Thread: Coticule bout honing help.

I've bought 2 bouts and am having trouble with getting a nice finish. One is a 2x4 from Superior shave. The other is a belgishire Brocken #5 extra fein approx 1x4. I managed to get a great edge from the Brocken. But I've been going at that one for 2 weeks every day with different razors. The larger I just cannot seem to get a good edge at all. I've tried taking it up to 8k on naniwa ss stones and it just takes the keenness away. The larger also does not like to slurry much and its very very slow. The Brocken slurries and cuts fast.

Am I just not giving it enough time or what?

The first is from superior shave and the second stone is the Brocken. Both have dry, wet, and slurried pics.

I'm no expert on Coticules but have had success with them. I currently have a select grade bout and love it. From what I've read each one is different depending on the layer, location, etc. the stone came from and you have to learn the characteristics of a particular stone. Once you figure one out you will love the shave you get. Coticules give a particularly smooth edge to Sheffield blades, that's what I use to finish mine.

Try checking out this link for more info, maybe it will help. Make sure you watch the different honing videos as there are a few different methods of honing with a Coticule bout;
http://www.coticule.be/home.html

Also check out the videos at Superior Shave. The page loads slow as there is a ton of info and a few videos so give it some time;
Belgian Coticule Hones

Fellow SRP member Glen (gssixgun) has a few videos on honing. Here are a couple of videos you might also watch;
gssixgun coticule 1 stone honing part 1 wmv
gssixgun coticule 1 stone honing part 2 wmv

In the mean time good luck and hope you figure it out. Hope this helps.

I've been watching the scratch patterns after each: with slurry, just water, and honing oil. The water and oil are definitely sharper but the scratches are random at best with the occasional deeper scratch.

I'm in similar position, I've got two Coti's one larger one at 7x2 and a small 4x1 and notice the same thing über magnification. The Coti's remove the mirror polish from my 8k norton. From what I have come to understand is that scratch pattern/polish is not a definitive indicator of keenness. I've been testing my newest one (the larger one) by honing with it in different ways (with slurry, without, water only, oil only, water then oil etc) and the shaves have been getting better slowly. I've discovered that mine is fantastically slow so I'm at the stage where ill use two rubs of the slurry stone and dilute with water until clear then use smiths honing solution, I'm up to 150 finishing laps. Testing isn't done yet but I think my issue was not doing enough finishing laps in the beginning. I'm interested to see what others suggest. Good luck with the new stone, the journey is the fun part!

I have 2 cotis that produce good edges. WHat works for me is to dilute a heavy slurry down to almost clear water, splash the stone and finish on almost no slurry. Don't wash the stone off, just splash and some slurry remains albeit small. I have also gotten keener edges off of mineral oil after all this. I like the edge but it lacks the sharpness I get from Jnats, my Escher and my suehiro 20k. But don't let my experience influence your honing or shave as many love the soft definitely shave ready edge off a coti. And then theres the difference in individual stones.

This is how I use my coti (La Dressante and its fast with slurry and slowish with water) YMMV but here it goes. I tape the spine of the razor and wet my coti, then I make quite a thick slurry. I don't count laps or use magnification or care how shiny the edge bevel is as long as there aren't clearly visible scratches. I then do x-strokes until the slurry starts to dry out and get bubbly. then I dilute it by sticking the razor in a cup of water and resume honing until the slurry starts to get dry and bubbly again. I repeat this step until slurry is pretty much gone. I then rinse the stone off and use water only till it starts to dry out and then after that I use honing oil and that is where my coti really shines is with the use of oil. I will do maybe 30 laps or until you get that suction feeling. Then do whatever you would normally do after your done honing whether that be CrOx or just leather or another stone (I recently got a nice arkie that really makes my razor shine). Again YMMV.

Originally Posted by meleii

The larger I just cannot seem to get a good edge at all. I've tried taking it up to 8k on naniwa ss stones and it just takes the keenness away. The larger also does not like to slurry much and its very very slow. The Brocken slurries and cuts fast.

Am I just not giving it enough time or what?

It is possible that the larger stone might come round to produce the desired edge with more time/strokes, it is also possible that it is not good for razors. All coticules were not created equal. Whatever was in the atmosphere that was deposited when those stones were formed, over thousands, or millions, of years, determines the composition of the final product. It is not as if a formula was mixed and poured to form a homogeneous cutting surface as in synthetic hones. I've got some coticules that are really good and a few that I haven't been able to do much with.

One that I thought was a lemon gave me an edge equal to any I've realized from any synthetic or natural. The razor was a TI super gnome, the stone a La Veinete 'Kosher' 8x2 on slate, and it took 160 round trips. I did sets of 30 and tested. Took 160 to get golden. The other coticules I've got that have been stubborn I return to from time to time. On some of them I've finally realized a good edge on a razor or two but not consistently with all razors.

Is it the stone or is it me ? This is why I keep going back to them. Eventually I can just write a stone off for razors and take my pocket knives to it. Good luck with that recalcitrant hone.

I have a coti that leaves such heavy scratches no matter what I do. Heavy slurry, light slurry and water only forget about it. Yes its lapped. Ive made my mind up(I may be wrong) that its just not for razors. Funny thing is its small like 5 in x 1 inch and the yellow side is worn twice the bbw side, so whoever had it used it a lot, I gave up on that one. I was considering selling it but was looking to save somebody the aggravation it gave me! So kitchen and pocket knife stone it shall be, or maybe fishhooks!