Coticule

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Who shaves off a coti.... I "Think" with more time on the stone I may be able too...but for now I take it as far as I can and finish on a black Ark, the razor was Gold Dollar 208, it has a really nice edge now without stropping...I will strop it later when I go upstairs.
So do you shave off a coti and leather ?

Ps.
Stropped and very much Shave ready, a superb edge, maybe try it Thursday coz I just shaved earlier.
 
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I got into coticules about 18 months ago and yes I do shave off a coticule followed by leather. For a month I just maintained my razors with a single stone, even cutting a completely new bevel on one razor which had been chipped. I just used the coticule from bread knifing to new bevel to shave ready.

I went a bit mad and bought a drawer full of stones. Every single one hones differently. I have got the hang of most of them.

I like the simplicity of honing with a single stone, and I do like a pure coticule edge. It isn't my favourite edge but I still like it.

I prefer a Charnley Forest or a Yellow Lake or a paste finished edge but will happily shave with a coti edge.
 
Whilst every coticule is fairly unique - although knowing the layer does give you a head start - here are some things I have found that might be useful.

X strokes don't seem to work like they do on other types of stones - stick to Japanese strokes, ellipses (for convex coticules) or circles.
Circles work best for the water stage.
Start each dilution stage with more torque and gradually reduce it.
Strop before moving to water.
Increase number of strokes with each dilution step.
The bigger the garnets, the more you have to control dilution.
Finish under running water and feel for "stiction"
Once you have finished honing, strop on plain flax linen followed by plain leather.


That is what has worked for me generally. As we are discussing coticules your mileage will most certainly vary from mine.
 
I have a vintage coticule. I have tried coticule shave after cotton and leather and it was ok. The edge was comfortable, but not very keen. It was tugging a bit. After that I did coticule and balsa strop with .5mic,.25mic and .1mic diamond and just leather and the shave was much better. Since then I got a Japanese natural that works wonderfully and have put all my other finishers in storage. Very keen and comfortable edges...
 
BTW, my friend swears by the black ark. He uses Dawn dishwashing liquid or shaving soap lather and claims he gets better edges that way...
Trans and black Arks are like any other stones including coticules. A good stone for razors is hit or miss. I have a vintage coticule that I can use with slurry and go straight to water without dilutions for a very keen and smooth edge but it is one of less than a handful out of many I have tried.
 
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My Newly Acquired Vintage Coticule Arrived this Morning in the Bottom Picture..Its Extremely Fine & Smooth..I Lapped it to 1000 Grit Wet n Dry the Same as My Barbers Coticule Above..The One Above Picks Up an Edge from a 12 K Super stone & Improves it with Tallow Lather..I Will Do the Same with this Newly Acquired One & See How it Performs..:p

I Only Use Mine as a Finisher Without Slurry..My Own Stone at the Top Does Not Auto Slurry & the Bottom One Should be the Same Hopefully..It Looks as If its Meant for Finishing Straight Razors as its Narrow & Very Fine..As Mentioned..Many Coticules are Not Fit for Finishing an SR But a Good One Produces a Very Fine Shaving Edge on Sheffield Steel in Particular..:cool:

I Often Use a Cotucule as a Pre Finisher before Finishing on My Yellow Lake Oil Stone..It Produces a Remarkable Edge..I Call it a Combo Coticule/Yellow Lake Combo Finisher...:ROFLMAO:

Billy
 
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My Newly Acquired Vintage Coticule Arrived this Morning ..Its Extremely Fine & Smooth..I Lapped it to 1000 Grit Wet n Dry ..I Finished One of My Taylor Witness Sheffield Full Hollow 15/16th Just a Moment Ago..I Took it to the Naniwa 5 K, 8 K, 12 K..I Put Down the 12 K Edge on the Coticule Under Water then Running Water & Finished on Vitos Tallow Lather & Glycerin..Using Very Light X Strokes it Picked Up the Naniwa 12 K Edge & Refined it & Took a Very Fine & Sharp Edge.. :p

My Next Shave..:cool:

Billy
 
I have a vintage coticule. I have tried coticule shave after cotton and leather and it was ok. The edge was comfortable, but not very keen. It was tugging a bit. After that I did coticule and balsa strop with .5mic,.25mic and .1mic diamond and just leather and the shave was much better. Since then I got a Japanese natural that works wonderfully and have put all my other finishers in storage. Very keen and comfortable edges...
I was the opposite, I sold off my JNAT's and Arks and now stick with my two coticules, including my les latenueses hybrid combo stone which is somewhat harder then my black ark and produces equally as sharp an edge as a black ark but with the coticule feel to it which I find more skin friendly.
 
I was the opposite, I sold off my JNAT's and Arks and now stick with my two coticules, including my les latenueses hybrid combo stone which is somewhat harder then my black ark and produces equally as sharp an edge as a black ark but with the coticule feel to it which I find more skin friendly.
You know, I’m mixing it up again.
Thank God I didn’t sell that old coticule I had. I started using it only as a finisher with glycerine. The edges that this stone produces are magical. I’m afraid to flatten it just in case I screw up the stone.
 
You know, I’m mixing it up again.
Thank God I didn’t sell that old coticule I had. I started using it only as a finisher with glycerine. The edges that this stone produces are magical. I’m afraid to flatten it just in case I screw up the stone.
It'll probably not change much if at all if you lap it just a little bit.
 
Are all Coticules *good* I bought one from the sell/trate forum here recently, and it's been rubbish. I tried all the various methods, slurry, no slurry etc. Did 3 Bengall razors I know and trust, and they were all different shade of *dire*.

Took them all 3 to the Thungarian small hone for about 20 passes and they now shave, again, beautifully...

So I'm really not sure about that particular stone I've got...
 
Are all Coticules *good* I bought one from the sell/trate forum here recently, and it's been rubbish. I tried all the various methods, slurry, no slurry etc. Did 3 Bengall razors I know and trust, and they were all different shade of *dire*.

Took them all 3 to the Thungarian small hone for about 20 passes and they now shave, again, beautifully...

So I'm really not sure about that particular stone I've got...
Not all Coticules are razor grade. If I was you I’d try very light passes on running water. If that doesn’t work you can try dish soap, lather or my preferred method of using glycerine only without wetting the stone for 60-80 passes depending on the size of the stone. I have a 100x30 that I do 100 passes on. It works great for me. Better than my small Thuringian to be honest…
 
I got into coticules about 18 months ago and yes I do shave off a coticule followed by leather. For a month I just maintained my razors with a single stone, even cutting a completely new bevel on one razor which had been chipped. I just used the coticule from bread knifing to new bevel to shave ready.

I went a bit mad and bought a drawer full of stones. Every single one hones differently. I have got the hang of most of them.

I like the simplicity of honing with a single stone, and I do like a pure coticule edge. It isn't my favourite edge but I still like it.

I prefer a Charnley Forest or a Yellow Lake or a paste finished edge but will happily shave with a coti edge.

it's hard to believe that one little bitty thin piece of metal can be done so many different ways? I haven't had enough experience to realize any difference. they're either Sharp or they're not LOL.. this is what no experience looks like
 
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