Thread: Any ideas about this couticle?

Welcome to SRP. I wouldn't be crazy about the glued corner but that is a nice looking stone. You might see if they would discount it or replace it but if you kept it the stone would probably be fine.

If you're going to shave with straights and hone razors you might want to check out the SRP Wiki here. All sorts of info on shaving, preparation and on honing. Also videos here.

Thanks for the reply Oldschool, Yeah I was thinking the same about the glued part not being a problem for years, although i wasnt sure of what the sollution would be once it came, and still ain't sure because I dont know what you mean by bevel the edge. Does bevel the edge mean that i would have to sacrifice the edge of the razor somehow so as not to use it with that part of the stone, that would seem a shame to have to shorten a razor if thats what you mean.

I was far more concerned with the part above the glued bit where the stone is not square, At the glued end it starts off missing a few millimeteres and gradually narrows to being a full stone about halfway down the stone, I thought this part would make honing in an x pattern very difficult as you would have to constantly avoid the "missing part" and on the return pass the fact that the blade hangs over the edge a few millimetres, would this not have a huge potential for blade damage?

Again im new to all this so not sure how badly the missing part would or could damage the blade.

Does anyone see the overhang? if you pause the video at 20 seconds you get a real good view of the angles and depth. This is really what i thought would damage the blade during honing, it would be not honing the very last few mil of the blade, then honing most of the blade, and then this strange area in between that would be getting part honed.

Maybe this clears up what im saying a bit....

At the large end of the missing piece, which the glued chip is actually part of but not all of, at the large end it extends 4mm which means thats 4mm of blade hanging over the edge, and as i drag in an x pattern i will be bringing that 4mm inwards wont that do damage as the blade that was hanging over the cliff meets the corner of the cliff. Sorry not sure what to call it but it looks like a cliff.

Can't really win because if I turn the hone around and hone towards the problem the first 4mm on the front of razor wont be sharp, and if i hone away from the problem the last 4 mm of the razor wont get sharp.
HMMMMMM

However there is a crazy sollution that may work, The missing piece is most extreme near the glued piece, and i need a slurry stone.
Would there be a problem with having a slightly shorter stone?

The stone is 15cm long and 5 cm wide, and the really bad part is 2cm at the top.
Would a 13cm long 5cm wide stone work as well with a side to side X honing pattern?

I have honed with coticules 10mm x 40mm. Longer is better though. If you paid a premium price for it and you aren't happy with it maybe contacting the vendor would be the best thing. You could use it and it might be fine but if you aren't happy with it returning it for refund or exchange might be the best thing.

Originally Posted by GregJDS

I was far more concerned with the part above the glued bit where the stone is not square, At the glued end it starts off missing a few millimeteres and gradually narrows to being a full stone about halfway down the stone, I thought this part would make honing in an x pattern very difficult as you would have to constantly avoid the "missing part" and on the return pass the fact that the blade hangs over the edge a few millimetres, would this not have a huge potential for blade damage?

That's not a problem at all. The razor will only be gliding along the top surface and those missing millimeters will not make any difference. You don't have to avoid the missing part as the razor will continue to make contact on the top. Some hones have very rough hewn uneven vertical surfaces but it makes no difference as long as the top is smooth and flat.

Regarding the glued bit, I would only be bothered by it if you were not informed in advance about it. Really it's only going to be a matter of aesthetics as it will likely only be a matter of concern for your son or grandson. I would be more concerned about the diagonal surface flaw that runs from the upper right to more than half way down to the left. I would assume lapping will prevent in from impacting your honing, but it does reduce the value and aesthetics of your stone. I got a great deal from Rob on a nice soft 10"x3" natural coticule because it had a couple of veins near the edges on the surface. It makes no difference to its function but because it was less than perfect, I got it for maybe 2/3 the price of a pristine one.

If you were aware of the two flaws in your hone before you bought it, then I'd assume you just have to deal with it or ask to return it. If you were not aware, then you should not have paid the normal price for one in good condition and should either ask for a partial refund or an exchange.

Despite the two "flaws," that looks like a very nice, and perfectly serviceable, coticule that your grandson will be happy to have!

+1 on that.

My only real concern would be the crack/vein/scratch Utopian mentions. The red striping you mention would in my opinion be a bonus, certainly not a flaw.

This obviously isn't a premium hone in the way it is finished, but the flaws aren't functional (or do not impair function yet for years to come). Therefore, I think it all depends on the information the seller gave you before you bought it, and on the price you paid.

Let me put it this way: if I bought a hone on a discount for the uneven underside of the coticule part, the repaired corner, and some veining, and I got this one, I would probably be very pleased.

Ihave 4 coticules one has similar greenish vains in it it lookk like the surface is fine but there not cheap hones and if it has been glued and by the looks of it that would bother me i'd send it back and get a perfect one. i got my hone from invisable edge he does some nice select ones in a box with matching slurry stones ring him and ask for jis advice .

I would send it back. That is one poorly cut coticule. The chip on the side/corner is no problem now but will be a nuisance later.

Bevel the edge means the edges of the hone. They need to be rounded just a bit, not beveled. An abrupt/sharp edge on a hone invites micro-nicks on the blade edge.

Just my $.02,