Thread: Chamfering the edges on a Coti

Diluting is good

You should just try it, you might find your Coti doesn't produce the silky smooth slurry mine does, I guess what I am saying is that when it comes to a Natural Stone there are no rules made "In Stone"

Try it a few ways and learn your stone, the best advice in this thread is the idea of using a micro bevel to learn what edge your face likes...


But I stand by the statement,, "There is Magic in the Mud" you should at least look for it

My take on the coti honing process is to add water to incrementally dilute the slurry until you are honing essentially with just water. How dilute the slurry you start with depends very much on how much restoration the edge requires.

Cotis were often used as barber hones. I suspect many barbers tuned up an edge that was just beginning to tug using a few strokes on whatever lather they had in their mug, just plain water or dry.

How you choose to start your coti honing process depends on your experience with your stone; your expertise in assessing what the blade needs and how much time you want to spend honing.

Aside from the comfort of a coti edge, one major advantage to working with a coticule is that you almost cannot overhone - you’d have to hone for a very long time with a lot of pressure to severely wound your razor.

I tried different finishes on my La Grise,
for me personally I have found that finishing on plain water on the Coticule gives me the keenest, smoothest and most skin friendly edge.

The BBW on light slurry also gives a great similar edge, although I found my Coti edge to be smoother and easier shaving.

The BBW on plain water wasn't that good, felt too crispy.

The BBW dry was also good, very keen, but not as smooth as on light slurry.

The Coticule on plain water is excellent and easily wins for me, easiest shaving, very keen.
Feels keener than the BBW on light slurry, is the smoothest and skin-feel and skin friendliness is the best.

Coticule dry is similar as on water, but crispier feeling, bit less smooth and a bit less friendly for my skin.

Coticule on slurry was too crisp for me, didn't shave as easily.

This is a highly subjective thing, but these are MY observations for MY stone, MY razors, MY skin and MY technique.

Just gotta find what works best for you.

Well, I have been experimenting with my Coticule edges.

Dry with Crox
Running water with Crox
Dry without Crox
Running Water without Crox.

I found the nicest keenest smoothest shave was running water no Crox.

UNTIL

Gssixgun, said he felt that running water and washing away the slurry was counter productive, I have to admit I had my doubts based on what I had read online that made sense to me.

Anyway, because I am just working on the micro bevel, I sprayed my stone up and made very little slurry as a starter because as I said it was only a micro bevel.

I did 15 laps with light pressure, and I did 20 laps weight of the razor. I didn't add anymore water than the original spray so I was playing in a small amount of mud.

I did add a layer of Kapton because that is how I hone and also a layer of electrical tape for the micro bevel.

I should have known better than to second guess gssixgun, I apologize Glen. I just had the smoothest shave yet and I think I have the Coti cracked now.

I have found that however you finish with a coti, fabric is your friend.

Just goes to show that slurry does do great things, even for the finish. Who woulda thunk it.

Originally Posted by STF

Well, I have been experimenting with my Coticule edges.

Dry with Crox
Running water with Crox
Dry without Crox
Running Water without Crox.

I found the nicest keenest smoothest shave was running water no Crox.

UNTIL

Gssixgun, said he felt that running water and washing away the slurry was counter productive, I have to admit I had my doubts based on what I had read online that made sense to me.

Anyway, because I am just working on the micro bevel, I sprayed my stone up and made very little slurry as a starter because as I said it was only a micro bevel.

I did 15 laps with light pressure, and I did 20 laps weight of the razor. I didn't add anymore water than the original spray so I was playing in a small amount of mud.

I did add a layer of Kapton because that is how I hone and also a layer of electrical tape for the micro bevel.

I should have known better than to second guess gssixgun, I apologize Glen. I just had the smoothest shave yet and I think I have the Coti cracked now.

I have found that however you finish with a coti, fabric is your friend.

Just goes to show that slurry does do great things, even for the finish. Who woulda thunk it.

I always have a bit of mixed reaction when solve it with something an expert said that I "knew" wouldn't work for me. A combination of excitement, guilt, and humbleness.

Congratulations on your great edge. Now have fun repeating it.

Originally Posted by STF

I have found that however you finish with a coti, fabric is your friend.

Yeppers, I remember having that conversation with Bart many years back, he always said that a Coti finish never really popped until you did "Double Time" on the Linen.. Totally agree

How would yinz describe the "thickness" of the slurry that you finish on?

I certainly wanna try with my other Coticules as well

Originally Posted by TristanLudlow

How would yinz describe the "thickness" of the slurry that you finish on?

I certainly wanna try with my other Coticules as well

I was using a micro bevel to experiment so I just rubbed the slurry stone 3 times to make a very small thin slurry but If I was doing a full progression I would dilute the slurry until I had plain water to finish but not add any more water so the stone auto slurried. I reckon that would give me about the same effect as I just experienced.
I wouldn't make a micro bevel if I wasn't experimenting.

I just had my best Coti shave so I really want to replicate that edge for a full progression without any synths but I guess it will be a bit of trial and error to get the slurry just right.

Most coticules auto-slurry. After 60 roundtrips (my edge refreshing routine) the water on the coticule always is a bit "muddy". In the olden days coticules were never sold with rubbing stones. Only Thuringian and Japanese hones used to be used with slurry stone.

Slurry is nothing more than a bit of hone suspended in water. IMHO it does one or 2 things. It adds a third dimension to honing, i.e. it helps to sharpen parts of the edge that do not get in touch with the hone. One other thing that might happen in a slurry is the break-down of sharpening particles which may make the hone function at a higher grit level. I am not sure the garnets in coticules do break down in smaller particles as garnets are pretty hard crystals.

Stropping is recommended after honing anyway, coticules are no exception.

Originally Posted by Kees

Stropping is recommended after honing anyway, coticules are no exception.

I think what was meant, and correct me if I'm wrong, is more time on the linen than usual with other stones before the leather.