Thread: Getting higher HHT of Coticule

Dear Sharp Razor community,

To those of you who looking for a method for getting better HHT results of you coticule or just to thopse who like to try something different with you hone.
I've learned that with finishing hone in general but with coticules in particular the honing pressure is very critical to the progress of the edge.
The lighter the pressure the finer the results of the stone.

One of the methods I found being helpfull for me to control the pressure is described bellow.
I've also created a short video demonstrating it: https://youtu.be/Cg1VTa5oJbs

The coticule used is a vintage La Dressante, it's surface is lapped to have a gentle convexity from side to side which I've found being very practival for shallow stones.
Its small size of 12cm x 3cm feels just right for this finishing method, the lighter the stone the better you can control the pressure by this honing method.

OK, here is the how-to:

Hold your stone hand with palm up and bring 3 or 4 fingers together pointing up. The tips of the fingers doesn’t need to touch but to build a kind of „surface“.
Now put your Coticule centered on top of your finger tips. You will find you balancing the costly Coticule on your fingertips, so take care

If you’re feeling instabile or discomforting bring the fingertips a little away from each other to enlarge the surface contacting the Coticule.
Both ends of the Coticule are hanging in the air...

Once you feel good take your razor which need a final finish passes. If you razor does need more work than this method might be too time consuming.

Balance the razor in your razor hand and first just place it at one end of the stone without moving it.
You‘ll probably find the stone tilting. In this case lift the razor of the stone and try again. Your target is to place the Razor on the end of the stone without causing it to tilt.

I‘ve needed several attempts to achieve this stage.
Once the „first touch“ succeeded you can start performing the strokes. Very slow and gentle. In case you feel a disballance or discomfort lift the razor and try again.

Keep relaxed and concentrate on the tones feedback.
The time you'll start feeling an increase of the friction while doing the stroke along entire blade you are there.

After coticule I usualy perform 60-70 stropping strokes on linen belt and another 60-70 on a fine leather.

Happy shaving!


P.S. I'd like to post this also to a Badrger&Blade forum, but my account was banned due to I've happened to post a link to external Alex's blog which is again the TOU.
Communication to the site admin was failed.
Not sure what is going on there but seems like 0-error tollerance is applied there...