Thread: Yellow: a fast or slow cutter?

I had the impression that belgian yellow is a very slow cutter. this would be consistent with the fact that it has a very fine grit size 8K / 12K.

But websites where they sell these things advertise them as 'aggressive cutters' because of the number of garnets embedded that is much higher than with belgian blue.

Otoh, the blue is coarser, and my (limited) experience so far is that it is faster than the yellow.

what do you think?

I usually only use between 10-15 strokes when using the Yellow Coticule unless working on a Damascus. On the Chinese 12K I have used between 30-50 strokes. The Coticule to me is really more of a polisher than a cutter.

Lynn

I know that the coticule has been used for straights for who knows how long. Did they also use it to establish the initial bevel? If so, how long did it take the poor bastards?

Initial bevels are/were usually established by the grinders.

Lynn

I too have wondered what the old time razormakers used for the grind stones or initial bevel creation as well as the wheels currently used by Dovo and TI. Not much has been mentioned regarding early natural coarse stone used at the first stages of the process. Inquiring minds want to know. MikeB Please anybody chime in on this....

Honestly, the wheel used at Dovo or TI might just be the same ones used a hundred years or so ago. There were similar wheels in existence for knife grinding well before the discovery of electricity, I wouldn't be surprised if the newest thing on the wheels used today was the motor.

I meant what type of stone was used for the wheels. I am not very familiar with any coarse stone types from the past.

Coticules seem like more of a polishing medium to me as well. The Norton 4/8k seems to truly cut, whereas the coticule doesnt seem to do much of anything as far as I'm concerned.
Glad I have a Norton in addition to a blue/yellow coticule, it would be a real chore to do much edge restoration with a coticule only.

Faster or slower than what? It's slower than a DMT 1200 xtra fine and faster than an Arkansas black surgical. When I hone with a coticule, it's fast and gives the edge a nice polish (under magnification).