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

[LookSharp]

Hey Guys

I started straight razor shaving 4 or 5 years ago when I was a poor student, anyway back then on SRP there was not so many profesional honing services. They were all in the US which was a big problem when you lived in Perth Australia. I could not justify the cost of flying my razor half way around the world then back just so I could have a shave. Anyway long storey short with Lynn's DVD and a stupid amount of persistance I taught myself to hone the best I could. I can get a decent edge and shave these days but with only one razor I was concerned about too much experimentation without a backup razor.

I recently ran into some money and bought a couple beautiful new straights that came professionally honed. I feel I now have the time and additional razors to spend some time trying to improve my skills. I have the following tools and do not wish to purchase any more at least until I have the talent to understand why I need them:

• Norton 4K/8K
• Small Coticule
• Tony Miller red latigo 2 1/2 inch hanging strop with linen.
• Nagura(spelling?) slurry stone
• mircoscope to look at edge

I was interested if anyone could suggest a system to start experimenting with and why? ie it will give a buttery edge or will give scary sharp edge.

I want to start to understand the difference in edges and how to achieve them but use the tools I currently have.

Thanks in advance!

Steve

[unit]

My advice would be to use the Norton and the strop. Do you have anything to flatten the Norton with? That MUST be done first.

I would also suggest something in a 300-500 grit range to clean/warm up the Norton when you start honing with it. I like to use a DMT coarse to get things started with a nice slurry. I would suggest that there are many other viable solutions.

I will suggest that you can get a wonderful shaving edge with only a Norton 4/8 and a good (unloaded) strop if you practice and know what you are doing. I would save the Coti for later, and only start experimenting with it after you have a good hold on the Norton. The Norton will form your foundation...polishing without a good foundation, is basically polishing a turd. It can be done, but I question the sensibility of it.

Have fun.

[Dimitry]

You can also use the coticule, but how small is small?
I personnaly only use a coticule to hone a razor (even to set a bevel) and never had any problems.
With only a coticule I can get a razor shave ready to have a very comfortable shave.

[LookSharp]

Yeah I have a piece of laminated glass and some fine grit paper that I use to lapp the stones. I can get a good edge using just the norton and have very comfortable shaves, has been 5 years now. I was just hoping to mix it up a little.

Cheers

[LookSharp]

Dimirty

The coticle is about 6 inches by 2 inches, that would be the unicot method you use or your own variation?

Cheers

[JimmyHAD]

My advice would be to use the Norton and the strop. Do you have anything to flatten the Norton with? That MUST be done first.

I would also suggest something in a 300-500 grit range to clean/warm up the Norton when you start honing with it. I like to use a DMT coarse to get things started with a nice slurry. I would suggest that there are many other viable solutions.

I will suggest that you can get a wonderful shaving edge with only a Norton 4/8 and a good (unloaded) strop if you practice and know what you are doing. I would save the Coti for later, and only start experimenting with it after you have a good hold on the Norton. The Norton will form your foundation...polishing without a good foundation, is basically polishing a turd. It can be done, but I question the sensibility of it.

Have fun.

+1 - What he said .... for different methods using the norton 4/8 check out these links;

Pyramid honing guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Honing - Alternative approaches - Straight Razor Place Wiki

There is also the circle technique which is very good. I would suggest you stick with the norton until you are shaving satisfactorily @ the 8k level. When you can get good smooth shaves at 8k you are ready to move on. Try the coticule as a finisher with water and no slurry at that point. See if it improves the edge.

The dulicot is cool if you know how to hone but it is probably easier, especially since you have it, to learn on the norton.

[Dimitry]

Dimirty

The coticle is about 6 inches by 2 inches, that would be the unicot method you use or your own variation?

Cheers

Well, that's a nice size for a coticule.
I use the dilucot method for 90% of the razors I hone. Sometimes I use the unicot if my dilucot method failed.
K. regards
Dimitry

[Disburden]

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...

[gssixgun]

Want to learn the Norton 4/8 ???? read, watch, and learn

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.html


That thread has more info on honing with that hone then you can ever need, after you get that down pat, add the coticule as a finisher and see if it gets better ... Hmmmm looks like Jimmy said the same damn thing hehehee

[tinkersd]

All good advice, you are well supplied with all you have now in honing stones, I would re -iterate what has been said and also say that the basic learning set up for 1st time honing students, the 4K and 8K Nortons with a basic slurry stone is what will get you there. Start with those and spend some time learning to shave off the norton 8K. And remember, the finishing strokes are the ones you finish with that are the very lightest pressure you can muster mister while still keeping the blade flat on the stone's surface.
Very very light touch is required, you will learn that in no time, requires focus, but still ain't rocket science!!

This had been my unrequisted Tupence, have fun, rant over.