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i have my coticule belgian 14 x 4.5 yellow coticule..i m very lucky because it seem a very good very smooth....with a very uniform surface...
could you tell me how i develop a slurry to achieve an high cutting power?
you always tape the spine to avoid the damage on the razor?
thanks
For a slurry you need to rub the big coticule with a little one. I never tape the spine but I don't have razors with fancy decorated spines.
A coticule will develop a slurry naturally if you rub it with a knife for a few minutes or you can rub it with a coticule rubbing stone (cotigura). I don't rinse off my slurry when I'm finished but just let it dry. To reactivate the slurry, just spritz with some water and spread evenly over the coticule with your finger. Always rub the coticule lengthwise with the cotigura to avoid dishing the stone in the middle.
The angle created by the spine and the edge of the blade is very specific for straight razors. When you tape up a spine, you change that angle. If you're new to honing and not getting the shaves you expect, don't tape the spine. Avoid introducing new variables until you can get consistent results with as few variables as possible.
Tim Z. and I were talking the week before my presentation at the Bladesmithing Conference at Ashokan last week. Tim has been experimenting with taping and one of the things he told me he is working with is honing the razor on the stone and then taping the spine with two layers of electrical tape for a final, straight down the stone, honing of about 20 very light passes. He says this has put a very minute and microscopic bevel on the very edge which is making huge differences.
Personally, I don't tape my spines at all.
Oh, coticules are always very smooth across the surface as they are an 8000 grit finishing stone. I have been told about grades of coticule sold in Europe that are not as consistent as the Select grade I get from the quarry. It has been interesting over the past year that several times I have shipped coticules back to Belgium to folks who aren't pleased with what they get in retail stores in Brussels and Antwerp.
For the geographically inclined, Brussels and Antwerp are the commercial urban areas in Northern Belgium. The quarry is way the heck southeast in the mountains near the German border.
Howard
i have made some hairlines on my new razor...why? i have put 30 minutes the hone in the water....and i have honed with a bit of pressure...
i m afraid to damage the other razor!....