Thread: Cracking Coticule - HELP

Originally Posted by Howard

Unless the crack is really interfering with the honing, don't worry about it. What I mean by really interfering is that the razor catches on the crack every time you hone.

Are you saying even if the crack does NOT pass the fingernail test, it may still be fine as long as the blade itself isn't catching?

I just received a beautiful pink coticule (6x2 natural combo) with a 2" long crack at one end. The crack is severe enough to easily catch on my fingernail. I was thinking of either cutting the stone to a nice crackless 4x2 size or filling the crack with Hot Stuff CA. (I was leaning toward option 2.) However, I used the stone last night without a problem--DMT 1200, BBW side with slurry, coticule side with water, leather strop. The result was a smooth shave.

So I guess my main question is...do I even need to bother filling the crack? (The razor doesn't catch during honing at all, at least not that I can feel with my newbie hands.) And are there any cons to filling a coticule crack?

Thanx,
Christopher

Ive never had to deal with this issue, but sooner or later I would believe the crack is going to get you. I would fill it and once cured, lap it.

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Whilst I am still trying to find info about painting a natural hone, from what I understand (with Japanese hones anyway) it is ideal to paint the sides of a hone because they absorb water fast like a tissue, which causes cracks to worsen. Any internal flaws can be retarded by painting the sides preventing excess amounts of water being absorbed.

This could just be for Japanese hones as Izlat said.

I just thought it was worth mentioning.

I have definately heard about painting Japanese stones (I think it was shellac or something that was to be used), and the reason I heard was that they absorb water, just like OS said. However, coticules (and BBW's) do not absorb water, so there should be no need to seal them.

I can't recall the thread but I think I saw a post where Ardennes will fill cracks in BBWs and maybe coticules with a substance that is softer then the material in the stone. Bart will probably know or you could PM Rob at Ardennes and get his advice.

In the old days, small cracks were filled with a sort of glue, based on beeswax. They used the same glue for attaching the Coticule to its backing part. This required heating the stones in a pan, or an oven, but I wouldn't recommend that today. I have not enough data on temperatures, there's the risk that your hone will crack further, and the risk on a vintage Coticule that it will separate from its back.
Ardennes Coticules uses some kind of industrial high performance tiling glue for natural paving stones. And I think they also use it as a filler. For domestic use, I have successfully reglued a piece that cracked and separated from the back of a slurry stone, with CA glue. It can also be used to fill small cracks. Just drip it on the crack and let gravity do the work. When it no longer soaks into the hone, give it a short lapping session for a flush result. I have also tried dripping candle wax (in the right color), but it didn't work well without heating the Coticule to a point only slightly below the melting temperature of the wax. As said something I wouldn't advice if you're not prepared to accept more trouble.

Bart.

Thanx, everyone. I'll pick up some Hot Stuff CA next weekend. Hopefully that'll do the trick.

Me =)