How I Hone on Coticules & BBWS!

[J743]

Fellas,

I wanted to post my method for how I tamed my coticule to produce killer edges. I'm not sure why it works, I mentioned something about slurry dulling before, but to be honest, I'm not sure. I just know so far across my 2 BBWS and three coticules, I use them the exact same way. So I guess I'm posting this for guys who are struggling, maybe to reach out and see if anyone hones the same way.

It started when I was getting good undercut, but I could never get other feedback. HHT was non-existent unless I stropped a long time. Now I can get suction VERY quickly, and I try to keep that suction going, to the point where when it's time to do weight of the blade... I can't make a good confident stroke because the hone just won't let me. That's how I'm reading "this stone has given me everything."

I let auto slurry do all the talking, the slurry I build on top just feels like something to help it get faster. I dilute not to keep the slurry wet, but to increase to water to garnet ratio, INCLUDING what I guess is auto slurry. I'm not sure if that's what happening, but this is what's working:

1. If it's a beater razor, I don't bother setting a bevel with coticules. Major repair ain't my thing on these rocks. If setting a bevel, I'll refresh thick slurry and do strokes until it's ready to go through stages.

2. Start with a good thick slurry. Do as many circles / X strokes / half strokes / rolling Xs needed to get that pocket knife sharp feeling.

3. Dip the razor in a cup of water.

4. Twenty strokes

5. Dip the razor in a cup of water

6. Twenty strokes

7. Dip the razor in a cup of water

8. Twenty strokes

9. Dip the razor in water

10. And on... and on.... and on....

*I try to keep very light pressure
* Water doesn't mean anything to me other than I'm close
* Suction is what I'm looking for
* I will go on clear water until the cows come home, just refining and refining and refining
*I get the EXACT same polish I can get from running my coticule under water like some do
* I like to keep a lot of fluid on the stone, like, a LOT. I find it helps big time.
*

Does anyone else do anything like this? The only difference in my bbw is that it takes a good bit longer, I suspect because it doesn't auto slurry as heavily. But who knows...

My coticules aren't the ones people drool over. I suspect one is La Veile Rouge de Regne, newly mined, because it feels like honing on a pair of jeans it's so dam grainy. They
are harder than a Spanish test. Slower than watching a second coat of paint dry.

But you guys were right, it was me all along. All my coticules work just fine.

[Utopian]

I do pretty much the same thing. I've been dipping into the same plastic mustard jar for years. However, I do use more pressure in the early stages when I am trying to remove more steel to re-profile the edge as opposed to the later stages when the steel removal is more for polishing.

One consideration is that the degree of auto-slurrying can vary dramatically from one coticule to the next.

[gary haywood]

So basically your setting the bevel until thumb pad feels pocket knife sharp. I get that and no that feel very well. Then it's a case of dunking the razor in a cup of water and performing say 20 x stroke. Repeating until your honing with water, keep the stone wet like a good poodle of water to create a nice suction . I kind of do a similar thing using circles. I have to say it does work but not on every coticule I,ve used.

Nice to see you have good success . Many people try dilucot and do struggle , your method could well give some coticule honers something else to try. Are you using a linen and leather strop or just leather ?

[J743]

So basically your setting the bevel until thumb pad feels pocket knife sharp. I get that and no that feel very well. Then it's a case of dunking the razor in a cup of water and performing say 20 x stroke. Repeating until your honing with water, keep the stone wet like a good poodle of water to create a nice suction . I kind of do a similar thing using circles. I have to say it does work but not on every coticule I,ve used.

Nice to see you have good success . Many people try dilucot and do struggle , your method could well give some coticule honers something else to try. Are you using a linen and leather strop or just leather ?

Hey Gary! Nice hearing from ya,

I usually do linen, only the only servicable linen I have right now is on an Illinois Strop, the one with the barber's ends. I may pick up some fire hose linen in the near future.

I like circles too sometimes! I can get real, real sticky on my coticule faster with circles.

I have a question for you--do you keep going when you get suction or stop? I haven't determined that. I'm still working on my method, but like you say, I'm positive it's not original. I guess I basically do a dilucot but dilute with much more than a finger drop. I always interpreted "finger load" to mean just past the first knuckle--when I started diluting heavier I saw instant results.

[gary haywood]

I have one coticule I dilute with a finger load and it's always worked. Now the other coticule that I use when I,m at work, I dunk the blade and I find it works much easier. If I dilute slow, the end result is not as good, so diluting with more water seems to work .

Once u,m done diluting and working with clean water, I clean my hone I do a quik set of medium pressured half strokes then work light x strokes . I just hone away . Strop and shave. i find linen and leather works well . That's about it realy.

[JimmyHAD]

I have one coticule I dilute with a finger load and it's always worked. Now the other coticule that I use when I,m at work, I dunk the blade and I find it works much easier. If I dilute slow, the end result is not as good, so diluting with more water seems to work .

Once u,m done diluting and working with clean water, I clean my hone I do a quik set of medium pressured half strokes then work light x strokes . I just hone away . Strop and shave. i find linen and leather works well . That's about it realy.

Gary, are you using coticules exclusively nowadays, or are there other hones in the mix ?