coticule sizes for smiles

[medic484]

should I go with a 6x2 coticule or 8x2, is the larger a luxory or a significant advantage, especially when honing old razors like wedges and smiley Sheffields? or any other thoughts on this approch?

[0livia]

I'd take the bigger one.
Size never disturbs, but a lack thereof can well do.

[JimmyHAD]

I agree with Olivia, I've got stones in both sizes. You'll adjust your stroke to the stone but more stone will give you more stroke and you'll save time with the longer stone.

[Oldengaerde]

Idem. With hones I think longer is most always better.

To digress slightly: with smiles (and warps) the width can make a difference in the sense that some (especially beginning?) honers (including myself) feel it is easier to get them evenly sharp on narrower hones.

[medic484]

Thats exactly what I was intending to use the coticule for Oldengearten did I spell that right

[Pyment]

I keep a 1 inch (width) coti for just this situation (OK so I have 2). As I hone more, however, I find myself saying "this razor needs the narrow hone" less often and adjust my stroke rather than changing hones. In this case, the length comes in handy.

IOW, get the longer hone. You will appreciate that length later.

[rayman]

If your budget can afford it, go with the larger stone. Consider how much of the stone isn't used when honing. You will lose, at least, the width of the blade just to set up the stroke, and you will probably stop short of the end at the finish of the strke.

So an average blade width of say 5/8 will require at least 3/4" to start and probably will stop at 1/2" from the end. That's 1-1/4" of unused stone. Now your 6" stone has a real usable length of 4-3/4". You can work in that length, but it will be slow

JMHO

Ray

[Pyment]

you will probably stop short of the end at the finish of the stroke.

This is especially true for when you use slurry. You want to stop short so you can use the slurry for the return stroke. So, you lose the width of the blade twice. This can be as much as 2 inches.

[gary haywood]

i always stop short to keep water or slurry on my coti i have two ones a bout 7in long and starts out at 2 1/2 in to about an inch at very end i have a 8 inc long bout which is for warped or smilys 3.5 cm to 2.5 and its great but my ideal size would be 7 in long and max 2 in wide. so i guess i'd go for 8x2

[niftyshaving]

should I go with a 6x2 coticule or 8x2, is the larger a luxory or a significant advantage, especially when honing old razors like wedges and smiley Sheffields? or any other thoughts on this approch?

What other stones do you have?

If you have an empty box of rocks go for the longer stone. With
one good coticule you may never need another stone in a lifetime.
If you get the bug I suspect you will begin picking up a rock collection
and a 4k-x-8k norton at 3"x8" is not expensive then you will be
drooling over some glass Shaptons like the 16K and 30K and they are
in the same size range (210 mm x 70 mm)....

Having said that, the six inch stone is just fine. Mine is about
that size....