Thread: Think you know the Belgian stones?

A good coticule is far more versatile than a BBW, and there's nothing it can not do that a BBW can. A good coti can cut at 3-8K level with the application of slurry, and polish above 8K level, so it's not even a question which I'd choose given the choice.

In a way its ALMOST like asking, would you rather have: a 3/8 combo Naniwa, or just a 5K?

Another +1 for the coti.

I have a coti/bbw combo and I've used the bbw side all of twice. It just doesn't compare IMO.

The Coticule
It's great as a finisher and with slurry it's even more versatile.

I guess that settles that. I think I'll just imagine that my BBW is a sweet rock so I don't have to go out and sell it for a coticule.

No one said that the BBW is a bad hone, this wan't the question. BBWs are good, so are cotis. The majority like cotis better, if they have to chose only one. But HAD enables one to have more

Originally Posted by daflorc

I guess that settles that. I think I'll just imagine that my BBW is a sweet rock so I don't have to go out and sell it for a coticule.

I have found far more consistency amongst BBWs than among coticules, having said that I have not experimented much with the four that I have used. The general consensus is that they are all quite similar.

My point is that if you were to sell your BBW and get a coticule, many coticules are artificially bonded or naturally adhered to BBW, so if you were to sell it and get a combo, you'd still have a similar BBW.

BUT, (and I'm touching major ground for largely subjective debate) why do you want a coticule? I can advise that the vast majority of vintage Thuringians and Eschers which I have used have exceeded the edge left by the cotis I have used. In fact, they exceeded all but one coticule, and that is the only coitcule I ever kept, the rest never left a shaving edge to my taste; and it was en par with the Thuringians, neither better nor worse.

Do yourself a favour: obtain a vintage Thuringian.

Thank you for the reassurance that I didn't make a terribly wrong decision.

And,

Reason why I think I might want a coticule is because I like the idea of having in my possession a rather rare and coveted rock, which I can also sharpen razors on

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The Coticule without even thinking hard...

correctamundo

Originally Posted by daflorc

You're a good person for this question. Care to explain?

Your numbers are extremely insufficient to answer the question. You are forgetting that those garnets live in a matrix and its properties are just as important as anything else.

However the answer 'coticule' that you're getting is based on experience with these hones (multiples of them) and that final test how the hone sharpens the razor, not only takes into account every variable, but also is the only one that matters.

So, yes, if you've used these hones there is no need to think, they perform very differently and the coticule is much more versatile (on average, of course, the variations among both types are fairly big).

I have both and I like the coticule as a finisher and it gives me a good result. The Blue I mostly look at. It's too slow and I have other stones that work much faster. Yes it has potential but in the scheme of things there are just better choices out there.

Coticule. You can set a bevel and go all the way to a polished finish on one stone.