Quote Originally Posted by rwp View Post
For all those with the misfortune to be stuck with a dud coticule(like me),here is a suggestion.Follow your normal pre-coticule routine then, when it comes to the coticule,build up a slurry with a nagura stone or small piece of coticule(whatever you normally use).Now,transfer the slurry from the stone to the ball of your thumb by wiping the stone across it or the ball of the thumb across the stone,whichever worksbetter.Next,begin using a stropping motion with the razor back and forth along theball of the thumb(a stropping method recommended by Dovo among others).Occasionally add a drop of water to keep the slurry moist as required.Because only about a third of the razor is in contact at any one time,I generallymultiply the number of strokes that would have been used on a stone by threeor even four but because they are so short it is very quick.After stumbling on to this method after a long period of intense frustration when it seemed like the garbage bin offered the best solution to the problem,I've used it many times now,always with excellent results.I hope this will be some help to others.
Why not transfer it to the linen of a strop? Some members put fire ash on the linen so why not some coticule slurry? I never tried but have been tempted to do this as an experiment. However now that I am testing Tony's real linen strop I haven't felt the need yet.