Thread: combos vs Separate?

Originally Posted by fish4life

are their any Advantage buying a Combo Selected Coticule & BBW ?

It can certainly be cheaper than if you were to buy them separately is namely the first advantage that springs to mind. Financially yes, there are clear advanages - whether this is a natual or bonded combination.

I second what has been said earlier that the coticule itself is far more important than whether or not you have a BBW with it. I have owned 4 cotis, 3 of which were natual combinations. Let me tell you they were all different in feedback and cutting speed. One was purely a finisher only. One rapidly turned the slurry black. The other 2 were good all rounders.

are their any advantages for combos vs Separate?

This would again depend on the properties of the coticule, which can have great diversity amongst one another.

To answer the question in my perspective, it would depend if I had any other hones, or if the Coti & BBW were my only hones. If the latter applied I would much rather have a separate good all round coti and a BBW, than a natual combo that was really slow and only a finisher, or one that was so quick it auto slurried after 10 laps. If this was all I was to use, then versatility and being able to do a range of things is key.

If I had a bevel setter and a higher end finisher (eg. C12K or Escher) then it would not make so much difference whether it was combo or separate.

Thanks everyone I've read everything in Wiki about hones but could not find answer.

Well I hope my answers have provided you some insight as to why there is no such single answer to your question in the Wiki!

The coticule is mystical and they all behave differently! Therefore there are no definitive answers.

My best advice to you would be to go for a 4/8k Norton or 3K/8K Naniwa. Learn to use and get great edges from this, then add a coti as a higher end finisher. Then get a slurry stone and try to set bevels with the coti, knowing that if you aren't successful, you've always got the artificial hone to help you.

The reason I so highly recommend the artificial is that so many experienced honers here have it and its properties (once lapped) are definitive. That way your learning curve will be accelerated as members here can quickly determine and advise you if your technique is to blame, when many say the hone is not working!

Wow, Lot's of replies, As a vendor for Ardennes, I agree. It totally depends on the stone itself. I rarely use the BBW side, sometimes for knives. There is some appeal to owning and using a Natural. You will pay more for it. Sometimes, you can buy a Coticule and a seperate BBW for the price you'd pay for a Natural. Keep in mind, that natural combo's are just that, Naturally formed, therefore, rare, somewhat....I would make sure that the Coticule side on my natural had a nice healthy layer of Coticule, and I'b be looking for a nice yellow, or pinkish color. IMHO.