Thread: how do you use the coticule

1. Listen to Bigspendur!

But in case you want my opinion / experience:
Sometimes this happens to me. Nothing to do with a coticule being too coarse. I have been able to isolate 2 reasons so far, addressing them solves the problem:
a) my coticule is smaller than my norton. I rarely do X on the norton, but do it on the coticule - sometimes doing the X i might accidentally dull the razor on the edge of the coticule (even though it's rounded) - back to the norton for a few to HHT, then coticule but more carefully
b) the slurry for the coticule is too thick (not much water) - this dull the edge like there's no tomorrow

I suspect there might be a 3rd reason: particles off the rubbing stone are too big and dull the edge sometimes (totally random)

Hope this helps
Cheers
Ivo

I agree with Ivo. I never use anything else but the coticule on a razor that has been shave sharp. With proper use a razor will gradually become a bit duller. A few laps on the coticule is all that's needed to get it sharp again! Just shaving and proper stropping in my esperience never causes microchips etc.

My family's hairs are too thin for a HHT, I use the hairs on my arm to check sharpness.

Originally Posted by izlat

b) the slurry for the coticule is too thick (not much water) - this dulls the edge like there's no tomorrow

This is interesting Ivo. For a long time I thought that since the slurry does the cutting I should get a nice heavy slurry on deck before starting to hone. Then I'd have trouble keeping enough water on the hone, since the honing action itself wants to push it off the edge; the net result was always a thick pasty slurry. And yes, you're right, I got the worst results when that happened.

It seems I now get better results when I use the rubbing stone minimally (just a couple strokes at the outset), keep squirting water on the hone every few laps, and generally worry more about keeping the stone well lubricated than about 'maintaining' a slurry.

After honing I do not rinse the slurry off the hone, I just let it dry and use it next time again. Only when there's hardly slurry left I create some.

Slurry is not essential, without it honing may take a bit longer.

It's possible u to use only coticule and belgian blue stone to hone a dull razor?
Pyramyd is a must with coticule?
How many strokes to avoid overhoning?

1) Should be possible yes. I often use only the yellow coticule to hone a dull razor as long as it's not too bad in out of shape.
2) Pyramid is never a must. I don't use them but many others find the usefull. I suppose you could do a pyramid on belgian stones as well. I don't see why not.
3) Wouldn't be able to tell you. I approach each razor by itself. Evey razor is different and in different shape so I never have a set amount of strokes.

I've never used pyramids with the blue and yellow but I've always been curious if others do.

I know Lynn uses a pyramid alternating between the Norton 8K and the coticule, but I've never heard of alternating between the blue and yellow.

It seems to me that pyramids are more important with faster stones. The Norton 4K is shaping the bevel and the 8k is polishing it, and both of these things are happening fast. Pyramids allow progress to be incremental on both tracks, and alternating between grits prevents overhoning.

It would take a special combination of patience, endurance, and obliviousness to overhone with a blue belgian. And by the time it's popping hairs off the blue, I usually find that a dozen or so passes on the yellow is all you need for further polishing.

Would be interesting if Randy or Alan or Ivo or any of the other experiment-and-try-everything-just-to-know honemeisters would weigh in here.

I fail to see the point over alternating blue and yellow Belgian. They both contain similar sized garnets, the garnet content of the blue being less than that of the yellow. I discussed this item with Mr Celis of Ardennes Coticule and he too did not recommend to buy a blue if you buy a yellow one.

Originally Posted by Kees

I fail to see the point over alternating blue and yellow Belgian. They both contain similar sized garnets, the garnet content of the blue being less than that of the yellow. I discussed this item with Mr Celis of Ardennes Coticule and he too did not recommend to buy a blue if you buy a yellow one.

This is interesting Kees, but I'm a little confused. Fewer of the same-sized garnets would make the blue slower than the yellow, which indeed it is – but also just as fine, which it doesn't seem to be. The blue is considered coarser than the yellow; its grit is rated at half that of the yellow (4-6K for the blue vs. 8-12K for the coticule).

Dylandog,

I am not an expert of the physics of sharpening but if there is such a big difference in rating I guess it may be due to the stuff between the garnets??