Thread: Why won't my bout work?

I went headlong into this thing as anyone who has read my posts knows. I bought a shave ready Dovo a TM strop and TGQ soap to get started. I then set out to make my grandads razors shave or wear the worst one of them out trying. I bought a 220/1000, 4000/8000 a bout from Howard, and a RS 9.95 microscope. I got a razor to shave (sort of). I have it shaving pretty good off the 8000 Norton then go to the bout and screw them up. I am very careful with my angle and stroke still no dice. I go back and do a light pyrimid on the norton and strop it up and it shaves pretty good again. What gives, I have tried light slury, heavy slury, and no slury. Do i need a rectangle coticule? I didn't think the razors would know the difference.
Don

You are using a slurry stone on the Norton 8000? Bad move, don't do that. The slurry stones work good on natural stones and some higher grit synthetics but I wouldn't recommend it on the Norton.

I may have misled, I am using the slury on the bout. I bought the cotigura from Howard when I bought the rest of the stones. It is for the coticule.
Don

I believe that JoshEarl considers a yellow coticule with slurry to give a poor edge, and uses it without for finishing.

I don't like slurry on a coticule either. It is great for removing metal, but it messes up the edge.

For finishing I do 5 very light strokes on a coticule with a very very light slurry, and then rinse of the slurry, make it wet and do 5 very light passes with no slurry.

More is not necessary, and this way I get very smooth edges.

I got that idea in my head from Bruno. He's a good resource on the Belgian hones, since he's logged a few hours with them.

Josh

Since they are sourced in his back garden haha

So what you guys are saying is that a coticule with slurry will actually give an edge that is less acceptable then coming straight off a lower grit stone???

To quote Lou - Good grief.

Mind you it does answer why my Joseph Elliots won't shave nicely.

The only other thing I can add is that is the bout flattened?

Si

I have not lapped the bout. Howard sells all his stones flat and recomends natural stones be flatted with diamond. I don't have the diamond so I just hope it is flat. It appears to be when I lay it face first on my surface plate.

Last night I shaved with a razor just off the 8000 and I just cant get the edge I am looking for. I am comparing it to a LA honed Dovo so my standard is pretty high.
The Dovo is not as keen as it was when I got it and needs touched up but with my limited success playing with rocks I fear I will make it worse. It is my only good shaver at this time so I will not touch the edge untill I get this honing thing figured out or get another shave ready razor.
Don

In my limited experience with the coticule, yes, a slurry does leave a duller edge. I get a wonderful shave when I finish the razor on the plain coticule, but when I use a slurry it pulls like crazy.

The coticule with slurry is actually a pretty aggressive cutter. If you make a slurry and do some X strokes with pressure, the slurry gets grey and then black after a few minutes. I think the aggressive cutting action doesn't leave as fine an edge, although it does an amazing job of polishing the bevel. It's one of those things that I had a hard time believing myself, but it seems to work.

I could be wrong, but I think some of the honemeisters recommend finishing on the coticule with slurry, so I might be doing something wrong.

Josh