Thread: Honing with a Coticule

Originally Posted by gary haywood

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

Congratulations. You do in fact have a coticule that auto-slurries. As Glen pointed out, it's just a matter of degree.

When i think of auto slurry Coticule i think of this type
Coticule042 - home of the famous Belgian Coticule Whetstone

As far as i know that is the only layer that is this extreme

I'll have to make a point of looking to see just what develops with water only when I'm honing with a coticule. I never noticed in the past but wasn't really paying attention to that aspect.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I'll have to make a point of looking to see just what develops with water only when I'm honing with a coticule. I never noticed in the past but wasn't really paying attention to that aspect.

Jimmy, I tried this with most of my coticules in response to THIS thread and these were my findings quoted from that thread.

I decided to try some of my coticules for a mini experiment with a crappy razor. I did 20 diagonal chisel/japanese strokes (with pressure) on each side with several coticules with water.

16 coticules had visible slurry after 20 strokes on each side
1 had visible slurry after 40 strokes
1 had visible slurry after 60 strokes

The amount of slurry formed varied drastically among the hones, but the point is that all released at least some slurry within a reasonable time of use. With further use, especially in the multiples of hundreds of strokes described above, most (or at least many) coticules will develop a slurry with the pressure that would be used for bevel setting and sharpening.

Thanks Utopian, I have always used the coticule following the 8k level or, if strictly honing with the coticule, after use with a slurry stone. So obviously in those cases I either already had some slurry, milky or diluted, on the hone, or wasn't using enough pressure in the finishing stages to generate any that I noticed.

I'll be more observant of it since reading of other honers experiences with it. I couldn't help notice that the coticule mentioned earlier in the thread by janivar123 and linked here was recommended to be used in this manner...... "excellent. hone must be used under a slow running tap. ". What fun, an advanced honing technique I've yet to try.

Oddly, that hone is described as being slow! It seems counterintuitive that a slow hone would release so much slurry as to require a constant stream of water. Have fun experimenting--after all, that is the fun of having all these rocks!

Coticules don't really follow normal laws of honing. My la nouvelle veine is the hardest coticule I own, won't scratch at all, and its the fast stone I own on slurry, period.

Originally Posted by Disburden

Coticules don't really follow normal laws of honing. My la nouvelle veine is the hardest coticule I own, won't scratch at all, and its the fast stone I own on slurry, period.

now that is very true , i hear fokes saying the hard coticules are better finishes and soft one are faster cutters. i found theu all finish more or less the same . and if it cuts fast with slurry it does if it does'nt it just does'nt.

Bart evaluates each coticule , i've been with him and seen him do this. if he says it slow its slow if he finds its a fast one he will say so in the vaults i have purchased two or three and he has always been spot on.

gary

I think a point to consider here is that no natural stone will follow a "rule" of honing. Synthetics will because they are all produced the same way and, in theory, should all perform the same way.

But naturals are all different and will all perform differently. Thats why it takes some time to learn how to get the best out the particular one you have. All part of the fun!