Thread: Coticule help - have an edge, but can't get it sharp

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Coticules rule, It's that simple,,,, Excalibur was honed with a coticule

I doubt that I will ever take advantage of Lynn's free first honing on my new Boker, but if I ever do there will be a note to him requesting that the razor be honed on his coticule. All these years of shaving with a coticule finish edge is why I hate my shavette and safety razors.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Coticules rule, It's that simple,,,, Excalibur was honed with a coticule

You're sure it wasn't a Welsh slate...? Lynn Melynllyn perhaps?

Try honing under slow running water. No slurry or anything. My Coti became a new stone when I tried that. From what I understand, before the 50's or 60's Coti's were never sold with a slurry stone.
any way it's working for me. Did you flatten your stone before using it?

Slawman

Slawman is right. I'm still new with coticules, but I have had a lot more great results with just running water then with slurry's

Off the wall question, but I always thought the slurry was for the "between phases" to make it behave like a lower grit hone, and you wanted to dilute it until the final phase where you end with just a little water on the hone - or perhaps running water if that's an option. I can see where that would be beneficial. Is that not the case?

Yes, it is very much the case. The slurry works by using loose garnets moving between the blade and the stone akin to lapping paste. The steel is removed relatively rapidly in this method. As the slurry is diluted, the number and density of garnets is reduced accordingly and cutting is slowed. With water only, you are only cutting with the very tops of garnets that remain embedded in the stone. Because the exposed part of the garnets is more rounded in appearance than spiky, they produce a very smooth edge, are much less prone to microchipping, and make overhoning more difficult if not impossible. However, this same structure also means that they don't produce acute microserrations that other hones (especially synthetics) do and are perhaps less forgiving of less keenness.

See the following for more information:

http://coticule.be/dilucot-honing-method.html

http://coticule.be/faq-reader/items/...garnets41.html

http://bosq.home.xs4all.nl/info%2020...whetstones.pdf

See pages 14 - 17 of the latter.

As far as using water only, that's what you should be doing when finishing - you will never get a satisfactory shave off slurry. You do not need to use running water, just keep the water on the surface refreshed as needed to prevent drying out. Some coticule veins tend to self-slurry when honing with water, and the water will require constant refreshing with these types. See this document for detailed descriptions of the different veins, how they behave with water vs. slurry, and much more:

http://bosq.home.xs4all.nl/info%2020...whetstones.pdf

Exactly sqzbxr......keep the thing super wet. I don't use running water but I have a spray bottle at the ready and keep it flooded with water.

I got my coticule and my Wade and Butcher when some cousins cleaned out my great uncle's personal belongings. I know the thing is over 100 years old because he was born back in the 1870's. What was neat about this stone is that it came to me virtually unused. The top had never been lapped and the layer of coticule is thick. I lapped the thing on 1500 w/d..........took forever but I have a stone that I protect with my life.

Great story about the history of your great uncle's hone! Would love to see some pictures if you get the chance.

For finishing, I was told to use the running water to keep the loose garnets & swarf away from the blade so you have less scratches to deal with.I tried it both ways & looked at both edges under my microscope & the edge looked less scratched with running water. Lord knows I am no expert by any means But this made a difference.
Today I picked up some 12,000 grit I guess it's nano cloth or cloth backed sand paper. I have an old L. West razor that I had worked up to 10,000 on stones& I just did 20 rounds on this material & 50 rounds on my Koken shell Horse hide strop & WOW, I could never get this razor to cut hanging hair & it did it well. I am a happy camper!

Dave Huffman ;-)