Thread: Coticules for Dummies

Originally Posted by eleblu05

ok two questions can you pop arm hair above skin level on your 1k when your finished on that 1k ? what angle are you using when you shave should be around a 20 degree (1/4 in.)

Off a 1K norton I can cut hair at skin level on my arm easily. At 4K, I might be able to raise the blade off my skin a MM or two and still clip some hairs off. By the time I finish on my coticule, I can do the same, above skin hair shearing, only a bit better than off the 4K. I shave with an angle around 20 degrees, but sometimes I use a steeper angle under my nose and around my chin.

Originally Posted by jerrybyers

Have you tried to shave after the 4k? Is it about the same as after the coticule? I'm thinking it's your coticule and not the bevel.

Does your slurry get dark on the coticule? Is the blade tending to stick when you get towards all water? You may have to play with slurry amounts.

How many razors are you shaving with? If more than one, do they all pull?

I have been advised to try shaving off the 4k, but alas, I have not done so - yet. I hate to blame the coticule, as I obtained a very similar level of final sharpness of a kitayama (8k-12k) hone prior to purchasing the coticule. I just can't seem to get that final "edge" that I need. Back to your questions, the slurry will get darker, but not dark. On hollow grind blades, the blade will "stick" when on the coticule with just water. I have about 10 razors currently in my rotation. I have only 2 that I can shave with right off the hone. One is an 11/8 WM Jackson hollow grind, one is a joseph rodgers 8/8 wedge. The rest always require paste. that includes a new dovo and a dubl duck. Most of the rest of the blades are some grind of wedge.

Originally Posted by woodsmandave

When I brought up my troubles the first time, I went to coticule.be and followed the unitcot method to the "T". I still needed to use a pasted strop to get a shave that didn't pull at all.

Ok good work, that's interesting. Next idea: you could try rubbing some bar soap on the coticule, wetting it, and doing X strokes with as little pressure as you can muster. I've found that this can add some keenness if it's lacking.

The good thing about the coticule is that smoothness is pretty much a given, you just need to try to squeeze out every bit of keenness you can from your stone. I think experimentation is about the only way to figure out what works, and I wish you luck with that!

Thanks Jimbo, I'm about at the point where I need to rub bar soap on my coticule and do a HHT rain dance around it in my underwear with C.O. Bigelow shaving cream in my hair

Originally Posted by woodsmandave

Thanks Jimbo, I'm about at the point where I need to rub bar soap on my coticule and do a HHT rain dance around it in my underwear with C.O. Bigelow shaving cream in my hair

I wasn't going to tell you to do that, because discovering the answer is more important than just being told the answer. I'm glad you figured it out by yourself!

Originally Posted by woodsmandave

I have been advised to try shaving off the 4k, but alas, I have not done so - yet. I hate to blame the coticule, as I obtained a very similar level of final sharpness of a kitayama (8k-12k) hone prior to purchasing the coticule. I just can't seem to get that final "edge" that I need. Back to your questions, the slurry will get darker, but not dark. On hollow grind blades, the blade will "stick" when on the coticule with just water. I have about 10 razors currently in my rotation. I have only 2 that I can shave with right off the hone. One is an 11/8 WM Jackson hollow grind, one is a joseph rodgers 8/8 wedge. The rest always require paste. that includes a new dovo and a dubl duck. Most of the rest of the blades are some grind of wedge.

I do not think you would gain anything from shaving off 4k, but again have you tried to go to coticule after 8k synthetic? From your description of how the slurry darkens it is possible you have a slow coticule and going to it off higher grit might solve your problems.

woodsmandave, if you have that much trouble with a coti, I strongly suggest you buy a Norton 4/8k, it will make life so much easier...

i have three different 1k stone's and can get the razor to pop hair above skin level on any of them. i think your problem is at bevel setting. i also have 4 different coti's, an i have used them all as finishers without any of them pulling. go back to the bevel setting and dont leave that stone until you can pop arm hair above skin level.

Originally Posted by eleblu05

i have three different 1k stone's and can get the razor to pop hair above skin level on any of them. i think your problem is at bevel setting. i also have 4 different coti's, an i have used them all as finishers without any of them pulling. go back to the bevel setting and dont leave that stone until you can pop arm hair above skin level.

+1

I always make sure the blade pops hair above skin level before moving on from 1k.

Originally Posted by mainaman

I do not think you would gain anything from shaving off 4k, but again have you tried to go to coticule after 8k synthetic? From your description of how the slurry darkens it is possible you have a slow coticule and going to it off higher grit might solve your problems.

This makes perfect sense to me. Since I am short a 8k synthetic, I may try instead spending more time on slurry with the coticule.