Thread: Would an Arkansas stone further refine an edge off a coticule?

You know, this is an art as much as it is a science and as many have said previously, so much depends on the razor, the stones you have (particularly if they are natural), your technique, the way you strop and what you strop with, your beard, etc.

My most consistently comfortable edges come from taking the coti to just water and then adding some keen by finishing with chromium oxide on balsa. This seems to work especially well for Sheffield steels.

But that’s me.

Flamed again. Poor me.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Nice answers and welcome to SRP.
The one thing i will add is, at some point in the keen and smoothness there is a trade-off. You can get so much of one before the other degrades. So finding that balance is what its all about. And we spend many many hours trying to master that balance. It can be done and with lots of stones. Its up to you to deciede when your happy with what you have made for an edge.

I agree with the above 100%. For me comfort over that laser sharp edge!!!!. I cab get that laser sharp edge easier on my arks. And almost with my coti. But comfort is king. And with technique i get a near BBS 2 pass shave. With a HHT 3.5 edge

Pedigree when you check back let us know ....i have a secret (not so) technique to max out your coti

Originally Posted by biglou13

I agree with the above 100%. For me comfort over that laser sharp edge!!!!. I cab get that laser sharp edge easier on my arks. And almost with my coti. But comfort is king. And with technique i get a near BBS 2 pass shave. With a HHT 3.5 edge

Pedigree when you check back let us know ....i have a secret (not so) technique to max out your coti

What's your secret to maxing it out? Running water? Glycerine? Soap?

Originally Posted by Pedigree

What's your secret to maxing it out? Running water? Glycerine? Soap?

Ymmv, imho, ..... blah blah blah....
What is you process to hone a razor?
Every coti is different....

Part one
Start with with slurry, dilute as you go.
Rinse stone and razor well
Add Water and equal drops of glycerin, home with decreasing presssure.
Every so often. Clean razor and strop on naked leather....... then strop some more... test razor.
Return to glycerin and water And stropping if necessary.
Some cotis need many laps Some need less. They all benefit from stropping.

Part 2
Use synthetic progression to bevel set 12- 14 K range. Spending extra time at 5 K range. Strop. Test razor. Should be wicked sharp. Go to coti with light slurry.... minimal laps, look for misty finish on bevel, Repeat step 1

Originally Posted by Steel

All of the finishing Arkansas stones I have (black, translucent, burnished, refreshed) will absolutely hands down improve any coti edge I have ever had. I am significantly biased towards Arkansas stones so keep that in mind.

Such has been my experience with them, every Arkansas stone I have will polish an edge far beyond what my coticule can. Especially the ones that have been surfaced and polished with Chromium Oxide to heavily burnish them.

As for 'improving an edge's more than a Coticule, well that's where things get subjective. Will they get sharper/keener? Almost beyond a shadow of doubt. Will it be equally comfortable to shave with? Not without a significant amount of stropping, or several shaves to break the edge in.

So it really depends on what your target is - a sharper, keener edge or one that is more comfortable to shave with.

I prefer the Arkansas stones, YMMV.

Originally Posted by Pedigree

Looking at getting a surgical black or translucent Arkansas stone to use as a finisher after my coticules. And I'm wondering how much i any further refinement, I would get out of an arkansas stone, since my edges are super smooth and skin friendly but could use a bit more keenness. Would I also be able to maintain the mellowness (and forgiving nature) of the coticule edge with an arky or does all that go out the window once honing upon the Ark?

I‘ve actually tried this out on 2 razors with different results. Each tim I‘ve finished on La Dressante on plain water, test shaved, then finished on translucent Arkansas on glycerine-water mix.
On my Filarmonica 14 my Arkie definitely improved the keenness by maintaining the mellowness compared to my La Dressante.

My 5/8 Tennis seemed to not „like“ or accept Arkie after Coticule, the edge got harsh, but maybe it was my hand...

Regards
Philipp

Originally Posted by biglou13

Get or borrow a few different arks and test them. Different arks perform differently. Right know I’m enjoying a non burnished surgical ark. i also have trans white, and trans black convex ark, for finishers. They all provide great edges. And comparing these edges falls into esoterica........

How are you liking the convex black ark? I've got one... just got a BIG flat black ark and think I prefer the second...

Cheers, HJ

Originally Posted by HungeJ0e

How are you liking the convex black ark? I've got one... just got a BIG flat black ark and think I prefer the second...

Cheers, HJ

HJ-I'm not biglou13, but I got one of those convex trans arks from Jarrod at TSS, and was getting stellar edges off of it after some time spent burnishing it. I sold it to Mike aka SonnytheHooligan, who seems to have disappeared since-anybody heard from him?

I like a coti to ark progression and enjoy shaving off the edges it produces. It will be a keener edge so not as forgiving.