Thread: Waht to do with a Norton 4K/8K and small coticle

This is my experience:

It took me a very very long time to figure out how to hone on a coticule without any other stone for bevel setting or sharpening steps. Some coticules will DULL the edge when you use slurry so you then have to figure out how dense to make the slurry, how to dilute it properly...etc. For example if you have a coticule that is prone to slurry dulling and use too thick of a slurry you will not get anywhere, you will need to make a thinner slurry and figure out how thin. Then when you dilute, if you do it too early and the stone is slow on water you will start polishing the edge before it becomes sharp enough, meaning you're polishing a dull edge and the shave will pull or not cut anything but feel smooth.

Figuring out those variables alone is going to be tricky. I am not saying that coticules are hard and bad to use, I love my coticules, but it's not as simple as going to a norton and sharpening, flipping the stone and then polishing on the 8K side.

Some people say soaking the Norton is troublesome and time consuming but it really isn't as time consuming as sitting with a coticule for two weeks figuring out slurry density. You need to lap the norton smooth and flat and make sure it's clean before use....it's not a big deal.

That being said I use my coticules a lot and do enjoy them but I wouldn't want to mislead a new honer into thinking that once you buy the miracle Belgian hone you will be honing razors like no tomorrow. Reality is, they are all different, and they ALL take time to learn, longer than a synthetic.

You can also use the Norton and finish on the coticule...
Or finish on a pasted strop...