Coticule/ natural hone grit question

[Willisf]

I have 4 coticules and I am wondering how do you tell which progression of grit a coticule or any natural hone is when you use it? Some are coarse and some are finishers or in between. What is a good way or test to tell when a certain hone could or should be used in honing progression? I guess in theory any coticule could be used at any point after bevel setting. This question may have been brought up in the past.

[doorsch]

Its not only a factor of the stones themselves its also a factor how much slurry is used (thick slurry - many loose garnets - coarser work) or if you use plain water. When plain water is used the garnets sit in the matrixof the stone and only a part looks out of the stone, thats the reason why you can do the finish with water....

In the end on every individual stone you really have to try out and test. There is no rule which can be transferred to the stones you use.

Try those cotis with a thicker slurry after a 1k up to finish, did they work well, then you have four cotis which are capable to use them after bevel set...

[s0litarys0ldier]

Willis,

May seem trivial but I'd start at the top and test all of them for their finishing capabilities. This in theory would give you your finest specimens. You could work your way down from there.

[Willisf]

I do use a fair bit of slurry when I go to them right after the 1k and dilute as needed. I like the idea of starting at the top and working down. 2 of them are pretty aggressive with light slurry. I guess I'll get some of junk razors and do some experiments. Right now my progression is 1k Naniwa, La Loraine, Coti, then Thuri.

[Willisf]

Its not only a factor of the stones themselves its also a factor how much slurry is used (thick slurry - many loose garnets - coarser work) or if you use plain water. When plain water is used the garnets sit in the matrixof the stone and only a part looks out of the stone, thats the reason why you can do the finish with water....

In the end on every individual stone you really have to try out and test. There is no rule which can be transferred to the stones you use.

Try those cotis with a thicker slurry after a 1k up to finish, did they work well, then you have four cotis which are capable to use them after bevel set...

I guess each coti also have their own characteristics too. Some more aggressive than others, etc. In theory all cotis can be used as a finisher too. Looks like I have a fair bit of paying more attention to my cotis when I use them. Wonder what would be a good way to test them using a "control" to gauge what each hone is doing?

[TristanLudlow]

Well, plenty of things have already been said.

What I have recently been doing with faster/coarser Coticules on water is take some shaving soap and build up lather on the coti, seems to give a nicer finish, but YMMV

When I use my Coticules with plain water, when I wipe the razor's spine and edge off on a piece of toilet paper, I look at the black marks it leaves, i.e. how much metal is being removed. It differs from Coticule to Coticule.

Some remove quite a lot of metal on water, some remove very very little (kinda like my Thuringians); I'm not coming to a definitive conclusion here, but I think the slower ones on water, leaving the least markings, MIGHT be better capable of a finer finish. But this is just speculation on my part.

[Willisf]

Well, plenty of things have already been said.

What I have recently been doing with faster/coarser Coticules on water is take some shaving soap and build up lather on the coti, seems to give a nicer finish, but YMMV

When I use my Coticules with plain water, when I wipe the razor's spine and edge off on a piece of toilet paper, I look at the black marks it leaves, i.e. how much metal is being removed. It differs from Coticule to Coticule.

Some remove quite a lot of metal on water, some remove very very little (kinda like my Thuringians); I'm not coming to a definitive conclusion here, but I think the slower ones on water, leaving the least markings, MIGHT be better capable of a finer finish. But this is just speculation on my part.

That makes sense to me. I'll have to try some of your suggestions too.

[JimmyHAD]

I am pretty much done with acquiring coticules. I have 5 of them and know 3 of the 5 pretty well. I would build up a mild slurry and take a razor that needed honing and do back and forth strokes to see how quick the slurry turned grey.

Some are downright quick, and others slower, or in between. I've had 'em that were fast with slurry but too coarse to finish and others slow but good to finish. Some kind of in the middle. Neither here, nor there. I've set a bevel with a coticule, but I don't do that anymore.

I do the thing with synthetics up to 8k and finish on a coticule that I know will improve the edge from 8k. I'm not a 'dedicated' coticule guy as some are. Just fool with them when I'm in the mood for that edge.

There are way more ways to hone with them than I know about, but that observing how fast the slurry turns grey will tell you something about the speed, and if the coticule will improve an 8k edge I'd say it is worthy of being considered a finisher.

[dmnc]

Not sure speed has anything to do with coarseness, my slowest doesn't finish well. My fast one does.

[Willisf]

I guess I will pick one of my cotis and just use it exclusively and then use the others as I learn which one does what I need. They are all different widths and lengths too.