Thread: Coticle - when to use one?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The coticule is probably at about 10K but I think those who have one (I do) will tell you it puts an edge on the razor you can't seem to get with a synthetic type stone.

Maybe I just got a coarse coticule, but I get much better edges on my 15k Shapton than I do on my coticule. Mine seems about equivalent to my 8k Shapton, which at 1.8 micron is about 11k on the Norton scale, and about where most people would classify the coticule.

I also have all of those stones and pretty much just use the belgians and the diamond DMT stones now. The coticule is great when the edge is fairly sharp but you want to wring out that last bit of performance from that particular steel and heat treat (regardless of the name of the razor...). If the razor is dull, you have to go through the progressive process from coarser stones to finer stones. Yes, you could take a dull razor that was used to cut cardboard boxes and sharpen it on a coticule but that goes way beyond the time I want to spend honing a razor. If the razor is dull but not terribly dull, use a DMT 12000 extra fine, a Norton 4000, then Norton 8000, and then the coticule. You'll see a big shaving difference after using the coticule after the Norton. Then strop with natural leather and you're ready to go.

Use the coticule and strop alone after that as "It's easier to keep your edge sharp than it is to sharpen your edge".