Thread: belgium blue

Originally Posted by gary haywood

BART I WOULD LIKE TO USE MY BBW/ COTICULE TO REFRESH AND MAINTAIN MY RAZOR I SHOULD IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE WOULD'NT IT. MY YELLOW DOES'NT RAZE A SLURRY ON ITS OWN I DO HAVE TO USE A SLURRY STONE TO DO SO AND I HAVE HONED A GOODISH RAZOR WITH A SLURRY AND YOUR RIGHT IT DID DETERIATE THE EDGE SLIGHTLY SO I DID 100 LAPS WITH WATER AND THIS DID UNDO THAT AND THE RAZOR AFTER STROPPING DID SHAVE WELL. SO WOULD I BE RIGHT IN SAYING IF PLAIN WATER DID'NT TOUCH UP MY EDGE THEN I SHOULD START WITH SLURRY AND FINISH WITH PLAIN WATER.

Gary, no need to shout so loud, my friend (in case you don't know, capitals mean you are shouting)

Yes, I think maintaining a razor is very possible with a Blue and a Coticule.
During the first 6 months of my...eh... honing career (if I may call it that way) I really wanted to hone with slurry on my coticule. For some odd twist in my mind, I thought I was not making full use of the hone's capacity, if I used it without slurry. It bothered me that every time I used slurry during the final stages of my honing attempts, I seemed to loose sharpness instead of gaining it. I have tried finishing with slurry on (opens drawer and starts counting) 11 different Coticules. I have honed backwards on slurry, I added layers of tape to the spine before a few final passes on slurry, I transfered slurry to a paddle strop (no kidding), I used thick slurry, thin slurry, dry slurry, slurry on top of a DMT1200. Not one single time I got a great shaving edge. The only exception is when I gradually wash away the slurry with drops of water as I go along. It's a fun method actually, and you never know up front if you're gonna get an awesome edge or just a decent one.
If you are pleased with an edge left by honing on a Coticule with slurry and then 100 laps with water, than you are going to be thrilled when you take a razor with a good bevel for 50 laps to a Blue with a thin slurry and next finish with 100 laps on a Coticule with water only. That, or you have a Coticule like I never encountered one.
But either way, I may hone on stone, but I don't write on stone. In the end all that matters is that you and I are happy shavers. I just like to share my experiences, in the hope that someone might benefit from it. It's never my intention to start a new religion, so if you do things differently, I'm always keen on learning something new myself.

Best regards,
Bart.