Thread: Just when you think it's over..

Well a bout of had just hit me again when I thought I had kicked the disease.

This time it was literally a "bout". I have traded/sold all my coticules... For various reasons most of them not delivering in my unskilled hands. I could never go from bevel set to coticule all the way through finish.. Looking back I probably hadn't set the bevel well but that's another story.

Well since I traded away my black ark I was without a natural finisher. I'm hoping to finish on the Naniwa 8k and if I choose go a little further do some strokes with this coticule I just got off the bay. It's not in my hands yet but it will be probably next week and pictures will be posted. It was a les latenuses for a decent price, unlike the highly over priced ones you see on the bay from time to time. I had some pay pal balance left so that justified and covered most of the purchase but the girlfriend was still upset so I hope les lat edges are worth the disappointment it caused her... I told her I was getting better, not buying any more and let her down damn... Feel a little guilty now but she'll get over it eventually...

Now from my experience I'm not going to try the dilucot/Unicot methods with this coticule as that hasn't been consistent for me in the past with other specimens for different reasons but I will go 1-4-8 and of results are outstanding off the 8 and I mean fully shave ready then I will finish on the coticule. This will purely be a finishing stone.

I have never gotten the hang of linking posts so I'll ask the question again.

What are some of the ways you finish on a coticule after a 1-4-8 progression??

5 strokes like Lynn?

50 like Bart?


For those of you that did shell out for a les lat, would I finish on the coti then switch to hybrid for the final strokes?

Thank you,

Sincerely,

- former coticule user, then abandoner, soon to be user again.

I don't remember Lynn doing only 5 strokes on a coticule as a finisher. I would tend toward the range of 20 to 50 strokes but it really would depend on the individual coticule.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I don't remember Lynn doing only 5 strokes on a coticule as a finisher. I would tend toward the range of 20 to 50 strokes but it really would depend on the individual coticule.

Maybe Lynn's was 10. I'm not certain but those 2 numbers are jumping out at me after watching his videos multiple times. Maybe the honemeister himself will chime in?

What is the size of your bout? I have been finishing on a #8 (5inch) La Dressante for a while now. That is a small[ish] stone. A lap doesn't cover much real estate. I usually do ~100 laps on water alone, starting with blade weight pressure and trying to decrease that towards the end. I get a good coticule edge that will last 12-15 shaves with my stropping. Then I touch-up the blade with a similar routine and am good to go again. I haven't yet had to step back to using slurry and rework an edge in over a year. I can assure you though, that my edges won't match Lynn's...

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Maybe Lynn's was 10. I'm not certain but those 2 numbers are jumping out at me after watching his videos multiple times. Maybe the honemeister himself will chime in?

Yeah, I wasn't challenging your number, I just don't recall his coticule stroke count being that low but it's been years since I watched his videos. Your recollection likely is better than mine. Regardless, I suspect most coticules are going to need more strokes for finishing.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Now from my experience I'm not going to try the dilucot/Unicot methods with this coticule as that hasn't been consistent for me in the past with other specimens for different reasons but I will go 1-4-8 and of results are outstanding off the 8 and I mean fully shave ready then I will finish on the coticule. This will purely be a finishing stone.

I have never gotten the hang of linking posts so I'll ask the question again.

What are some of the ways you finish on a coticule after a 1-4-8 progression??

5 strokes like Lynn?

50 like Bart?


For those of you that did shell out for a les lat, would I finish on the coti then switch to hybrid for the final strokes?

Thank you,

Sincerely,

- former coticule user, then abandoner, soon to be user again.

I tend to do 30-50, probably closer to 50, but it's a rough count. 30-ish seems to be enough, in general, but if your stroke is consistenly good 50 or 150 for that matter won't do any harm. 30 seems to be the for a good coticule finish.

About switching sides for the final strokes: I don't see the point in that. I have a Les Latneuses (a rectangular bout size 9), had another before that I traded, and I have switched between mottled and yellow in all possible manners and never noticed a distinguishable difference in shave feel or quality. None. Zero. The mottled ("hybrid") side is no finer than (either of) the regular yellow side(s), and not significantly slower - just a bit. It is mainly just harder and prettier.

5 or 10 seems a bit on the low side. And I'm not sure I shelled out for my current Les Latneuses: 7x12 cm, and I paid around €85 for it. For technically two perfectly functional hones I consider that a bargain rather than a steep price.

It all depends really, both on what stone I use and of course what razor/steel I'm honing.
Some as low as 20-30 others much more.

Originally Posted by Birnando

It all depends really, both on what stone I use and of course what razor/steel I'm honing.
Some as low as 20-30 others much more.

Ok I just wanted to get a ballpark number. I'll start at 25 and work up.

Originally Posted by cau

What is the size of your bout? I have been finishing on a #8 (5inch) La Dressante for a while now. That is a small[ish] stone. A lap doesn't cover much real estate. I usually do ~100 laps on water alone, starting with blade weight pressure and trying to decrease that towards the end. I get a good coticule edge that will last 12-15 shaves with my stropping. Then I touch-up the blade with a similar routine and am good to go again. I haven't yet had to step back to using slurry and rework an edge in over a year. I can assure you though, that my edges won't match Lynn's...

I'm a fan of smaller stones, I would rather have a 4x2 then 8x3 but that's personal preference and cost. The 8x3 coticules are super pricy. The smaller the stone the higher the lap count.

As to the size I'm not sure, I didn't purchase it from Ardennes. I don't think it's a modern one either. I think it's a vintage one.
Edit it's 3x3 basically