Belgian Coticule

Use a straight. You know it makes sense.
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Zot!
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Belgian Coticule

Post by Zot! »

Picking a coticule reminds me of the scene from the first Harry Potter movie when the characters pick out their wands and how the match depends on how the chemistry reacts when they hold it in their hands. I bought a Select grade 150x50 (6x2) without specifying any characteristics. I really haven't used it but for a few swipes but I'm really liking it. I am not so good at pics but here goes,
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Ron
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Post by EL Alamein »

Nice stone, enjoy! I love them, myself.

Chris
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SirCur
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Post by SirCur »

Ron, yes, the coticules are excellent stones. I have the same size (6x2) in a combination stone (BBW on one side + yellow on the other). This size is quite easy to use and works for smiling blades as well at straighter edges.

Nice purchase!

Best ... Steve
To want what I have
To take what I'm given with grace
For this I pray
Zot!
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Post by Zot! »

Thanks! I know Dr. Moss posted that something was coming along in a few days regarding finishing hones so I hope I didn't mess up! Something about the coticule's history, versatility, and posts saying that coticules are fun made the HAD kick in!
Last edited by Zot! on Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ron
Zot!
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Post by Zot! »

So how does one pronounce the word coticule?
Ron
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Post by Utopian »

There seem to be two pronunciations:

cah teh kul

coh ti kewl
Zot!
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Post by Zot! »

Thanks! I think I will go with cah teh kul as I heard Lynn use it on the DVD. I think I will go with cah-tee for short though!

I purchased the coti to do touch-ups and I used it that way on an older backup straight this morning. This razor had been honed superbly on a Japanese 12k waterstone when I purchased it. Although it was still sharp after 18 shaves, I did 30 laps with the Coti and plain water. The coti worked well enough and I shaved off it and 60-80 laps on a latigo.
Ron
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offshoot
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Post by offshoot »

Zot! wrote:I did 30 laps with the Coti and plain water. The coti worked well enough ...
Lucky you. Last time I refreshed blade with coti it took 310 laps.

There's differences on coticules, you know. Some stones generate "auto-slurry" faster than the others. I wonder how many laps with my stone would actually generate visible slurry...
Zot!
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Post by Zot! »

I can feel a difference after using the Coti but I am just a newbie and may be mistaken. I didn't cause any dulling and I am just trying to maintain an already sharp blade. The Coti has a lot more feedback than my C12k which does require a lot of laps. 300 laps seems like an awful lot but one of the reasons I like the Coti is that it is so hard to overhone. Did you try laps after creating a slurry using a stone? My 30 didn't really create a slurry that I could tell while I was using it with plain water so I guess it didn't cut much metal but then neither does my C12k. I would be interested in hearing others experiences. I will try some experimentation.
Ron
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matt321
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Post by matt321 »

I bought this one from the Ardennes web page several months ago. I've fooled around with it some but haven't really taken the time yet to figure it out. It's 7.5" x 1.5".
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Zot!
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Post by Zot! »

Matt, that is a great looking stone and so different than mine. I like that each has a personality and that one learns their particular stone. Yours looks to be a good size for honing. Mine fits so well for the hand and I am pleased with the size. Did you give Ardennes any information on what you wanted? Did Ardennes package it for shipment well?
Ron
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matt321
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Post by matt321 »

It's just a stock select grade. Square-inch wise it is much the same as a 6x2 but is longer to compensate being narrower. I moved since I bought it and have packed and unpacked 50+ boxes. It's all a blur now including how this stone was packaged by Ardennes.

It's a cool hone. Nice feedback and it smells like earth.
Zot!
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Post by Zot! »

I tried a touch-up on my Dovo Best Quality using a light slurry for 10 laps, plain water for 10 laps, a couple laps on a CrO pasted strop, and a lot of laps on latigo. I will see how it shaves tomorrow. I am thinking I may need to re-hone the Dovo Best as the bevel ribbon on one side is quite thin under magnification. I have had this razor for a year and it is my daily razor.
Ron
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offshoot
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Post by offshoot »

Zot! wrote: Did you try laps after creating a slurry using a stone?
Slurry has its own role in my sharpening process and I think it would make things faster when refreshing the edge, but with this stone and with this particular razor I prefer to do it like this. It's rewarding.
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Gssixgun
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Post by Gssixgun »

If yer going to try the slurry for touch up routine, watch this guy hone on a Coticule, I call it a pigtail stoke, and it really works to introduce "Train" the razor to the hone, any hone really.. If you like J-nats try that stroke to work the slurry too.. I use it on almost every natural hone that can produce a slurry...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dl0dbnE ... r_embedded
    Always Very Respectfully

    Glen
    Zot!
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    Post by Zot! »

    Thanks for the link! I liked his description of the slurry as "a silk-like lubricant with the water." I will try the semi-circle pig-tail stroke next opportunity.
    Ron
    EL Alamein
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    Post by EL Alamein »

    Gssixgun wrote:If yer going to try the slurry for touch up routine, watch this guy hone on a Coticule, I call it a pigtail stoke, and it really works to introduce "Train" the razor to the hone, any hone really.. If you like J-nats try that stroke to work the slurry too.. I use it on almost every natural hone that can produce a slurry...


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dl0dbnE ... r_embedded
      Glen, what's your take on that pigtail stroke? Do you perceive a benefit to doing it? I've watched that Liam Finnegan video many times over the years and I always chalked up that little swirl he does as nothing more than positioning the razor and feeling it flat on the hone. Do you think there's anything more to it? Just curious as I've never done swirls that way.

      Chris
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      Gssixgun
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      Post by Gssixgun »

      Chris, It really seems to work the slurry on the stone, heck I even use it on a barber's hone with soap lather..
      It like anything else we try, is in the hands of the honer...

      When using a natural finisher my normal progression is either a 1/4/8 Norton then a natural, or a 1/3/8 Naniwa SS then a natural.. I really think that "training" the razor to the natural hone with 15 -20 of these pigtail laps and a light slurry give a smoother edge after the last 20 or so strokes diluting out to clean water...
      I have absolutely no proof of it, but it seems to sure work, one of those things you have to try with a well known old friend of a razor, to see if you can feel the difference...

      Try it on a Chinese PHIG and that should give you the most noticable improvement of any of the stones...
      Always Very Respectfully

      Glen
      EL Alamein
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      Post by EL Alamein »

      Glen, thanks for your thoughts, I do appreciate it. I think I can somewhat see now what you're alluding to. That Norton progression you do is the same one I do minus the lowest grit. I rarely use that progression anymore on my own shavers but when I do use it I go 4/8/Belgian Coticule. And I can see where the pigtail swirl would add something to the finishing.

      Thanks again.

      Chris
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