Thread: Coticule and what i think

Originally Posted by gregs656

That sounds interesting, I will have to try that - going to the blue after the yellow. I did blue before yellow on the half hollow I had that was a bit stubborn.

Before Bart came along with all of his coticule experience I approached it as if it was like a Norton 4/8. So I would go to the blue first and then the yellow. Bart's posts got me experimenting with his methods. Otherwise I probably would never have gone back to the blue after the yellow and then back to the yellow again.

I still sort of do my own thing with a combination of Bart's methods and my own when using a coticule but so far it is working. The only thing I really couldn't get with was the bevel setting. Watching the latest video helped with that. Not that I didn't know how to set a bevel. The Topher showed me in person more than once but the video doing it on a coticule got me over the hump with it.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

If I'm not mistaken Bart also says that after the yellow/slurry you can get some more keenness with the yellow with water and no slurry. I have done that. Bart also pointed out that you can go to the BBW with slurry after the yellow with slurry to get the keenness back and then hit the yellow with water only to get a bit more smoothness.

I've tried all of that successfully. Since he posted the last video I even had better luck with setting a bevel with the coticule with slurry than I had before. I did it relatively quickly. I think another thing to consider with all of this is that we all have different gauge whiskers and skin sensitivity.

Forum member The Topher taught me how to hone initially and he sold me the best natural coticule that I have because he could not get a comfortable shave from a razor honed with that stone. I think it is the cat's whiskers. So there are a lot of variables in this honing, sharpness, smoothness and shaving business. Just one guy's take on it.

Jim i have also done every method that bart as mentioned and after yellow slurry bbw does add more keeness your right and i have done dmt bbw slurry and yellow with water and that works realy consistant for me for touch ups i have done bbw slurry then yellow water and that will work realy well. Howard recomended bbw slurry then yellow slurry then strop it does'nt work so well for me. I do have a fairly good beard not coars but not far off.

Adding water after yellow slurry does improve i agree and paste does too.

I got my first coticule hoping it would do the whole honing process plus . Since i have brought 4 more combo etc. I think they produce such a nice edge i think the bbw feels realy good in use and for some reason it does give a keener edge and as never dulled my razors like yellow with slurry can so i have experimented with these hones. And i will use them as my main hones going bbw s then yellow water to maintain my razors maybe add 12k ch now and then and chr.5 paste now and then.

I also tryed one coticule honing method that does work for sure if you get it right. I just don't like ading tape or double bevels thats just me i'd rather stick with one bevel personal preferance some people hone on tape and prefer it and double bevels i like to keep it simple.

Originally Posted by gary haywood

Jim i have also done every method that bart as mentioned and after yellow slurry bbw does add more keeness your right and i have done dmt bbw slurry and yellow with water and that works realy consistant for me for touch ups i have done bbw slurry then yellow water and that will work realy well. Howard recomended bbw slurry then yellow slurry then strop it does'nt work so well for me. I do have a fairly good beard not coars but not far off.

Adding water after yellow slurry does improve i agree and paste does too.

I got my first coticule hoping it would do the whole honing process plus . Since i have brought 4 more combo etc. I think they produce such a nice edge i think the bbw feels realy good in use and for some reason it does give a keener edge and as never dulled my razors like yellow with slurry can so i have experimented with these hones. And i will use them as my main hones going bbw s then yellow water to maintain my razors maybe add 12k ch now and then and chr.5 paste now and then.

I also tryed one coticule honing method that does work for sure if you get it right. I just don't like ading tape or double bevels thats just me i'd rather stick with one bevel personal preferance some people hone on tape and prefer it and double bevels i like to keep it simple.

I tried the one coticule method and it worked for me as well. The difference being that I used tape all the way through and I too like a single bevel. With my skin and beard I could get along with a coticule by itself with some razors and not others. Some of them IME call for synthetics and if using naturals I do like the icing on the cake that an Escher gives me. As thebigspendur pointed out in a post a long time ago, some razors respond better to some hones more than others.

Allow me to disagree with people who say it can't be done

Anyone remember this:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/basic...challenge.html


I did this when I was relatively new to honing, and I only had a coticule.
Sure, it may take some (or a lot of) time, but you can even restore badly damaged edges with a coticule.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Before Bart came along with all of his coticule experience I approached it as if it was like a Norton 4/8. So I would go to the blue first and then the yellow. Bart's posts got me experimenting with his methods. Otherwise I probably would never have gone back to the blue after the yellow and then back to the yellow again.

I still sort of do my own thing with a combination of Bart's methods and my own when using a coticule but so far it is working. The only thing I really couldn't get with was the bevel setting. Watching the latest video helped with that. Not that I didn't know how to set a bevel. The Topher showed me in person more than once but the video doing it on a coticule got me over the hump with it.

I guess in a way I'm lucky that I have nothing to compare it too, I know it's all possible and therefore I make it work. The back and forth strokes set a bevel on both the hollows easily - neither of those were particularly sharp antique store buys. With the half hollow once I knew the basic principle from doing the other two I made it up as I went along really.

It's not a difficult progression to learn, and it gives you plenty of room.

I have another couple of razors on the way that I will try going back to the blue with, that should be interesting.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I tried the one coticule method and it worked for me as well. The difference being that I used tape all the way through and I too like a single bevel. With my skin and beard I could get along with a coticule by itself with some razors and not others. Some of them IME call for synthetics and if using naturals I do like the icing on the cake that an Escher gives me. As thebigspendur pointed out in a post a long time ago, some razors respond better to some hones more than others.

That is what has confused me i dulled my dovo tortoise honed on slurry diluted down to plain water and did 100 laps on water shaved great 15 laps on ch.5 10/10. my bismark shaved exallant added paste and felt harsh as hell out of 20 razors that i own that was the first time that had hapend with ch.5 went back to coti and was fine then tryed paste again and harsh as hell i even noted this in my note pad not to use paste on bismark. Like i say i just want a method that works every. I don't mind trying differant methods if it dulls my edge i have the confidence in my 4k 8k to get back on the right track and quikly. And also my bbw with slurry and yellow plain water is very consistant for me. Imnow have an unused barbers hone in brand new condition i will try that never used one so i will see. still i like the yellow coticule for some reason and i will make it work. I think its because with slurry it feels great and there is no soaking required also i like the 12k ch feels like its realy polishing

Originally Posted by Bruno

Allow me to disagree with people who say it can't be done

Anyone remember this:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/basic...challenge.html


I did this when I was relatively new to honing, and I only had a coticule.
Sure, it may take some (or a lot of) time, but you can even restore badly damaged edges with a coticule.

I first brought my coticule in reading your post on coti. Do you still use the yellow coticule nower days.

Originally Posted by gregs656

I guess in a way I'm lucky that I have nothing to compare it too,

Bingo excellent point.
You don't know what do you miss. if you have never tried anything else how can you (doesn't matter me ) could make comparison?
Go head get high grit hones and hone couple blades and compare the edge then you will talk differently.

Originally Posted by gary haywood

I've just honed a shave ready razor over my coticule with a slight slurry and the shave was still ok but defanatley lost sharpness to before i could shave with itt

Have you tried to find answer why it does loose it is sharpness?
This is why?
every single hone has it is limits
Your blade was sharper then coticules limit that is why it did get dull. if you use instead of coticule higher grit hone you will see sharpness goes up(it will go until it gets maximum sharpness after this doesn't matter what you do it will not go forward.)
You can try this in any stone coticule ,escher or nakayam etc
they all have limit. that is it.
Now you go head and try or get your blade honed by someone which will use higher grit hones then you could compare sharpness coming out 2 different type hones . in this case you could say more about both stones which you have used. i hope i am clear.

I agree with slurry there does seem to be a maximun sharpness with water after a little finer. with paste even sharper but with norton 4k 8k and then bbw s yellow water works every time for me slurrys on yellow just restricts sharpness.