So I am trying my hand at honing with a belgian natural combo coticule. I am having difficulty setting the bevel...I can feel it setting in the half of the blade towards the toe, but it does not seem to be setting for the half near the heel of the blade. I have to imagine that this is a technique issue...can anyone offer some advise? I have been following the directions for the dilucot method, if that helps.
Bevel setting.help
- Thread starter Squidma
- Start date
Does the blade sit flat on the hone? Use a black marker and mark the entire edge, hone as usual and see where the marker comes off.
Closeup Pix of the blade could help. There are a lot of possibilities.
- Thread starter
- #4
just have to work it till the bevel is set.
Use magic marker to see where the edge does not contact the stone and modify your stroke to compensate.
Use magic marker to see where the edge does not contact the stone and modify your stroke to compensate.
Is there a frown in the blade, looks like it from the pics.
- Thread starter
- #7
There was not before I got started on it!
Don't be afraid to use some preasure when address'ing the blade to the stone while setting a bevel, once it pass's th TNT and feel rightfully sticky with the TPT all the way across start to lighten you stroke, until your just putting enough preasure to keep the blade flat on the stone and check for reliable popping of arm hairs all along the length of the blade, THEN you should have something to polish up to shaving spec's.
As the saying goes, if the bevel ain't set, you just polishing a turd!!!
I recently re-set a bevel on a German 5/8th useing my DMT flattening stone or 325grit, [just don't do something like that to often, does remove a goodly about of metal.
From there I went to my usual 4K/8K/15K[PHIG, Chinese stone finisher]
Hope this helps it's so hard to fix these kinds of problems long distance, but we try.
Good luck and Good hope, tinkersd
As the saying goes, if the bevel ain't set, you just polishing a turd!!!
I recently re-set a bevel on a German 5/8th useing my DMT flattening stone or 325grit, [just don't do something like that to often, does remove a goodly about of metal.
From there I went to my usual 4K/8K/15K[PHIG, Chinese stone finisher]
Hope this helps it's so hard to fix these kinds of problems long distance, but we try.
Good luck and Good hope, tinkersd
It is Swedish steel as well, so it is on the harder side which might be making your task a little more difficult as well.
How wide is your coticule?
How wide is your coticule?
- Thread starter
- #11
just shy of 2". Would I be better served with sheffield steel to get my feet wet.
if that is true then you are messing up the razor, and should reconsider your technique. Your coti is well lapped right?
- Thread starter
- #13
I figured technique was the problem...I am probably just going to send this out to be corrected and properly honed. It was not lapped when I got it...used sandpaper on a granite countertop (220; 350?; 600; 800)
Looks like maybe too much pressure in the center of the blade. Those full hollows flex quite easily.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
First of all, you should be holding the stone loosely in your left hand, with neither the stone nor your hand or forearm touching your body or any object. You want the stone to sort of float in space. With the razor held lightly in the right hand, the razor and stone will find their own alignment and you can moderate and balance your honing pressure. Hone with the heel leading a bit, and use a good x-stroke since your stone is so narrow. (Most coticules are pretty small... the big ones are expensive!) The goal is to get even coverage along the entire edge.
You might want to try a Norton or King 1k for setting the bevel. The coti can do it but it will be slow. Very slow.
Be absolutely sure that the shoulder is not riding up on the hone. If that happens, the heel of the razor will be forced up off the hone, so pressure is put on the toe but the heel gets no attention at all. Also your honing with the rock laying on a fixed object will increase your chances of honing heavy on the toe, light on the heel.
Once you get your technique nailed, you can use the following method to ensure that you have a good bevel and no guessing about it.
Hone one side of the razor only, maybe 50, maybe 100, whatever strokes. Every 50 or so, feel the edge. Draw your fingertip off the edge of the razor on both sides. On the side opposite the one you honed, you should feel a little microscopic catch. This is the burr. Keep honing until this burr can be felt along the entire edge. Then hone the second side the same number of strokes. You should now feel a burr along the whole length of the edge, this time on the opposite side. If not, go some more until you do. When you have successfully raised a burr on one side and then the other, it is time to remove it. Hone normally with alternating laps, maybe 30 laps. Now you most definitely have a good and true bevel set, and you can commence your progression.
This is a lot of wear on your razor, but you only need to do this once unless you damage your edge. It is also a lot of wear on your coti, so use a cheap 1k synthetic.
You might want to try a Norton or King 1k for setting the bevel. The coti can do it but it will be slow. Very slow.
Be absolutely sure that the shoulder is not riding up on the hone. If that happens, the heel of the razor will be forced up off the hone, so pressure is put on the toe but the heel gets no attention at all. Also your honing with the rock laying on a fixed object will increase your chances of honing heavy on the toe, light on the heel.
Once you get your technique nailed, you can use the following method to ensure that you have a good bevel and no guessing about it.
Hone one side of the razor only, maybe 50, maybe 100, whatever strokes. Every 50 or so, feel the edge. Draw your fingertip off the edge of the razor on both sides. On the side opposite the one you honed, you should feel a little microscopic catch. This is the burr. Keep honing until this burr can be felt along the entire edge. Then hone the second side the same number of strokes. You should now feel a burr along the whole length of the edge, this time on the opposite side. If not, go some more until you do. When you have successfully raised a burr on one side and then the other, it is time to remove it. Hone normally with alternating laps, maybe 30 laps. Now you most definitely have a good and true bevel set, and you can commence your progression.
This is a lot of wear on your razor, but you only need to do this once unless you damage your edge. It is also a lot of wear on your coti, so use a cheap 1k synthetic.
The shoulder looks to be running into the bevel. Im on an ipad, so the pix arent so very sharp, but thats what it looks like to me.
If I'm correct;
You can hone it as is, but it will be more difficult to do so. Eventually - it has to be corrected. So, when I've run into this, I usually trim the shoulder a bit, right at the heel, So it ends right where the upper part of the bevel begins. there is a photo buried around somewhere that shows how the shoulder should meet the bevel, not sure where though.
If my bad eyes and crappy screen are off-base, then disregard the above.
If I'm correct;
You can hone it as is, but it will be more difficult to do so. Eventually - it has to be corrected. So, when I've run into this, I usually trim the shoulder a bit, right at the heel, So it ends right where the upper part of the bevel begins. there is a photo buried around somewhere that shows how the shoulder should meet the bevel, not sure where though.
If my bad eyes and crappy screen are off-base, then disregard the above.
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- Thread starter
- #17
Thank you for the tutorial!!. I will invest in a synthetic 1k.
