Thread: BBW and sizes

I started on a 125x30 when i went to Coticule and that works pretty good
100x30 is a minimum and a 20x75 i have is pretty hard to use on any kind of dilution steps

If you are lucky with bouts shape a size4 might do. But that needs luck...

Personally, I don't like small hones. I'm more comfortable with a longer stroke. Plus, if you are doing a fair bit of honing and/or using slurry, a larger hone gives you more cut per stroke and a larger surface to hold more slurry without knocking it all off.

that's true. i suppose i need to find my personal minimum size, and see what i can afford.

That'll be difficult because all my current hones are 8x3... but i use them on my desk, not in hand, so perhaps i'll have to pick up a whole new technique anyway.

Bart's page suggests the smallest size for a beginner is 150mm x 40mm

How big part of the stones you have do you normally use?
An inch or two for slurry should do

Originally Posted by dnullify

that's true. i suppose i need to find my personal minimum size, and see what i can afford.

That'll be difficult because all my current hones are 8x3... but i use them on my desk, not in hand, so perhaps i'll have to pick up a whole new technique anyway.

Bart's page suggests the smallest size for a beginner is 150mm x 40mm

If you want to use a coticule but it is smaller then just put the coticule on one of your bench hones with a towel in between them and use the coticule as a bench hone. That will help you with the hand holding factor.

I participated in a project on Coticule.be that took the better part of last year to complete to determine the viability of a BBW for razor finishing. It included blind shave tests, 8 different honers, formalized (as much as possible) evaluations and honing technique, and random selection of BBW compared to a La Veinette Coticule.

I'm going to post a full write up about the testing and link to the 9 page report when it's released. It was interesting to see that most people couldn't tell the difference (we used 2 BBW and 1 LV on 3 identical DAs which most likely came from the same lot considering the way they were purchased). I was one who did tell the difference, and I rightly guessed the two razors I preferred were the BBW...

Keys: Finished on misty slurry instead of water, we used a double bevel, and finished with stropping strokes on the stone at the very end.

Again, there will be a full write up as soon as it's released.

Thank you, Paul! This is what I was referring to in my earlier post about experiments on the bbw.

I can't wait for this writeup, I've been waiting almost a year for the reports LOL.

Originally Posted by richmondesi

I participated in a project on Coticule.be that took the better part of last year to complete to determine the viability of a BBW for razor finishing. It included blind shave tests, 8 different honers, formalized (as much as possible) evaluations and honing technique, and random selection of BBW compared to a La Veinette Coticule.

I'm going to post a full write up about the testing and link to the 9 page report when it's released. It was interesting to see that most people couldn't tell the difference (we used 2 BBW and 1 LV on 3 identical DAs which most likely came from the same lot considering the way they were purchased). I was one who did tell the difference, and I rightly guessed the two razors I preferred were the BBW...

Keys: Finished on misty slurry instead of water, we used a double bevel, and finished with stropping strokes on the stone at the very end.

Again, there will be a full write up as soon as it's released.

Was this honing technique used across all the the hones? And is the double-bevel the previously established honing method on coticule.be?

I'm actually rather intrigued.
Can i interpret this as in favor of choosing the BBW then?

Originally Posted by dnullify

Was this honing technique used across all the the hones? And is the double-bevel the previously established honing method on coticule.be?

I'm actually rather intrigued.
Can i interpret this as in favor of choosing the BBW then?

No you cannot.

My only intent in posting that was to share an experience of doing blind testing on this and finding that the results were fit for finishing razors. I would not necessarily recommend them based solely on that because, quite honestly, I have some nice bbw that I don't use. I don't like having to rely on a double bevel. I'm not convinced it has to have a double bevel, but that's my only experience with them in honing with a BBW that was successful.

I'm not one for making recommendation based on my preferences. I hone almost exclusively with a coticule because it's the process I enjoy most. Yes, I do love the edges, but I got very similar edges with my Japanese Natural stone as well as a heavily stropped Shapton 30K edge...

The only thing that I will say is BBW has been shown through that limited testing to be fit for razor honing. If that's a journey you want to go on, have at it. It's not a difficult technique, if you are ok with a double bevel.

I'm okay with double-bevel, but i guess you're right. i wouldn't want to be limited to one method on a BBW, when you can use many on a coticule.

perhaps i aught to start out with a coticule, and try the $40 BBW some-time else on the road. I just don't want to take the chance that the more comfortable edge comes off the BBW, than the coticule. after all, i'm after comfort not keen-ness. if keener edge means more comfortable, than sure. but if both can be comfortable than that just makes the decision harder.

I guess i aught to bank on the fact that i'll end up with both and not stress over ordering the wrong one first.