Thread: yellow coticule blues

i just got a coticule today from belgium. its 2"x7". I honed one of my ebay specials on the 8k norton till it passed the HHT. I then took it to the coticule after working up a somewhat thick slurry and succeded in dulling it. I thin thinned the slurry out with some water and succeded in dulling the razor again. I alos noticed that for a fine grit stone it sure seems to have a good bit of drag. any tips or advice on the coticule and irs preparation would be appreciated.

Personally I wouldn't use the coticule after the 8K. I realize most will tell you the coticule is more like a 12K but I've gone that same route when I got mine (3x8) and met with the same disappointment.

Normally I use only the coticule. To me it bridges between 8K and 12K. If I have a razor that needs more I'll use the belgian blue prior its more like a 6K stone.

I find a very light touch is required no different than using the norton, the technique is the same. Since your stone is narrower you must use the X pattern. Mine is wider so I hone straight up and down with the heal leading. How do you build the slurry? Are you using a nogura stone? I don't. I assume since you say you dilute the slurry you must be using something. I find a very light slurry is produced through the honing process but its very light.

i built the slurry using a smaller piece of coticle that came with it.

try taking some 2000 grit sandpaper or even finer if you can find it and lap it on a very flat surface. I like to use a thick piece of glass. My coticule is so smooth it doesn't even seem to need water. Glen

Don't know how many strokes you guys are using on the Coticule, but I try to limit to 10. Lynn

What if the blade has been honed with 4/8k japs 7-10 shaves ago and is close to refreshment time?

Welcome to the "Over-Honing Club"!!!

When I first started over on the Yahoo SRP forum Lynn made a post and said that the most common error was overhoning.
Well, he is right, it is very easy to do. The skill is to learn when to stop honing and start shaving.

Use the back-honing technique until your wire edge is gone.
3-5 back honing strokes followed by 5 normal strokes then test to make sure the wire edge is gone. If not then repeat until it is. When the wire edge is gone then your edge is almost perfect. Use either the 8000 or the Belgian w/slurry to finish it off.
Test your edge more frequently.

Hope this helps,

im at wits end now. I have wasted the better part of my holiday weekend on honing. 3 times i have honed razors on the norton untill they passed the HHT. I then take them to the coticule and attempt to put a finish on the edge only to have all of my work trashed.
the thing that gets me is the amount of drag with the coticule. egads it is more like sandpaper than glass when there is a slurry.
are there different grits of coticule? do I really need a slurry? I have flattned it with 1500 sandpaper so i think it is flat. I am begining to regret sinking almost $150 in this thing.

I'm new to the coticule myself, but I doubt you want to have any slurry. Just use it wet, go ultra light, and try doing fewer laps and then shave test. You can always go back for a few more laps in a day or so.

X

Originally Posted by trapperjohnme

im at wits end now. I have wasted the better part of my holiday weekend on honing. 3 times i have honed razors on the norton untill they passed the HHT. I then take them to the coticule and attempt to put a finish on the edge only to have all of my work trashed.
the thing that gets me is the amount of drag with the coticule. egads it is more like sandpaper than glass when there is a slurry.
are there different grits of coticule? do I really need a slurry? I have flattned it with 1500 sandpaper so i think it is flat. I am begining to regret sinking almost $150 in this thing.

If its not working...stop. If its not smoother than the 8K ... stop. Welcome to the magic of the internet. All typed does not equal truth.