Thread: Honing with a Coticule

Unicot and Dilucot discuss how to work through the entire process from bevel setting phase through finishing.

For just finishing, it would depend on what you're coming from, but it would just be a matter laps on water only. Like Glen mentioned, if you have one that auto-slurries quickly, you may need to do laps under running water, but those seem to be uncommon, from my reading...

i've never yet had a coticule that auto slurrys , i'd like one actauly . finishing is just a matter of clean water after 8k level and has to be shave ready then coticule will add that nicer edge only if you have a good edge after 8k norton etc, i've tryed it and works great. mostly i go through dilucot and touch up with just water when needed .

Originally Posted by ShoreBird

I don't have a coticule , I use naniwa 12000 ss and I have a Thuringian for finishing stones. I also bought a jnat from ebay that was "advertised" as 16000 grit, just tried it today and i'll test the shave tomorrow. I am considering a coticule and I just wanted to find out if there is anything special about final polishing with one.

Coticules give razors a very different feeling finishing edge, almost as if the blade isn't sharp because it doesn't feel harsh to the face, but in reality the razor is still very sharp.

Old barbers loved these stones because of how gentle they feel to their client's skin with limited irritation.

For finishing a razor you just do water, depending on the layer you may need more strokes or not as many. I've used oil on them before as a final polish step and the razor gets very sharp this way but I was warned not to keep using oil unless I wanted the stone to become oily.

The actual process of using a coticule is really no different from using any other hone. You can start with slurry or without and dilute from there. The more slurry, the faster the cut; the thicker the slurry the lower the limit on the final sharpness (hence the dilution). With any stone, you have to play with it to figure out how much slurry to start with and at what rate to dilute it. That is the art of slurry.

But once you figure out how to figure out a stone, they are all the same.

Originally Posted by gary haywood

i've never yet had a coticule that auto slurrys ,

+1 I've never had one either. It would have to be awfully soft and/or the honer applying a lot of pressure. Then again, I've only had a few over 20 of them.

I've got one that releases slurry with medium pressure. It's a really fast cutter, which I suppose is nice if that's how you like to use your coticules. Let me know if you want to play with it, Jimmy, I can send her your way.

As previously mentioned, These stones can become agressive when a slurry is created, so for final polishing, you want to do so with just water. Less is more as they say, and I'd start conservetively. 10 lapps or so, test...etc..rinsing the stone with fresh water so there is no slurry..The softer stones can create slurry rather quickly. You can use some of the other methods mentioned as a starting point, but don't tie yourself to it. Don't drag your razor across a glass.. Each of these stones have their own personality, like razors...each is different.

If you want one that will work well as a final polisher, A hard one will do. When you scratch the surface of one, it will leave no trace, no mark... Mostly these are pale yellow, or sometimes even greenish. I've seen many from the La Nouvelle vein that would work...It this is what you want, be sure to tell the vendor of your intentions...

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I've got one that releases slurry with medium pressure. It's a really fast cutter, which I suppose is nice if that's how you like to use your coticules. Let me know if you want to play with it, Jimmy, I can send her your way.

Thanks for the offer Dylan but I just did an inventory and I have 17 of them so that is enough ....... if there ever is enough. Thinking about it came to me that if I was ever going to use a coticule in a manner, pressure wise, where I would create slurry I always have just hit it with the slurry stone before I begin honing. Dilute and get to clean water as I progress. So it is quite possible that one or more of my coticules would create slurry with moderate pressure but it is not something I have tried to produce. Maybe one of these days if I'm in the mood.

I think perhaps my definition of auto slurry and yours are two entirely different things...

Take any Coticule do 10-20 finish laps no extra pressure at all, you will find particles in the water... If you continue you will release more and more. Even a PHIG will auto slurry some stones do this faster, some slower...

The Coticules in general are very noticeable in the auto slurry... You can see the yellowish traces in the water pretty easy...

I am not talking about a milky Cutting slurry...

This has always been a pet theory of mine about why Natural stones are much harder to overhone on, that the particles in the water create a self limiting factor, I haven't tried the reverse on this by honing under clear water enough to overhone an edge, someday I'll try it...

i have to say i have somtimes noticed when using clear water . that the water once settled on the blade somtimes looks like it has a dry lime in it kind of like a ting of cloudiness. i only notice this once the water semi drys on the metal, may be that is a ting of slurry.As you say not a yellow cream or milky white slurry just a tint of cloudiness , very light at that.

gary