To stray a bit from the details of this thread (which I have enjoyed and learned something from as per usual), I have seen the blue bar with MENTOR under names and not given it too much thought. But this post by AFDavis11 really defined MENTOR for me today. So a sincere thank-you to the League of Mentor Men, the Big Brothers of Whiskers who freely share knowledge, who can disagree and remain civil, and who care enough both of preserving the history and expanding the knowledge base of this simple (I don't really mean simple) pleasure.



Quote Originally Posted by AFDavis11 View Post
It's not too early to start thinking about it. Learning to hone is a good way to speed up your learning curve in other areas. It kind of gives you the freedom to experiment with stropping and shaving.

I would consider a coticule an intermediate to advanced stone. It's fine, just be really patient. I would ask these same experts and maybe Glen (gssixgun) to recommend an easy stone to learn on and tell them you are looking for maintenance not eBay restoration. You might need an easy stone before the coticule. Honing isn't really about stone selection, it's really about the learning curve, like sharpness testing, disciplined stroke, and progression decisions.