Printable View
"The raw Coticule rocks have cracks, black manganese spots, quartz blocks and other impurities in them..." -- Rob @ Ardennes Coticule
I often see coticules with black manganese spots/lines. (I think they look pretty cool.) How do these black manganese spots/lines affect honing?
Thanx,
Christopher
The lines have no ill effect on honing. I have coticules with such lines; they're not cracks but solid material.
Chris L
Here are two with the spots. Both vintage coticules glued to blue schist. Both real good hones.
Thank you both for the replies. I was afraid the black lines might be a harder substance, might ruin the edge. I am happy to hear otherwise.
And those stones are beautiful. I really dig the black spots/lines.
Me =)
We call them veins and inclusions. They could be softer and they could be harder but unless they are really so huge that they make up a substantial portion of the hone they have no effect on the business at hand.
Jimmy, that second hone looks familiar, did you snag that off of the Bay?
LOL I was thinking the same thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by JCitron
Me
Yes I did. I went on a run with coticules for awhile. I have 11 and one on the way. :gaah: I believe I'm done. :w I hope so anyway ..... powerless over the coticule. :shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by JCitron
You are the man! :) Do you have any green ones? If so, I would love to see some pictures and hear hymns!Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Does a bum defecate in a boxcar ? :D First pic is dry second pic half of the stones wet. Left to right, striped, kosher, green, pink natural with a gray reverse side . The green is a vintage distributed by Pike and glued to a BBW. I haven't messed with it enough to come to a conclusion as it it's efficacy. The striped is great with slurry and finishing with water. The kosher is a great finisher with water only ad the pink is still being figured out. I can't get a variety of women to play with and they cost too much anyway but I can get a variety of hones and razors and they don't ask me to take them out or clean the house. :rock:Quote:
Originally Posted by sparq
This is the picture that we need to show when we say that no two natural stones are the same. Case in point, 4 stones, 4 colors, all coti's.
Thank you, Jimmy. Those color variations are amazing and the striped stone is quite a looker!
Yes it is like a group of people. All basically the same but with their own personalities. That is the way I see it anyway. I am sure there are some folks who would say what is up with that guy ? Why all of the stones ?Quote:
Originally Posted by JCitron
In getting into straight razor shaving my hobby has become learning to hone razors and getting to know the characteristics of the different hones and razors. It is sort of an adventure to take various hones and see what how they perform.
The razors are also basically the same yet individual. As Lynn posted more then once, having honed thousands of razors, even those made by the same company and the same model number, no two are exactly alike.
So at this stage of my development as an aspiring honemiester every razor is a challenge. It reminds me of the artist who finds the blank canvas staring back at him. I have to use this rock to make this piece of steel so sharp that it will cut hair effortlessly. There is the thrill of victory sometimes and the agony of defeat other times. :shrug: All fun though one way or the other.
They are beautiful aren't they. I posted when I first got the kosher from Rob at Ardennes and the striped from Howard. At that time I didn't like the performance of the striped coticule.Quote:
Originally Posted by sparq
I took it to work and when I had down time I used it with slurry and then following Bart's lead I would gradually dilute it until I was honing with water only. That experience taught me that I had to get to know a hone to get the best performance out of it. Turned out to be a heckuva stone. My next exploration will be into the pink coticule and the grey reverse side. Bart's pink stone is a fast cutter. I have to see where my big pink fits in. Lots of fun. :tu
Jimmy, your coticules are beautiful! I've been swamped at work for the last couple months so have only had time to occasionally pick up a hone just to stroke it for a few seconds in order to try to maintain our emotional bond. I've really missed honing! I hadn't realized that, for a brief time, I had as many coticules as you, but you clearly have a wider variety of colors. I guess I'll have to keep looking for a green one.
Regarding the original query, I concur that the dark lines have no impact on honing. One of my coticules is loaded with them and I never feel it. I do have one that has a single inclusion that runs almost the full length of the hone and I couldn't tell if it was a crack or an inclusion until I looked under the microscope and discovered that it was both. There was a crevice in the stone that was filled with dark material in some regions but it was missing in others, but again, I never can feel it when honing.
Mighty nice bunch of coticules you have there Ron. I figured you've been busy since I haven't seen you posting. Glad you got some free time again it is good to 'see' you. :tu