Thread: My first honing on coticule

Actually, this was my first honing...ever. I have touched up on Barber's hone. That's about it.

- Dulled razor on glass.
- raised slurry, 30 half x strokes (followed bart's unicot method)
- test arm hair..nothing.
- repeated 2 and 3 about 20 times.
- finally got to shave arm hair. Not great, but it got it.

During the repeat steps I added water to the slurry and about 3 times I took the stone and created new slurry.

- taped spine, 30 regular x strokes
- rinsed stone, 50 x strokes on plain water
- 50 linen 50 leather (horsehide)

Test shave: rt side cheek... shaved. woo hoo. sharp, but not as sharp as I'm used to and not smooth at all.

So, I decided to do 20 strokes on the Barber's hone.

Test shave: left side cheek. Much rougher and pulling.

Stopped: posted here.

Suggestions? I like a nice, sharp and smooth shave. I'm sure most people do though.

My bevel looks great to my eye. I don't make the best x strokes, I know that. But where should I start to get this going right?

What grit is the Coticule...???

Originally Posted by gssixgun

What grit is the Coticule...???

huh? Never heard of them having a grit.

When you say you repeated steps 2&3 about 20 times, you did 600 passes with slurry then?

You say you're not very adept at the X stroke yet and you know that. What do you mean by that?

If your X stroke is not consistently even across the entire length of the blade on both sides resulting an any area not truly and completely making contact with the stone, you can hone for eternity and that area will remain dull or at best only partially honed (honing one side but not the other).

Chris L

Rick, if you are going to set a bevel on the coticule go back to the thick slurry. Work on that until you can get a consistent TNT all the way across the blade and then do a bit more with the thick slurry. Thin it out a bit and keep at it and see if it will shave arm hair. Keep at it and of course no more TNT, just TPT and go until you can easily shave arm hair touching the skin.

If you get to the point where the arm hair is just falling off try popping hair all the way across the blade without touching the skin. Keep diluting as you get progressively sharper. Once it pops hair it may be ready to strop and shave. This may take a couple of hours BTW. Depends on the razor, the hone and most of all the honer. That is why I like a synthetic bevel setter and sharpeners and finish on the coticule or even better an Escher . Just IMHO.

EDIT; Use a black marker on the edge to see that the stroke you are using is effective from heel to point. The marker will be removed if the stroke is effective. If you have an eye loupe or a microscope that is very beneficial in examining the quality of the edge.

I found in regards to my honing, no matter which hones I have used or which methods I have experimented with, the biggest major improvement came with the purchase of a $6 60x to 100x magnifying scope with led. I compare it to trying to walk around my entire house at night with the lights off as opposed to having the lights on. Good luck

Originally Posted by rickboone

huh? Never heard of them having a grit.

Sorry man that was the whole point of the question, You have to figure out what stone you have in your hand frist off... There are differences..Then you have to figure out how to make, use, and dilute, the slurry to achieve the desired result off the unknown stone...
Oh yeah BTW you also have to know how to hone, as in do the X stoke, or Rolling X, or Swoop, or straight, or heel forward or 45 degree heel forward, and what pressure to apply at what stage of the honing...


These reasons are why so many of the experienced people said "Hmmmm That really might not be such a great idea for a Beginner"

Now you have to sit down and work that hone and the slurry until you get the desired result... Then after you finally do that on one razor, you have to repeat it all again for every different type of razor, this of course gets easier as you go....

The problem as always is no matter the advice given, you are still the only person that can tell what the stone is doing...

Originally Posted by rickboone

huh? Never heard of them having a grit.

Glen mean to approximately grit. Basically all cotcules not mean to use for straight razors.
Some of them in fact course 4k level and some 8k level. You will need to contact the seller and ask is this coticule suitable for straight razor.
In the over hand every stone will take time to learn it.
You just start to hone please spend a little more time(use junk blade for this purposes)
and see what you will be able to get out of your coticules.
In fact the best coticules will give to you smooth edge but sharpness always will be missing.

My best advise will be set the bevel with different stones
example 1k norton and move until 4k or 6k level after that you can try use your coticule.( in this case you will save a lot time)
GL

Edit" Glen i didn't read your above post. was typing.

No problem Sham


We were typing at the same time my friend...

The coticule is a vintage? combo stone; yellow and blue. I got it from a vendor that deals with straight razor products. So, I assume I have the right thing.

I followed Bart's unicot method. Basically at the start, 20 half x strokes on each side, test arm hair. It said you can do this 2-20 times. I did at least 20. So, yeah...doing the math, I suppose just on this one stroke I did do about 600ish. Wow, adds up quick.

But, as one of you say, it can take a few hours.

I agree and admit synthetics would be much faster. You said an Escher...I have a Thurry stone...isn't this the same? Or am I way off?

This was a test to see if I could make a razor shave ready. It was my very first time doing so. I say my stroke isn't really there on the x stroke, mainly because it isn't quite comfortable yet. When I have the blade coming towards me I feel quite "left-handed", though I am right handed. Feels odd. At times it raises. I have been trying to slow it down and keep it on the stone. Something I am sure I will get better at with practice. Or, under supervision of someone that knows what they are doing can say, "Hey, Rick...THIS way...!".

I suppose I should have kept generating and keeping a thick slurry on the stone whilst bevel setting?

I will do the marker test next time.

Should I start from the beginning or where? Say the razor has the bevel set and shaves arm hair and my marker test shows well? Wondering how/ where to start?

I suppose this is the "art" of honing all together, is it not? Knowing what a razor needs? Whether to start on 4k, or what? Or do most of you take it all the way back to the beginning or is each razor different? Just comes with time?

Thanks for all the great help.