Thread: Yellow Coticule vs Chinese 12k. Who has both?

I currently own and use a Chinese12k with good success. I'm planning on finally buying a yellow coticule from Howard. Will the finishing quality of the coticule, compared to the Chinese, wow me? With so many of you touting the coticule, I feel like an Hyundai owner amongst Mercedes enthusiasts!

I own a few coticules but no 12k chinese stone! I am betting though, just like the Mercedes and Hyandai, both these stones are fully capable of getting you to the same place in the end!

Answers often generate questions: what would be the Mercedes and what the Hyundai? Going by the price the Chinese 12K should be the Hyundai but what about honing results?

I only own one coticule and no Chinese 12K.

I own both the Chinese 12K and several Yellow Coticules and both are VERY good stones. If you use the stones correctly both will put a very smooth and sharp edge on your razor, so I don't think that the difference in the shave quality will WOW you. The coticule will feel different to use than the Chinese 12K and will cut somewhat faster, especially if used with slurry. In terms of shave quality, I would be very happy using either of these stones for the rest of my life; however, I like collecting and playing with different hones so it is a luxury to have both. If I had to just choose one then it would definately be the yellow coticule because I feel it is a slightly more versatile stone (cutting speed and polishing ability can be adjusted somewhat with the amount of slurry), it has a "feel" that I like more, and it has more of a "coolness factor".

David

Wowed? I think not.
I have both hones also and would rather use the Chinese 12k over the coticule. Just a personal preference of mine. If you can afford the toy then go for it!

I have both - but I just picked up the Chinese 12k yesterday ($19.99 for the 8x2 at the local Woodcraft store!). I honed up several of my coticule finished blades. I don't know which I prefer but it seems that the edges off of the 12k are very smooth. Honing on it is totally different from the coticule, in my opinion. The 12k feels very hard and glass like. The coticule feels very smooth and buttery under the blade. Might just be me.
I bought the 12k to use after the coticule. I'll have to get back at you with more results.

I own both. What Lib said applies. I just got the yellow coticule yesterday,

I have a newbie-to-the-coticule question: on the yellow coticule, do I want to use blue slurry or yellow slurry? And what does the slurry do, anyway?

What about the Blue Coticle vs other options....?

Originally Posted by YesSheDoes!

I have a newbie-to-the-coticule question: on the yellow coticule, do I want to use blue slurry or yellow slurry? And what does the slurry do, anyway?

I may be wrong, but you want the yellow slurry, which is generated either with a small coticule, or another harder stone, or as you hone a bit.
What does the slurry do - I believe that it provides more garnets (the cutting media) to be in contact with the edge, so it cuts faster. To get as fine edge as possible at the end, you want very small number of garnets, so it's still a 'slurry', but extremely diluted one. Or may be it's the garnets that are still partially embedded on the surface that do most of the cutting at the end - I'm not sure.

I believe the garnet size in the blue is larger than in the yellow, hence if you put a blue slurry on the yellow cuticle you'll get the result of a blue coticule.

Use yellow slurry for the yellow coticule that is raised with a small coticule called bout. Most vendors sell bouts with a larger coticule. The thicker the slurry the more garnets in it and the faster it cuts. For the final polishing use no slurry at all.