Thread: The next step

Hello all!
Been a very long time since I’ve posted on these forum.

Since the last time I posted on here I’ve been enjoying my straight shaves and have been honing those razors on my two coticule stones.

I’ve had the same stones and razors for a few years now so I’m pretty sure I have unlocked the potential of these stones. Which brings me to my question.

What would be the next step for after a coticule? Would you recommend going to an Escher to finish? Or would a j-Nat be a better step?

I have finished after a coticule with an Oozuku and a Vermio. I think I prefer the Vermio since it requires no rubbing stone and can be used with water or oil. Griffiths says it rates at 10-15k and compares to a Thuringian. I find it polishes and makes the edge a little keener than my coticules, but keeps the shave comfortable.

I haven’t heard of that vermio before. Will look into it.

Watch out for that rabbit hole!

I have also gone to a balsa paddle strop with CrOx to touch up the edge between honing. That worked for me for a long time before I bought my finishing stones - much less costly too.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Watch out for that rabbit hole!

Haha I’ve gone down that hole and have come out the other side. Able to show a bit more restraint with my purchases these days.

If you have been honing for a while with Coticules, the question you should ask yourself is: "What do I hope to accomplish in the addition of another hone? If you are getting great shaves with edges now, why change? One thing that happens as we age, however, is that our beards tend to become coarser and harder to shave. This may require a sharper blade. I have a tough beard and find Coticule edges are not sharp enough for my beard.

I do not have an Escher, but I do have a variety of natural and synthetic finishing hones. I have one of the Greek Vermio hones sold by Griffith Shaving and find them to be a very nice finishing hone. At one time, it was my favorite as it produced a sharp, yet smooth edge. I also have a Shapton Glass 16K synthetic. The Vermio produces an edge that compares well with the SG-16K. I do not use the Vermio quite as much now as I added a Suehiro G20K and a Zulu Grey to my collection. I rotate between them trying to see which is best for various razors. If I did not enjoy experimentation so much, I would have been well satisfied with the Vermio.

Stones are a personal thing. And the fact that some of us DO need that sharper edge to mow down the whiskers. Myself, I never found a Coti edge to work very well for me. If you really want to take on some homework and learn, go with a Jnat or Thuri. I think the Thuri is easier to learn than a Jnat. But that's JMO. The Jnat is what I'm working on learning now. A thuri gives a lot of comfort, so with one of them you have to find that sweet spot for your face. You want comfort, but you also want keen. Some say the Arkie is the way to go and others feel you just can't beat the synthetic stones. Not as much learning and they do the job.

I fell in that rabbit hole and I'm still trying to grab onto branches to slow down as I have 20 stones now. So think about what you really want from a stone and find the one that fits. If a Coti edge is to your liking, maybe a fancier Coti will calm the HAD for now.

I can get a good edge with a coti, myself, but I get better shaves from an Escher/Thurigan. In between those two stones lives another, cheaper hone.

A three line Swaty, barbers hone.

Keener than a Coti, but with the comfort of a Coti

Great replies so far! Haha as far a coti ad goes I have two petite Blanche stones as well as a grosse blanche. They give be fine shaves but I do notice I need that little more sharpness out of them. I like the idea of a Jnat or Escher type but I don’t think I should spend that much right now. I will look into a few of the other hones mentioned.