Coti method question

[nicknbleeding]

When i first started honing i tried a coti but didnt like the results. Now that i have more experience i want to try it again. I plan to go from an 8k or even a 12 k to a coti. What do you guys think would be the best approach?

[gooser]

far from a pro but i pretty much only use a coti any more .. i used to go from 8k - coti .. i think most coti's are below the 12k range so if you go from 12k-coti i think will actually make the edge feel less sharp .. i found a 12k edge was to crisp for me but love the dull feel of the coti on my face .. all result in sharpness but its the feel of the edge that seems to be the diff for me .. again im far from a pro honer but this is what my face tells me ..lol

[nicknbleeding]

Do you just use water or raise a little slurry?

[gooser]

Do you just use water or raise a little slurry?

i start with a heavy milky consistency to start , but im going from bevel set - finish of of a coti or coti's , when i would come off of a 8k norton i used to go with heavy slurry through progressions of light slurry , then lighter , then just water but i found that i was getting the same or near same results if i went from 8k- light slurry then water .. so with my stones i figure heavy slurry was prob between the 4-8 range so i was actually going backwards then forwards if you know what i mean ..

if i were you i would go light slurry and check your edge since you already know what your 8k edge is like then take it from there , i dont think your gonna get any right answer for how you go but i take into consideration the coti size ( more strokes on a shorter stone) and the fact that unlike man made stones no 2 coti's are gonna be the same .. to me its an adventure all in its own and no same method gives me the same results on any of my razors !! i think thats why i like them so much..lol

[rodb]

When I used a Coti a lot I would go up to 4k with synthetics then start with a medium slurry on the coti and worked towards clear and at the very end I would rinse the stone and the razor and do around 50 super light laps. I got great edges that way on my stone

[Hirlau]

I jump the coti after an 8K,,, nothing between an 8k & the coti. I only slurry the coti, if I'm dealing with a old Sheffield wedge,,, then work my way down to a water finish,,, each razor can show different results with a coti & not all coti's perform the same as you know,,,,JMO

[MichaelS]

When i first started honing i tried a coti but didnt like the results. Now that i have more experience i want to try it again. I plan to go from an 8k or even a 12 k to a coti. What do you guys think would be the best approach?

Me too and I started again about a month ago with this method:

A simple honing method with DMT-E, Belgian Blue Whetstone and Coticule - Straight Razor Place Library

To keep things 'original' I've been using a fast coti (pinkish Les Latneuses) instead of DMT to set the bevel, has worked well!

[JimmyHAD]

I jump the coti after an 8K,,, nothing between an 8k & the coti. I only slurry the coti, if I'm dealing with a old Sheffield wedge,,, then work my way down to a water finish,,, each razor can show different results with a coti & not all coti's perform the same as you know,,,,JMO

I'm with John on this. If I'm going to use the coticule as a finisher I don't mess with slurry, and if I do, for whatever reason, it is a light slurry. The thing to do is take a razor to a finished level, 8k, 12k, whatever, and shave with it. See how it is. Then take it to a coticule with water only, shave with it and see what the difference is.

Take notes on what you honed it with, how it shaved after each session. Try it with water only, light slurry and then dilute to water only. Keep track of and note the amount of strokes. I've done this a few times in the past, and wish I had been consistent in doing it with all of my razors.

[ultrasoundguy2003]

I use only my coti. Was having problems with keeness at the end. Per the Cotucile library the rhomboid shaped garnets have a polishing and rounding effect when starting from slurry and working to water. Pre going to just water, add one layer of tape, This makes a micro bevel and with the garnets not free floating it allows for a keener final edge.
Lastly while I didnt believe it , It was stated to preform your stropping routine after honing and THEN check for HHT and what not.
When I followed it to the letter I got the legendary edges I only have read about.
Here it is verbatim
http://www.coticule.be/CSA.html

[hatzicho]

You don't need to go that high in progression bevore you get on the coti. The main thing about a coti is that it provides a very widde range of honing capabilities.
I always step to the coti after bevel setting on a 1K synthetic and use the 1 K only to have a defined starting point. Starting with a thick slurry on the coti and some pressure, than diluting more and more and reducing honing pressure until finally only using water, just like the dilicut method developped by Bart Torfs. You can also set the bevel on the coti, but that takes a bit more time and the point is, you always need to know exactly where you are in the progression to handle the dilution steps correctly.
But there is in my opinion really no reason to add a 4K or 8K step in between. You can easily remove the scratches that the 1K leaves with a thick coti slurry.
Under "normal" conditions with a good and fast coti an experienced honer should only need about 15-20 minutes to get a razor shave ready from a 1K with the coti.