coticule guy. It is not one stone better than the other because I trust many others when they say they get great shaves from coticules so it MUST be me. After two years of frustration learning an all Arkansas progression before cracking that code I just don’t have it in me to try to learn coticules/BBW especially when thuringian stones have been easy and fool proof for me from the first time using them. Sorry guys! I think I will re-visit synthetics again next.

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

With what results? How was the shave?

My BBW is a capable Polisher and produces a nice shave ready edge, Howard sent me a good one, just as I asked him to

Keep in mind I am coming off a 10k hone so I am not asking too much of any finisher, just to make the shave more comfortable..

Originally Posted by gssixgun

My BBW is a capable Polisher and produces a nice shave ready edge, Howard sent me a good one, just as I asked him to

Keep in mind I am coming off a 10k hone so I am not asking too much of any finisher, just to make the shave more comfortable..

I got mine from Howard S. too.

I only have the one combination coticule/BBW so I don’t have the opportunity to try a variety of different stones. Those of you you who are way more experienced at honing than I have a lot more to contribute to this discussion.

I’m beginning to think that there must be a connection between the hones that work for you, your personality, your skin and beard characteristics, your muscle memory and the blades you own that either makes a particular natural stone work for you or not.

I enjoy honing on my coticule and find it to be able to take my edges to where I like them regardless of the steel in the blade. The stone seems to be forgiving and lets me hone without overhoning. Using the BBW side as described adds a level of keenness to the experience.