Thread: Which is better to hone with: Belgin Conicle or Escher?

Originally Posted by Jimbo7

Unless you've found some pretty great deals I would venture a guess that you've taken a fairly substantial economic hit acquiring those two stones. Acquiring more stones, while an option, is likely to set you farther back.

If you've got the cash, I would agree that a Norton is somewhat easier to use while developing the basics of honing. On the other hand, one can learn to hone on what you have in your possession already. Your wallet would appreciate you for that.

I would have to agree with this statement. Man you when right for the top when you bought your first hones. The coticule not so much but the Escher. I have a thuringian but I found it at an antique store for $8. Use what you have and experiment with finishing on both. They will give you two different edges.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

A Norton 8K in the hands of a competent Honer will do far more than a Shapton 30K in the hands of someone who is inexperienced. Buy a good basic hone and learn to use it well then move on from there.

tbs is giving you the real tip. Learn to hone with the workhorses and when you can get a DFS (damn fine shave) off a norton 8k, or the equivalent, begin to experiment with the escher and the coticule. In the meantime put them up until you're ready for them.

Noone ever believes that one can get a good shave off a 8k Norton until you learn to hone. I didn't believe it also until about one and a half year ago or so, when I found the sweet spot on a nice Solingen razor, which I forgot accidentaly to finish on higher grits. The biggest joke about it was that the razor shaved better than any of my other honed razors that were finished on thuris, cotis, C12k, and a Naniwa 12k. After this I honed maybe 50 razors solely on the 4k/8k, and finished on leather. After that, my edges were much better than before, and after this finishing on higher grits were much better too.
A great learning experience for me, never believed Glen and the others until I actually tried it.

Is the conicle some type of new hybrid coticule grown in a laboratory?

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Is the conicle some type of new hybrid coticule grown in a laboratory?

I heard they are growing diamonds in labs, maybe they can grow us some genuine vintage stones

Sorry for the typo. Conicle, Coticule It appears that everyone had a good idea what I meant. Again I am new at the idea of honing hence the reason for the post.

I actually picked both of these hones up at a yard sale for next to nothing so I really don't have any money invested. Just looking to get the best experience I can with a hone. Didn't know if I should purchase a Norton 4000/8000 or use what I have. Not even sure of the grit of my Coticule and Escher. Are they pretty much standard?

Originally Posted by Rcigar

Sorry for the typo. Conicle, Coticule It appears that everyone had a good idea what I meant. Again I am new at the idea of honing hence the reason for the post.

I actually picked both of these hones up at a yard sale for next to nothing so I really don't have any money invested. Just looking to get the best experience I can with a hone. Didn't know if I should purchase a Norton 4000/8000 or use what I have. Not even sure of the grit of my Coticule and Escher. Are they pretty much standard?

Ummmm Yeah you might have mentioned that you already have the stones and the info would have been more on target ...And pics would be great here

search "One Stone Honing from Lynn and Glen" if you don't want to buy much else for maintaining good blades

You can also search "Unicot and Dulicot" for just the Coticule

You have two very sought after stones that are both quite versatile. the Escher is considered to be one of the top finishers out there and the Coticule is considered to be one of the most versatile stones..

You don't need any other stones unless you start honing from scratch then a 1k is at least advisable, a full honing regime would be a 1-4-8 or close to that like 1-3-8 or 1-5-8 that will hone anything from anywhere

ps: Your Escher is a Thuringen, all Escher's are, but not many Thuringens are Eschers


pps: Grit is a funny thing on here,, Before the Shapton systems became popular with SR users, Coticules were thought to be about an 8k comparable stone and Eshers maybe 10k over the last 3 years it seems that each sect of stone's fanboys have pushed those levels up on every stone, we now have 50k J-nats and 15k+ PHIGs out there, honestly the stones haven't changed any, just people's imagination and love for their stones

I think that got all yer questions