Thread: shapton 15000

As of right now, I've got the norton 4k/8k and a 2 sided wide paddle strop from tony with a .5 diamond paste on 1 side and a .25 on the other. I was looking at throwing another stone in the mix between the 8k and the .5 micron paste and saw the shapton 15k. How would the shapton 15k compare to the belgian coticle?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

it's definately finer and will give you a sharper edge, but i'd hazard a guess and say the coticule gives a smoother edge. the shapton pro stones are also harder and less forgiving if your technique isn't spot on

the .5 paste is finer than the coticle and the shapton right?

If I don't use the coticle or some other finishing stone, would I get the same effect from more repetitions on the .5 paste and moving to the .25?

Folks tell me that once they use the coticule they get rid of their Shaptons and that has happened about 5 times over the past year. They say the Shapton overhones the razor. The grit size doesn't tell the whole story about the shave readiness of the edge and it's not a linear relationship although honing is a progressive process. Folks who have used a variety of stones tend to feel that the coticule hones more like a 10k stone rather than the 8k which it is rated at by the Belgians. See Tim Zowadas photos on this and you'll see why! There is an optimal balance between the size of the scratches left by stones and the shininess of the edge. Just because it's shiny doesn't mean it actually cuts hairs better! In fact it's just the opposite. Those who have looked at the photos and dry honed on the coticule and then shaved have been disappointed. They then go back to the slurry method and their shave ready edge is back! Traditionally, barbers keep their razors sharp by using the coticule when the razor starts to pull and then a natural leather strop. This has worked well for the past 400 years or so and I recommend it based on my experience as well.

but it looks like the 8" x 3" is about $175 so I'm not quite in the market for that yet. Do you still use the pastes after the coticle? I think in Lynn's video he used the 4k/8k pyramid, moved to the coticle, and than the pastes.

You don't really need a monster 8x3" coticule. I have a 6x2" that works very well, and I do more honing than most guys will. Actually, my first coticule was only 1.5x4" and cost only $40 or so. If you will just be honing razors for yourself, that's very adequate.

Whether you go to pastes or not is a matter of individual preference. Some guys like to go all the way to .25 microns. I stop after the coticule, because it leaves a very nice edge and because my beard doesn't like the edges left by the finer pastes.

A cheap way to experiment is to get some balsa wood at a craft store and smear thin layers of paste on that. If you decide you don't like it, you haven't sunk much money into the deal.

Josh

After my Norton Combo, I've used a Shapton 10,000 very sparingly! Anything more than moderate use will easily overhone my edges. I've also used Chromium Oxide paste to great effect in refining my edges to a sharp and comfortable finish. I have recently been omitting the 0.25µ Diamond paste as a modest final step, but have been getting edges which aren't quite as fine as I was when I was using that last step, so I'll likely go back to it soon.

I've never had a good coticule to compare myself, but the buzz seems to be that the Chromium Oxide and the coticule give a similar finish to the edge. It's just that some guys have an easier time with and/or prefer one over the other.

X

where is the best place to buy a coticule?

Originally Posted by saladbar2000

where is the best place to buy a coticule?

I picked up a natural blue/yellow combo a couple weeks back from Howard @:

http://www.theperfectedge.com/

Really nice looking stone and great feel to the blade after use. And he's very knowledgeable about these stones.

I'm thinking about getting the 2"x6". I think 2" is wide enough for my tosuke and I can do the x pattern stroke on everything else. Is the $18.00 Cotigura Rubbing Stone the same as the nagura stone lynn was talking about? If not what are the pros and cons of each?