Thread: Yellow Coticule: 6x2 or 8x2 ?

I've seen a few threads lately concerning coticule sizes, and I was wondering which you prefer and why? There is quite a difference in size prices nowadays, so I'd prefer to keep this discussion to the 2" wide variety (considering the price for a 8x3 could get you a 30k shapton or a DGLP, or a..........).

Thanks,

Ryan

A lot of the old coticules and Eschers made especially for barbers and distributed by Pike and others were 6X 2 1/2 + a slurry stone. I have a couple of sets like that. Many of the old barber's coticules I have seen were 4 to 6 inches long X 2 or 2 1/2 wide. Say that to say that it indicates to me that barbers of old may have felt that was an optimum size.

I have hones of the various sizes and I find that anything I can do with an 8X3 I can do with an 6X2. You will note that some find it easier to do a smiling or a warped blade on a narrower hone. Just my 2 cents.

H, and welcome, I'm a Neil Young fan myself...Coticules are a natural stone quarried in Belgium. Like the Escher, when their gone, their gone. The shapton 30k is nothing like a Coticule, while it is a fine finisher, it doesn't have versatility a good guality coticule does. A coticule is around 8k but can finish more like 12k when used with just water. With a slurry it becomes an aggresive cutter and can be used to reset a bevel, this you can't do with a Shapton 30k. Also, the garnet particles in a coticle are very unique and smooth, giving you a smooth feel when you shave.. Don't misunderstand, The Shapton's are fine ceramic stones, you'd just need a bunch to match the Coticule's versatility. The DGLP is mearly a lapping plate to keep your shapton flat and suitable for straight razor shaving. I like the 8x3 because I find it easier for honing. You don't have to do an X pattern. All my stones are 8x3's, except my Escher and a small barber hone that I have really for intrinsic value. If money isn't an issue, I'd go for the larger stones. I feel their easier to use. I can help you get a coticule for a good price, PM me....Rich

Thanks guys. There does seem to be a lot of personal perference regarding hones, which is only natural. As for my comparison of stones, I wasn't trying compare a coticule to a 30k or a Shapton lapping plate, only that the prices are comparable considering a lot of people balk at paying $200 plus for a lapping stone alone.
Thanks for the offer Rich, something to consider...........

I think it will partly depend on how you plan to use your hone. If you're just going to use it as a finisher, then I think the 6 inch would do you just fine. This is how I use mine, and it's something like 2x6 or so. However, if you plan to use a slurry and remove some serious metal, you might find the extra 2 inches worth the money (longer strokes = fewer strokes).

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I think it will partly depend on how you plan to use your hone. If you're just going to use it as a finisher, then I think the 6 inch would do you just fine. This is how I use mine, and it's something like 2x6 or so. However, if you plan to use a slurry and remove some serious metal, you might find the extra 2 inches worth the money (longer strokes = fewer strokes).

+1

I totaly agree

I'm still fairly new to honing razors, but I like the 8x3's better. They seem to get me where I'm going faster. Yes, I can get the same results with a smaller hone, but I prefer the bigger ones when I can afford it. The smaller ones might force you to use an x pattern or some other stroke, though. I have pretty big hands and the 8x3's add a little more protection to the equation, too.

I've got a 6x2 coticule which I use, on some razors, first with slurry and then followed with water only for the polishing stage, if I where to hone a lot of razors, hone razors for others, I'd probably go with a 8x2 as the longer hone would speed up things a bit, for honing my own razors I find the 6x2 big enough as the few extra laps I have to do on the shorter hone really doesn't matter to me.

The 6x2 is fine it does everything I need it to, I use a thuringian for the final polish and it works great.

The only hone I have that isn't at least three inches wide is my Chinese 12k. It's about 1.5 inches or so. It took me a while to get used to it, but honestly, I love that it's that narrow. I certainly wouldn't want to set a bevel on such a narrow hone, but for a polisher...there's just something about a narrow hone that "works" for me. Other than a polisher, in my limited experience, I prefer big hones: 8 X 3.