Thread: Belgium coticule + ebay razor

Well today I got enough equipment to start honing razors. A belgium coticule, there are two sides so I started on the rough side. I must have made a thousand x'es but it doesn't matter. It still won't cut any hair, nor does it produce any slurry. It does produce grey stuff, but that's probably the metal from the razor. The only thing the thumbnail test showed me that it has become smoother.

What am I doing wrong? I've honed for at least 3 hours and I'm too tired to hone for today. I know belgium is a slow cutter, but is this normal? Should I have bought the norton 4/8 k after all? If the norton is better, should I go for the 1/4k or the 4/8k? Since the belgium is probably 6/10k.

PS, the flattening stone was forgotten by the seller and will be mailed later, so I didn't have the flattening stone to create slurry.

Do you have a two-sided coticule or is the dark side slate. My understanding is that most yellow coticules have a slate backing for strength and to prevent breakage and that there are relatively few two-sided coticules (in which case the blue side is about 4k and the yellow 8k in terms of grit). A picture would help - but if its a new coticule, the dark and yellow side of a two-sided coticule should be about the same thickness. If its a yellow coticule with a slate backing, the yellow side will be much thicker than the dark side.

Unless your razor is really in bad shape, 3 hours on the blue side should have yielded results (unless you're doing somehting terribly wrong - such as not keeping the razor flat and grinding down the edge, etc.)

The fact that you're not getting any slurry suggests to me (and I'm no expert) that you're trying to hone on slate.

I've not used a belgian (blue or yellow) but I know my waterstones develop a slurry even if I don't use a slurry stone.

I might try a few laps on the yellow side to see if you get different results.

I don't have a lot of experience honing and none with belgian stones, but there seems to be something wrong here - either you're trying to hone on slate, your razor is really screwed up or you're technique is the problem.

If the other side of your Belgian is blue then you can use it, if it it grey then that's slate and isn't suitablle for honing a razor. A hundred laps on the yellow side will overhone your razor and not only will it not cut hair well, it will give you razor rash if you try and shave with it.

That said, a lot of guys (not me) have success with the Belgians so purchasing a Norton shouldn't be necessary. Did you find the Pyramid Honing file in the Permanent Archives section of the Help Files? That's the best way to proceed.

X

I did hone on the yellow side as well and there wasn't any slurry production either. I did ask the seller if the other side was usable and he said it is rougher and can be used for knives? But now you've guys said it, it is more black than blue.

That's slate alright.

I can't imagine why there's no slurry coming up on the yellow. Is it wet enough?

Do you have anything else, any barber hones or anything? You can make use a swaty to make a slurry on your coticule.

I now have a rubbing stone for my coticule, but I used to use it without. As long as it was wet it would work up a slurry in due course. Using the rubbing stone just makes everything faster.

Originally Posted by pokkuhlag

I did hone on the yellow side as well and there wasn't any slurry production either. I did ask the seller if the other side was usable and he said it is rougher and can be used for knives? But now you've guys said it, it is more black than blue.

It's slate. I have a true yellow and blue coticule, and another yellow on slate that I use for sharpening craft tools.
My experience is that the slate is worthless for honing. especially if you have to take away a lot of metal.

Another telltale sign is that the natural boundary between yellow and natural blue is not a perfect straight line.

I wouldn't really know how you should proceed, since I only know yellow and blue stones. I think yellow alone is not enough, since it is a very slow cutter. it is ideal for touching up razors in good shape, but probably not for ebay specials.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Another telltale sign is that the natural boundary between yellow and natural blue is not a perfect straight line.

I wouldn't really know how you should proceed, since I only know yellow and blue stones. I think yellow alone is not enough, since it is a very slow cutter. it is ideal for touching up razors in good shape, but probably not for ebay specials.

Actually, there are some yellow-blue combination stones that aren't natural but are glued together. But that looks like slate for sure.

As far as honing with just yellow, I think it's possible. LX_Emergency does it I think. I wonder what some of the pros say.

Thanks for the enlightment, I have no other hones, but I'll probably order the norton 4/8k now I know that the backside is te slate. But I still can't get any slurry out of the yellow side, is it because the razor is too dull?

Originally Posted by pokkuhlag

Thanks for the enlightment, I have no other hones, but I'll probably order the norton 4/8k now I know that the backside is te slate. But I still can't get any slurry out of the yellow side, is it because the razor is too dull?

Well, you might wait a minute and see if LX weighs in – or pm him. He says he uses only yellow, and I know he's done some restoring.

I'd go slow buying new equipment when you're first starting out. There are many different levels of seriousness for this hobby, and you could maintain a blade for years with a nice belgian like that. If you foresee working on lots of razors, then yeah you'll probably want a Norton.

Originally Posted by pokkuhlag

Well today I got enough equipment to start honing razors. A belgium coticule, there are two sides so I started on the rough side. I must have made a thousand x'es but it doesn't matter. It still won't cut any hair, nor does it produce any slurry. It does produce grey stuff, but that's probably the metal from the razor. The only thing the thumbnail test showed me that it has become smoother.

What am I doing wrong? I've honed for at least 3 hours and I'm too tired to hone for today. I know belgium is a slow cutter, but is this normal? Should I have bought the norton 4/8 k after all? If the norton is better, should I go for the 1/4k or the 4/8k? Since the belgium is probably 6/10k.

PS, the flattening stone was forgotten by the seller and will be mailed later, so I didn't have the flattening stone to create slurry.

Well, the slurry of a coticule looks very light grey. If you find it hard to tell whether the grey is swarf or slurry: put some of it under a microscope: if you see red particles (the garnets) you know it's slurry. If you got the coticule from a commercial seller ask for a (usually free) rubbing stone for slurry building.