Thread: I can't believe it...success with my Coticule (maybe)

I spent a few days at the beach. While I was there I shaved with a brand new straight that was professionally honed with a Coticule. It gave me some great shaves and I told myself "I've got to learn how to do this". So I got home today and dusted off my Coticule. I had terrible results the last time I used it but I know it works well because I sent it to mjsorkin in Feb of 2013. He sent back my Coticule and my straight razor and I was very pleased with the results.

I used a razor that was professionally honed, so I didn't set the bevel. About 2 weeks ago I honed it on a Naniwa SS 5k, I spent too much time on that stone. I then went to a Naniwa 8, 10 & 12k, the edge looked like a mirror, but it was too sharp for my taste. So I thought that it would be perfect to practice on, since I didn't like the edge. I ran the edge just once on a glass, to kill the edge. It wouldn't pass the HHT anymore.

Here is what I did differently:

I watched the Dilucot video from coticule.be
I lapped my Coticule with a Naniwa 12k
I used half strokes just like in the Dilucot video
I didn't use a spray bottle, just a few drops from my finger
I didn't make the slurry very thick
I held the coticule in my hand, like I do with my Swaty

I then went straight from the coticule to the HHT, no stropping, and it passed. I couldn't believe it, then I thought that maybe the Naniwa edge with still there. So I ran the straight razor on a glass 3 times to really makes sure the edge was dead. It wouldn't pass the HHT at all. This time it took 2 trips to the Coticule to get it to pass the HHT but eventually it did. The edge got better after 30 laps on linen and 60 on leather. I can't wait to shave with it tomorrow, it's the all important shave test. I'm sure it will be fine since it passed my HHT.

Here is what I think made the difference:

Somebody else set the bevel
Slurry not as thick
using half strokes
holding the coticule in my hand

I'll give the results of my shave tomorrow. If I don't get a good shave I'll throw the coticule in the lake!!! The Bass will have better use for it than me. LOL

If you don't have a good shave just give yourself a wee rest. My grandfather always said "It is a poor tradesman that blames his tools". I do also realize that not all cotis are created equal though. Many people here have gone through many before they found one that they could get along with.

during a dulicut progression on my coticule I only use half strokes (and sometime circles)

but now I do finish with a serie of X-strokes on water in order to make sure I don't have a wire edge which happened to me a few times I gues as a result from slow dilution in combination with half strokes.

I hope you will start enjoying your coticule

by the way, I have never been able to pass a hanging hair test comming straight from the coticule I always had to strop on plain leather first

I use this method but have abandoned half strokes for circles, big circles.
If you dulled the edge on glass, then it was you that set the bevel on that occasion?
cotis generally give up a smooth edge but maybe not uber keen (depends a lot on your rock).
Cotis are not the easiest hone to use but great fun learning.

Would you use a finishing stone after using the Coti?

For instance could you or would you then go to a Nani 12k or an Escher for a finish?

Originally Posted by Phrank

Would you use a finishing stone after using the Coti?

For instance could you or would you then go to a Nani 12k or an Escher for a finish?

For me not always, depends what edge I'm in the mood for. Someone described a coticule edge as delightfully dull and I like that description, You have to spend some time with it to know what all the fuss is about.
If I feel like a JNAT edge I will get a good coticule edge first before finishing on my Ozuku. Personally I don't like the nani 12k but all this stuff is pure preference.

Joe

Over time I have come to love my coti more and more. The more you use yours the better you'll get. I only hand hone on mine now. I find any stone that must have slurry on it is easier in hand. You can shift your hand/stone around to make sure slurry isn't going all over the place. Setting a bevel on the coti is basically the same process you describe just heavier slurry.

Once I get stiction on my coti, 5 strokes on my CH12K yields one pass shaves.

I've got a new found appreciation for old cotis that don't seem that smooth. I bought a very hard coticule from disburden several years ago and it's a good finisher for a coti because it will not release particles and will get burnished on the surface and then polish the stone.

Then I got this coti in the mail:
Belgian Coticule Straight Razor or Fine Tool Hone Hard Wood Case | eBay

The seller mentioned "it's had oil on it", which I'm indifferent about, I just don't want to put oil on my good ones because I know most of the market detests it and it'll be a problem when I sell it if water beads on it.

So I used this one with water. It's OK - the seller had lapped the surface to a shine, no clue how. Water beaded a little, but not enough to be problematic. But the results were the butterknife coticule kind of edge you'd expect.

I got two razors in the mail last week, and noticing that there's already still an oil film oil on the surface of the stone, put mineral oil on it and one of the razors felt like I'd honed it on a j-nat (a very super double hollow ground ringing solingen razor) and the other one was still blah (a dovo bismarck). I'm too busy enjoying the shaves from the first one to go back and figure out why the results didn't translate on the second one.

You can see by the price for that auction why I don't care if the recent coti order stays oiled. It was listed BIN for $25, and it's closer to 2" wide than whatever the seller did to measure it. The seller also didn't use the horrid expensive "royal mail signed for" so the total take was only about $37. Knowing that novaculite finishes better with mineral oil than it does with water, I'd wanted to try it anyway (my deep rock label says "use with oil or water", but I"m not about to put oil on a stone that valuable).

I still am completely puzzled by the price of coticules, though. If they weren't pretty, they wouldn't sell for much. Same as if there were still a half dozen mines open. I think the only reason we play with them is because they are a stone that takes more fidgeting with to get a good result, and they're expensive.