Thread: Thuringian stone vs coticule

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Thanks Kees. I should have added that the price needs to be affordable and the stock widely available for most of our new guys.

But it sure was nice looking and dreaming!

Depends what you call affordable. When I see what some guys, even newbs pay for their rocks and razors I think 150 USD for a Nakayama is not bad. For that money So went out of his way to find a stone with the dimensions I specified. Part of the price is determined by the looks of the hone, not the quality. Mine has a few veins that do not affect results and that is why I got it relatively cheap.

At the end of the day: you don't need one. For a year I only had a coticule and was happy, then I bumped into an Escher and thought that was the best hone ever. Now I have a Nakayama and that is my best. Who knows what comes next?

I spend little on shaving cream, I always finish one tube or tub before opening the next one, am happy with a boar brush (have been using the same one for over 20 years), and spend zilch on colognes etc.

There are a number of different Thuringians on the market so be careful to specify exactly what you're getting. One member here was misled by a fellow who said something like "stones of Thuringian" when in fact, the stones were not Thuringian stones . . . his office was in the city of Thuringian. Be careful about who you deal with as there's a lot of people saying a lot of . . . interesting things . . . about hones on the web.

I use coticules and I have hundreds of stones in my collection. I like them. They make a shave ready edge. They don't overhone. They don't clog since they're not porous. They're reasonably priced. A lot of guys on SRP use them and recommend them.

Kees...some time ago, 1-2 years, I purchased several natural Japanese stones at an estate sale, $25 each. 2 are Aoto but one is a white and much finer. I will try to post a pic soon. I have never used it. ( not enough time in a day!)

AFAIK there's two different Thuringians on the market. The larger ones (7"x2" top 10"x3") that are about as fine as a coticule. I call them NOS Thuringians. They are cut from blocks quarried before WW II, quarry was filled with rubble in early post war era by the communist government of the GDR. there's also the vintage ones that are 4-5" x 1" that are the same material as grey Eschers: smaller but finer.

BTW I live in the Netherlands, about 500 km from Thuringen!

Originally Posted by Howard

There are a number of different Thuringians on the market so be careful to specify exactly what you're getting. One member here was misled by a fellow who said something like "stones of Thuringian" when in fact, the stones were not Thuringian stones . . . his office was in the city of Thuringian. Be careful about who you deal with as there's a lot of people saying a lot of . . . interesting things . . . about hones on the web.

I use coticules and I have hundreds of stones in my collection. I like them. They make a shave ready edge. They don't overhone. They don't clog since they're not porous. They're reasonably priced. A lot of guys on SRP use them and recommend them.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Kees...some time ago, 1-2 years, I purchased several natural Japanese stones at an estate sale, $25 each. 2 are Aoto but one is a white and much finer. I will try to post a pic soon. I have never used it. ( not enough time in a day!)

They would be well worth giving a try to see if they can give you a scary sharp edge.

Kees... what is the procedure for Japanese natural stones? Soak in water for 5 minutes?, must a slurry be developed?, let dry when finished?

Randy,

I just put a few drops of wather on top, spread it out to cover the whole hone with miy fingers and hone away. I read about raising a slurry but never did it myself. Half an hour ago I just used it again after a grey Esher I had just acquired today. Off the grey Escher the razor was sharp but off the Nakayama it was scary sharp! Like Ivo (=Izlat) I really feel they increase sharpness. IIRC Lynn does not feel they have an added value.