Thread: Coticule

40x100 may be a little small. But hey, like you said..It's cheap. If you like it, you can get something bigger, cut the smaller one in two, use half for a slurry, and save the other half for your third coticule...

Size doesn't matter, until you get a bigger one

If I would have to buy one, I would go with 8x3. But, in my opinion for the price cotis are selling, they aren't that nice they used to be. If you can snag one at an auction or garage sale than they are very nice, but I wouldn't pay the price for a new one.
Seriously, for the price of a 150x50 coti you can buy an Ozuku in the same size, or 3 C12k stones in 8x3" size, with slurry stones, and shipping included, or a 4/8k Norton and a C12k.

Edit: Sry, the Ozuku is cheaper by about 20-30%, and a bit bigger, I wasn't totally honest with prices They are about the same in price if you buy a tomonagura for it too.

As big as you can afford

I was wondering and I will try it soon, can't we just buy two 10x5cm pieces and glue them together? If the one is thicker we can lap its back side. They are much cheaper this way.
My answer here would be an 6x2" stone. Big enough for honing, and not too expensive.

Although I have to agree 8x3" is a great size but at €343,00 it is a big investment for a beginner. Personally I would start with the smallest size you think you will feel comfortable with. If you expect to do a lot of honing the extra speed from a bigger size will be worth it otherwise just save the money for the rest of your honing setup

Originally Posted by jeness

If you can snag one at an auction or garage sale than they are very nice, but I wouldn't pay the price for a new one.
Seriously, for the price of a 150x50 coti you can buy an Ozuku in the same size, ...

No one is going to talk a petrophile out of their pet rock, and there's certainly nothing wrong w/ a coti, but I really like the 'bang for the buck' argument here. Are you in it for the shave? Or the romance? If you could get the same edge from a synthetic or a c12k - would you buy your pet rock anyway? 'Something to ponder as your pile of 'naturals' grows and you can't possibly get your hands on enough blades to get to know any one of them.

For someone new to honing I would suggest a Norton 8x3 4k/8k. Either the combo hone or the single grit. Master that hone and then venture out into the wonderful world of natural stones. I shaved off of an 8k with a 5/8 filly doble temple yesterday and it was great.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I shaved off of an 8k with a 5/8 filly doble temple yesterday and it was great.

I sincerely believe that the newer members of the SRP community could benefit from more of these testimonials. (Wasn't it Glenn who said that 99% of the edge is made by the 8K stage, and only the final 1% is on the finishing stone?) Thank you, Jimmy.

Me

Originally Posted by CJBianco

I sincerely believe that the newer members of the SRP community could benefit from more of these testimonials. (Wasn't it Glenn who said that 99% of the edge is made by the 8K stage, and only the final 1% is on the finishing stone?) Thank you, Jimmy.

Me

We (all the old timers) say it quite a bit, but the allure of the finishers speaks much louder, and it is much easier to believe that a new stone will improve ones honing, rather than to admit that more practice is what is really needed

ps: CJ I actually added the the words "should be" in there 99% of the honing "Should Be" done by the 8k stage... 300 laps on a finisher isn't really finishing, that is honing IMO

It really boils down to what you can afford. My first Coticule was 8x3, Anything you can do on a narrow hone, you can do on a full size hone. I never understood why guys would cut perfectly good hones in half...To each his own....

You definitely have more flexibility on a larger hone, Circles, etc...I wouldn't go smaller than a 6x2, and would stay away from irregular shaped bouts, at least for now. I like the 8x3's, and I also like "hand held honing" which I do on a 6x2 hone.