Thread: Is a Coticule Sufficient

Hello,

I was wondering if I could use a Coticule for sharpening instead of a Hone. If I am sure to hone with the Coticule as soon as the razor needs it, do I really need a rougher waterstone? Is a Coticule sufficient for my modest purposes?

EDIT: I also have a strop with 0.5 ChromOx pasting to use in combination with the coticule.

Yes, a Coticule is sufficient for the general purposes.
Not long ago, LX_Emergency, one of the European honemeisters here, only used a coticule for his honing services.
You'll only need a coarser grit stone if you plan to restore some old razors that need to have some metal removed. This can be accomplished by the coticule, but takes a loooong time.
If you only plan to do occasionaly touch-ups in your razors, then you won't need any other stone.

My $0.02

Do you have a small coticule rubbing stone?

1500 grit wet and dry to set the bevel (Actually about 3000 grit)
Coticule with a heavy coticule slurry (Actually about 6000 grit)
Coticule with just water (Actually about 9000 grit)
Chromium Oxide (Actually about 50000 grit)
Leather strop.

If you follow the above progression, you don't "need" another hone. You can however get a longer lasting blade if you squeeze a 12000 grit polishing hone . e.g. a German Escher, A top end Japanese hone, A chinese 12000 grit.

There are many ways to hone a blade. The above works for me and if you have the coticule already, it's a way you may wish to try.

Originally Posted by English

Do you have a small coticule rubbing stone?

1500 grit wet and dry to set the bevel (Actually about 3000 grit)
Coticule with a heavy coticule slurry (Actually about 6000 grit)
Coticule with just water (Actually about 9000 grit)
Chromium Oxide (Actually about 50000 grit)
Leather strop.

If you follow the above progression, you don't "need" another hone. You can however get a longer lasting blade if you squeeze a 12000 grit polishing hone . e.g. a German Escher, A top end Japanese hone, A chinese 12000 grit.

There are many ways to hone a blade. The above works for me and if you have the coticule already, it's a way you may wish to try.

+1 My razors that are in good shape have never seen anything coarser than a yellow coticule.

so do coticules come in different grits?

Slightly different coarseness.

Originally Posted by littlesilverbladefromwale

Slightly different coarseness.

which one do I want?

Any one really. If you just want to keep good razors shave ready a coticule, some paste and a good leather strop will keep a non-problematic razor usable.
But, I'm only a learner......

Originally Posted by redcannon

which one do I want?

Ask Howard at theperfectedge.com for a coticule, he'll get you one one suited for razor honing.

Originally Posted by redcannon

so do coticules come in different grits?

Yes, but none of them are coarse enough to damage a blade, the coarsest one that I have is around 6k or 7k with plain water, the finest one is around 10k.

Then there are differences in hardness from one to the next, softer stones release more grit into the slurry while harder ones must be forced to form the slurry with a nagura or diamond plate.

Then there are variables in the type and hardness of steel you plan to abrade with the stone...

Howard at theperfectedge.com tests all of his Coticules for high quality and makes sure they are suited to putting a fine razor edge on a blade. He is affordable and reliable and will provide you with a stone that will meet all of the above requirements.

The honing progression English described above is a great way to handle a razor in any condition, and you can decide where to start in that line up based on how much work the razor needs.