Thread: Why A Coticule?

Oh so true, I was lucky in 1982 and had a barber that showed me at least the basics, but everything else was trial and a ton of error The first time stropping I didn't realize he was flipping the razor on the spine, hard lesson there

LOL ok you made me spit beer...you didnt flip??? YOU ARE HUMAN!!! whew...here I thought you were Hephaestus himself sent from the forge's of the gods to put evil edges on extra hollow spikes to slit the ears of humanity!!

Yep flipped that puppy and the nice edge he put on it for me about 20 times on the edge,,, But man I was moving fast hehehe

had to go over there with my tail between my legs and ask him to fix it the next day We are all newbs at one point in time

I have been honing for a few months now and I don't consider myself to be any means. But I started out on coticules and I can get a really good shaving edge from mine. There is no reason for someone not to start on naturals it's not rocket science they just take time to "romance" the edge out of them. The only synthetic I have is my king 1k for bevel setting and it doesn't get much use anymore since I acquired a Cretan hone. I have no desire to use a synthetics and I don't know that I would even be honing my own razors of synthetics were the only thing out there. It is very much a YMMV thing though.

I have been doing this shaving honing stropping thing for a few years. I had the golfers mentality when it came to honing and bought lots of equipment.

My findings were that it is the craftsmen, not the tool that gives good results.

Use whatever hone you want, be happy and do not worry about what other people are using.

Thanks Ben...

Oh so true much like the saying, "Fear the man who owns but one rifle, he might just know how to use it"

Originally Posted by matt789

I don't know that I would even be honing my own razors of synthetics were the only thing out there. It is very much a YMMV thing though.

So you would pay someone else to hone them on synthetics and probably finish on a natural? Hm. Don't get me wrong, naturals are great...but considering you have never used a synthetic other than the king...is it just knowing in your head that it's natural that makes it so much better for you? There is a difference between the two, but IME not enough to warrant such disdain for synthetics...

Not trying to be snarky, just don't get the strong reaction...especially if they have never done you wrong.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

People also tend to push their personal favorites, which adds another wrinkle to the mix especially when they haven't used anything else..

Ok, In the sense that I recommend coticules to people because in my experience they work, I guess I "push" them. Guilty as charged. I've used other things, though, so maybe I'm just sorta guilty?

But here's where I lost you:

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Oh so true much like the saying, "Fear the man who owns but one rifle, he might just know how to use it"

So you don't need lots of equipment. Ok fair enough. Wait, what?

Originally Posted by ryanjewell

So you would pay someone else to hone them on synthetics and probably finish on a natural? Hm. Don't get me wrong, naturals are great...but considering you have never used a synthetic other than the king...is it just knowing in your head that it's natural that makes it so much better for you? There is a difference between the two, but IME not enough to warrant such disdain for synthetics...

Not trying to be snarky, just don't get the strong reaction...especially if they have never done you wrong.

I have had a strong reaction to nothing. I just said that I prefer a natural stone and have no desire to use a synthetic. I like the natural point of it, honing on something that was made millions of years ago verses something that is man made. This is why I said it is a YMMV thing. I love the nice mellow edge I get from my coticule. I don't guess it would matter if someone else honed my razor and finished on a coticule as long as it still came to the same edge that I get out of a full honing on one. I also like the edge I get off my eschers but I just have no desire my self to use any synthetics it a personal preference.

Originally Posted by Jimbo7

Ok, In the sense that I recommend coticules to people because in my experience they work, I guess I "push" them. Guilty as charged. I've used other things, though, so maybe I'm just sorta guilty?

But here's where I lost you:

So you don't need lots of equipment. Ok fair enough. Wait, what?

I always say the same thing anymore "Synthetics are an exact science, Natural stones are a Romance"

Either gets you to a shaving edge anything else after that all depends on your face, your beard, your hands, and the razor... Basically YMMV

Coticules gained in popularity because of their "Old" price two years ago a 8x3 Select grade was running less than $200 now they are not such a hot buy...


What part of that did you get lost on????? I realize you did get confused by the SIZE issue but I thought you figured that out that I was joking.. The 8x3 was a reference to a certain price not a size you needed for honing...