Thread: Coticule

I my opinion...Coticules are natural stones which are hard to learn to hone on, (but very rewarding). My coticule is aprox. 2-5 inches. I found out quick that when your trying to learn to hone it makes it much harder when you have to pay attantion to keeping your blade from tipping, and only able to use short stokes. Makes it hard to develop a steady hand and comfortable feel for the stokes. I now regret buying a small stone for that reason. But at the time i was concerned about investing in a stone for a hobby i might not like(as if thats possible! I'm way to far gone now.)

if your learning to hone with no concerns, go big. funny how every thread with coticule in the title is always over 2 pages in lenth...

Somehow the guys who bought a coti as their first stone have the loudest voice when promoting cotis, and those who have tried a lot of stones (naturals and synths too) tend to look at cotis in a more objective way. I am some kind of a hybrid, I started with about ten cotis, sold them all slowly, and have gone to other naturals and synths. I still have a coti, but only rarely use it.

Originally Posted by jeness

Somehow the guys who bought a coti as their first stone have the loudest voice when promoting cotis, and those who have tried a lot of stones (naturals and synths too) tend to look at cotis in a more objective way. I am some kind of a hybrid, I started with about ten cotis, sold them all slowly, and have gone to other naturals and synths. I still have a coti, but only rarely use it.

A coticule was the first natural stone that I purchased after getting my Nortons, and I've been less than impressed with my results with that stone. I purchased another coticule a while later, and while I get better edges from it, I still don't consider either of them finishing stones. IMO, unless you just want a coticule, I'd get something else. My bar-none favorite finisher is my translucent Arkie and it cost less then either of the coticules did and produces a better edge. As always, YMMV.

The whole thread was pretty much a YMMV, as the question was only going to get the plethora of answers from everyone saying why they like their size stone, Honestly I took the whole thing as a Joke, hence the "Mine is bigger than yours" remarks.. Right up until the "Myth" was posted which I knew was going to be tossed on the table....

Buy whatever stone you can afford, whether it is a good finisher or not only your edges can tell, that is the romance/weakness of natural stones, if you want exact, don't buy naturals..

Pretty simple really everything else is the Minutea that we all love to talk about, and if that wasn't here then shaving would just be a morning chore instead of the hobby we love...

Not sure how this fits in here but remember with any item you buy it is assumed the rough work is well crafted. It's the final finishing and degree of it or lack of it that makes an item special.

Originally Posted by myersn024

A coticule was the first natural stone that I purchased after getting my Nortons, and I've been less than impressed with my results with that stone. I purchased another coticule a while later, and while I get better edges from it, I still don't consider either of them finishing stones. IMO, unless you just want a coticule, I'd get something else. My bar-none favorite finisher is my translucent Arkie and it cost less then either of the coticules did and produces a better edge. As always, YMMV.

You know, there's a lot of bad Coti's out there. It's like any other natural. Sometimes it takes a while to find one that suits you, really. Just like Jnats or Charnley. I've always leaned towards selected grade Coticules myself, no inclusions, etc...Not that it matters much, From what I understand, The standard grade stones are just as good. I wouldn't give up so easily on them, or other naturals.
If the Translucent Arkansas is your favorite finisher, I have many Arkies, I'd love to show you some other edges....

I am going to make a point and most Coti fan boys won't like it but the truth is the truth

Before everyone started buying the Standard Grade Cotis, I never read about so much trouble with Coticules, of course we also used them as just Finishers back then too... They also were not pushed on newbs like they are now, most people that used them were experiened honers...

So perhaps it is a combination of all those things that has caused the huge amount of YMMV with Coticules because it is a more recent problem (in the life of SRP)..

PLEASE,,, Do Not, take my word for this, go back into the achives and read for yourselves

Just my observations over the last 5 years on the forum and taking the time to read the old stuff...YMMV

Originally Posted by zib

I never understood why guys would cut perfectly good hones in half...

Two halves will sell for three times as much as the whole

edit: in light of this perspective, I should probably be a vendor instead of a mentor

Why everything that's rare and expensive has to be an exceptional finisher? Buy a C12k and you'll be fine. Legendary stones are just legends. I like my coticule because it was sought after, 2000 years ago by Romans, my Charnleys because it's rare, my Thuringians because they're also rare, same goes for my LIs, a few salmen stones I have, the Japanese because everything that comes from Japan will definitely be exceptional, the cuttlers green and the lapped horn of a unicorn. Buy a finisher regardless its price, strop your razor after honing, and no matter the name of the last hone you used, you'll have a nice edge. I agree about the whole price-size thing, and I hate it.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I am going to make a point and most Coti fan boys won't like it but the truth is the truth

Before everyone started buying the Standard Grade Cotis, I never read about so much trouble with Coticules, of course we also used them as just Finishers back then too... They also were not pushed on newbs like they are now, most people that used them were experiened honers...

So perhaps it is a combination of all those things that has caused the huge amount of YMMV with Coticules because it is a more recent problem (in the life of SRP)..

PLEASE,,, Do Not, take my word for this, go back into the achives and read for yourselves

Just my observations over the last 5 years on the forum and taking the time to read the old stuff...YMMV

It reminds me of another post that you commented on Glen, how back in the day, we all started shaving peach fuz with the aid of pops standing over you giving you all the coaching you needed to get started.

If the fact of the matter is that more men were using their coti’s as finishers back in the day, and to top that off… Already had allot of experience using other means to hone than yeah; the influx of gents who are new and quite frankly haven’t had enough experience or time to truly know what a good edge is to start with are all “now” being told to use them - will start to give the Coti a “bad” name.

And that’s great! Everything in life is cyclical, and perhaps Coti’s will lose their meteoric rise to fame for something else. This in time will again allow those who know how to hone to raise the mystique and eventually, someone will start shilling them to those who are uninitiated. Like me : ).

For all intents and purpose I began life with a straight and a Coti. I have no regrets whatsoever! I struggled with that sucker and gents on the forums must have been sick of hearing of my struggles with it lol. BUT, it made me a better honer (I think). It allowed me to gain a little (BIG noob here) insight as to what a good edge is, when to use pressure and when not too etc. Moreover, when I got my synthetics (thanks Speedster), I feel I could appreciate them all the more.

I’ll say this – in today’s world, you have to be both stubborn and committed to get into straights. There are just so many “easier” options. With that mindset, many straight users I feel could learn to use a Coti effectively. But, and it’s a big but, when learning to use a straight, there is so much going on that to master a Coti might be best left till after learning to kind of master the shave first. Getting bad edges off of any natural stone puts a massive damper on learning to use a straight – Well that’s my 2 cents.