I have a new coti from Ardennes I am trying to learn how to use. I have read a bunch of stuff here on this forum, and also watched a bunch of youtube videos. I know there is an old thread on this topic, but the last post is from 2012, and I am not sure if anyone would notice if I post my question there, so I am starting a new one.
I have honed razors before using a norton 4/8k. I manage to get a decent edge with the norton, but I have found the coticule much harder to use. I have one razor - a new dovo entry level blade. A few things I notice:
I made some progress by using more pressure. When I say more pressure, I mean quite substantial pressure in my opinion. When I do this, the swarf comes, and it feels like cutting is happening. The bevel starts to look more polished when viewed through a loupe. I continued with this for a while, and got to a HHT1/2 ish level (depending on blade location). I made a couple passes on CrOx, and I think the blade would be shaveable, but not amazing. I'll strop it up, and try it out tomorrow as a reference point, but my expectations are pretty low.
Does anything jump out that I might be doing wrong? More pressure seems ill-advised, but I can't seem to get it to cut otherwise.
I have honed razors before using a norton 4/8k. I manage to get a decent edge with the norton, but I have found the coticule much harder to use. I have one razor - a new dovo entry level blade. A few things I notice:
- I can't seem to "push water" on the coti like I can on the norton. I know the razor has a good bevel. The blade slices under the water nicely on the norton, and not on the coti. I know the coti is flat - I used a nice diamond plate on it, same as a do with the norton. I can see that the coti is flat by laying a straightedge on it from a variety of directions.
- I can use the 8k side of the norton, get a HHT 3/4 edge, but after a dozon x-strokes on the coti, it almost won't shave arm hair anymore.
- The coti doesn't seem to cut much unless there is a slurry on it (I have a small bout). This is compounded by the following:
- I tried to follow a dilucot method, but the slurry all collects on the blade. I tap as much off as possible, but when I wipe of the blade to have a look, the slurry ends up mostly getting wiped off. The impact is that I get to plain water too quickly, I think.
I made some progress by using more pressure. When I say more pressure, I mean quite substantial pressure in my opinion. When I do this, the swarf comes, and it feels like cutting is happening. The bevel starts to look more polished when viewed through a loupe. I continued with this for a while, and got to a HHT1/2 ish level (depending on blade location). I made a couple passes on CrOx, and I think the blade would be shaveable, but not amazing. I'll strop it up, and try it out tomorrow as a reference point, but my expectations are pretty low.
Does anything jump out that I might be doing wrong? More pressure seems ill-advised, but I can't seem to get it to cut otherwise.