So The Noob Went And Bought A Coticule...
I was able to ue my first coticule (a 40x150 standard) to take a new razor to shave ready. It took a bit of practice but worked fine in the end. I continue to keep that blade sharp with just that one stone.
The challenge of naturals is that one doesn't have the consistency of a synthetic. It's hard,as you attempt more razors, to develop a technique that works for everything. You may have success on one blade but not the next, then be left wondering what happened.
I had fun playing with natural stones, while learning to hone. When I wanted to learn consistency to be able to hone anything I stuck to the synthetics.
I have a real good chance at successfully honing any blade on synthetics. Maybe 85% or more on the first try. If I decide to break out a coticule with slurry those chances get a lot lower and the time spent increases.
Enjoy your purchase. You will have success if you practice. In the end the edge you get may not matter. What will matter is that you and your coti produced that edge.
Michael