Thread: Just sold my trusty Coticule :(

Well, I just sold my trusty coticule (a 8x2.75 with a natural BBW backing) which was with me since I started this hobby...

I restore a lot of razors, and used the coticule in my progression...1/4k norton, coticule, then finisher. The problem is, the coticule was not an aggressive enough cutter, and it took too long. The other problem is that I worried about wearing down the coticule side because I used it so much, and it wasn't terribly thick to begin with.

In the end I pocketed some good change for the rock and bought a $70 naniwa superstone 8000 grit to fill the void and act as my work horse. Now I won't worry about wearing the rock down with use.

Anyway, this rant is really just me trying to justify selling my coticule to myself. Twas a fun rock, but not too practical for me.

After all, the only stone that matters is the very last one in the progression - right?

Well, if I had a rock like that I'd never sell it but of course I'm not you and since you say it's not practical for you then why keep it unless you collect the things.

I have a standard coticule and I use it all the time.

At one point I said I'd never own a coticule. Thanks to some spending of cash and other exchanging, I have three big ones and a little one now. One the little one and one big one are what I was expecting.

One of the other ones, labeled "deep rock" is so aggressive that on slurry it could easily substitute for a 3000 grit stone, and it seems that it will cut anything fast, no matter what the label of the steel is.

And the last is a lagriese combo - it is neither fast nor particularly fine (you can shave off of it, of course, it just doesn't wow anyone). I won't even say what I'm thinking of trying on it, I should just dump it on ebay. I will say, though, that I'm not going to do to it what Jimi Hendrix did to his guitar (light it on fire).

I would've kept the stone until I needed the money, too. Sometimes not having what you'd consider to be a valuable mediocre novelty stone (my words, not yours, but words I use for a stone that I use for a stone that I keep around because it's pretty and not because I'd use it to restore a razor) around just leads to buying another mediocre novelty stone since you couldn't remember what it was that led to selling the first one in the first place.

That's all OK if the whole exchange of medicore expensive novelty stones leaves you cash plus when you're done, but it usually just ends up costing more after paying for shipping and all of the fees, etc.

Originally Posted by DaveW

I would've kept the stone until I needed the money, too. Sometimes not having what you'd consider to be a valuable mediocre novelty stone (my words, not yours, but words I use for a stone that I use for a stone that I keep around because it's pretty and not because I'd use it to restore a razor) around just leads to buying another mediocre novelty stone since you couldn't remember what it was that led to selling the first one in the first place.
That's all OK if the whole exchange of medicore expensive novelty stones leaves you cash plus when you're done, but it usually just ends up costing more after paying for shipping and all of the fees, etc.

I'll admit that I sold the thing for 20 bucks less than what I originally paid for it, and then the ebay fees selling it back...but its replacement only cost 70, so I'm still up a couple hundred, thankfully. I like your "mediocre stone exchange" idea, and maybe some day I'll have owned enough that I'll forget what I had, but I don't foresee that happening, as my interest in this hobby is looking down the hill from the top of a bell curve - not saying I'll ever bottom out, but I feel that I own every damn razor that anyone would ever want, and the only thing that still interests me is exotic wood scales and certain jnats, of which I'll never buy, until stones carry more weight with me than Mercedes

I understand how you feel. And that all that matters is the last stone in the progression. That is the reason I started to sell my stones a month ago. Sell the ones you know, and buy stones you don't know.
Now I'm trying to justify my actions to myself. I'm worried though. I might set off a death flag, me selling my stones... But I wouldn't sell my big coticule. It's perfect with slurry but not the finest finisher ever.

That's just the thing - I used to covet the coticule for its versatility and cool "garnet edge" deal, but it's slow, and besides that, I never use it as my finisher - so what's the point? In my opinion, every single stone before your finisher is just a work horse - just take that metal off as fast as I can so I can get down to the business edge - time is money!

I want to believe that you are right. After all, you don't enjoy the feeling of the edge of your 1k, 4k or whichever this stone is. The finisher is what it counts. But it still hurts selling your stones.

That's the way I look at it also. I might have bought a Norton 8k and kept the Coticule, but I'm a rock collector. The welsh hones and the C12k also are fine finishing stones for great prices

Originally Posted by sheffieldlover

That's just the thing - I used to covet the coticule for its versatility and cool "garnet edge" deal, but it's slow, and besides that, I never use it as my finisher - so what's the point? In my opinion, every single stone before your finisher is just a work horse - just take that metal off as fast as I can so I can get down to the business edge - time is money!

I've got a nice big thuringian and Jnat for my finishers. Just needed some fast worker to bridge the gap between my 4k norton and those. I was going to get an 8k norton, but the naniwa 8k was about $40 cheaper. I like fast workers - I heard the C12k is slooooow Sold the coticule because they are so easily and readily available, and I got a good buck for it. Honestly, now that I've worked with a couple coticules, I'm more fascinated by the Jnats. Alex Gilmore has a nice variety, and they seem more magical to me than the coticules lol.