Thread: Help needed with coticule honing.

Thats why I am a bit angry at the coticule guys sometimes, they make newbies believe that honing with a coticule is like doing some circles, half-strokes, some dilutions, and voilá, you have a smooth and sharp edge, but this isn't the case a lot of times.

Someone who is new to honing shouldn't do circles and half-strokes, it is hard enough to master a nice even X-stroke, and not just for a new guy. Thats why I advise everyone to start honing on synths, you can focus on learning how to hone, learn the sharpness tests, and learn how a good 8k shave feels like.

Setting a bevel with a coti: it can be done, but it is tedious with the majority of cotis if you are honing factory honed razors or vintage/fleamarket razors. Especially for those who are new to this. Learning what consistency the slurry should be, when to refresh, when to dilute, a lot of problems. If you use too little slurry than it will take ages, but if you use too much than the slurry will dull the edge so much that you won't be able to shave arm hair.

Do yourself a favor, and buy yourself at least a 1k stone, it will make life much easier.

Originally Posted by jeness

Thats why I am a bit angry at the coticule guys sometimes, they make newbies believe that honing with a coticule is like doing some circles, half-strokes, some dilutions, and voilá, you have a smooth and sharp edge, but this isn't the case a lot of times.

Someone who is new to honing shouldn't do circles and half-strokes, it is hard enough to master a nice even X-stroke, and not just for a new guy. Thats why I advise everyone to start honing on synths, you can focus on learning how to hone, learn the sharpness tests, and learn how a good 8k shave feels like.

Setting a bevel with a coti: it can be done, but it is tedious with the majority of cotis if you are honing factory honed razors or vintage/fleamarket razors. Especially for those who are new to this. Learning what consistency the slurry should be, when to refresh, when to dilute, a lot of problems. If you use too little slurry than it will take ages, but if you use too much than the slurry will dull the edge so much that you won't be able to shave arm hair.

Do yourself a favor, and buy yourself at least a 1k stone, it will make life much easier.

This is a very good post IMO.

Nothing wrong with a Coticule, but this is basically the reasons the Coticule isn't perhaps the best choice for people starting out in honing.

I've got two coticules that I've been unable to figure out, so I completely understand the frustration of the OP. It definitely helps having a 1k stone for bevel setting, but even then my results have been sub-par. I'm determined to figure them out, but coticules are some of the weirdest natural stones that I've worked with yet. One of mine is super slow on just water, but add the smallest amount of slurry and it will dull the edge quicker than quick. The other seems pretty fast (slurried, it will start to darken in 10 or 15 strokes) but I haven't been able to get a shaveable edge off of it either. I recently tried finishing on glycerin, and the results were terrible. I've even taken Glen's advice and tried finishing a Sheffield blade on a coti, and while it shaved, it sure wasn't fun.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If I'd started honing with a coticule, I probably would have quit a long time ago. I was getting good edges off my Nortons within a week of starting to learn how to hone, and they've gotten a lot better since then. The cotis are a different beast altogether, and there seems to be so much variation between each one that you just have to play with them until you get them figured out.... which is a difficult prospect for a noob honer.

Nearly every coticule honer I know has a reliable 1k/320 grit backup stone to set bevels or remove chips in case a coticule can't do the job.

You may not realise it but depending on the size of your coticule and how narrow it is, your stroke may be dulling the edge. I had a problem for along time where my stroke coming toward me would be messing up the edge (the blade was never fully flat until I changed how I held the coticule and razor) whereas the away stroke was near perfection every time.

Playing with slurry's on a new coticule is complicated, its hard but not impossible, but if you only have one razor, maybe send it to be rehoned and use the coticule for touch ups may be the best bet? you could find a junker from ebay and practice with that on the coticule to learn it

have you honed razors before?

regards Alex

I have a coticule. I'm happy to have it but would have a hard time with it as a firststone. It's too slow. Would take forever to set an eBay bevel. It's 40mm width makes it touh to do a stroke without tilting the blade. So if I were newer and without other options it would be very frustrating. If its all you have though, then I'm sure you can make it work. Just get some more razors and keep practicing. What do you have to lose?

Michael