Thread: Needing a hone soon I suppose...

A LOT for a newbie to absorb! Confusing, as many things seem personal preference.

I have been lurking a lot and reading. I have got a decent, Dovo, strop, cream, soap,etc. No hone yet!

I have also done a few partial shaves with a measure of success.

My stopping has improved to the the point where the HHT delivers a grabbing/popping type cut 75% of the time I "hang" a hair on it. (HHT-3)

I understand this could be sharper (silent slicer HHT-5) but at this point I am not sure any amount of stropping wil deliver that.

The shop claims my razor was shave-ready but I am not sure I trust them.

Anyway, I am looking for a really keen edge. I don't want to feel the blade as I shave. I am looking for a "hot-knife-through-butter" every shave!

I am slightly frustrated now. Presumably in a few shaves, I will need to "touch-up" hone and I'll be able to put the edge I am looking for on there.

My question is this what is a good touch-up hone? Who seels it? Since I live in Belgium, would one of these Belgian stonse (blue and white) be good for that?

Thanks

D.

I'm guessing you mean the BBW/ coticule combo stone? They are great stones I've heard, and if you know what you're doing then that will be all you ever need, but they are expensive due to their rarity.

You can get coticules here:

Ardennes Coticule - natural sharpening stones from Vielsalm Belgium. - Home

And you can also get them from Barts website: Welcome to Coticule.be - home of the famous Belgian Coticule Whetstone

Bart is a coticule wizard and I'd highly recommend reading up on his site for hints and tips, as well as his posts here on SRP.

Otherwise a high grit synthetic or a barber hone is always a good bet for a touch up. A Chinese 12k, Shapton 16k or Naniwa 12k are all good touch up stones.

Good luck!

Since you live in Belgium, it would be a national travesty if you did not settle on the yellow coticule

+1 on Bart's site to learn more about 'em.

There is also some info on the wiki here

Belgian Hones - Straight Razor Place Wiki


If you just want something for a quick touchup, there are cheaper/easier solutions like a barber's hone (nobody makes them anymore, but you can find them on ebay, "swaty" is a common brand) or a norton 4k/8k, but the coticule is a fantastic hone for razors, known for leaving a very smooth and comfortable edge. It takes a little time to figure out how to use them, however. The other nifty thing is you can use the coticule as both an aggressive honer (when used with slurry), and also as a fine finisher (when used just with water), so you could get by with just 1 hone vs. buying a set of hones. Another typical combination is a yellow coticule + Belgian Blue Whetstone (BBW). You can also get a natural combination hone that has the yellow on one side, and the BBW on the other, but these start to get expensive (BBW's by themselves are pretty cheap).

-Chief

Bart is your best friend.if you throw rock you will hit him.gl.coticule will work as long as you know what are you doing

Thanks people - registered on coticule.be and am already grovelling for his assistance.

Don't mind buying a more expensive hone providing it delivers + I have the skill.

If you are near Bart, bribe him for some one on one time

Originally Posted by Dorian

Thanks people - registered on coticule.be and am already grovelling for his assistance.

Don't mind buying a more expensive hone providing it delivers + I have the skill.

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

Since you live in Belgium, it would be a national travesty if you did not settle on the yellow coticule

Hehehehe - agreed!

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

If you are near Bart, bribe him for some one on one time

I was thinking a box of Belgian chocolates... Hmmm possibly a beer or three then.

Welcome to SRP. Another vote for the Belgian coticule and a natural combo if possible. A 150x50mm is good and a 200x50mm is even better IME. Bart will set you right if you get with him.

+1 to all the above.

Depending on how close you are to Bart and Ardennes, I would try to get together with them!

Bart seems like a great guy, and I'm sure if he has the time would be glad to help you out. Same thing with the guys at the mine.

I'm jealous, hopefully one day I can make a trip over there and visit Bart and the mine. Would make for a heck of an education!