Hi, I have a Boker stainless steel razor, a naniwa 1k professional and a Coticule. I took the "factory" edge and shaved with it, not so great. So I took the razor to the 1k for about 30-40 x strokes with moderate pressure. Alot sharper and shaved arm hair nicely. Then the Coticule starting with thick slurry and diluting finishing on water. Stropping and I Had a nice shave but still not super sharp. It wont pass the hanging hair test. So I went back to the Coticule and dilluted very very SLOW. Adding 1 drop until I only had water. When finishing on water on the Coticule, Even with little water and little pressure the water ran up all the way to the spine, so I thought yes, but the razor was dull as hell. Not even shaving 1 arm hair. The only way I could get back the sharpness was on the 1k. I heard from a guy some Coti's can the dull the edge more then sharpen it. What did I do wrong and what do I need to do to get better edges of the Coticule here? The razor is stainless so a bit harder. On the Coticule I use medium pressure in the beginning and finish with weight of the blade only at the end.
Coticule dulling Boker Stainless steel razor
- Thread starter rb120134
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The coarsest coticule I’ve ever seen wont dull a razor under 1k unless you are doing something crazy on it. Can you post a picture of the coticule and ideally a video of yourself using it?
- Thread starter
- #3
Will do next week. I have a 150x50 mm Coticule with box and rubbing stone.
So it’s an Ardennes stone? Their stones aren’t always the finest, but I highly doubt they’d ever let anything anywhere near as coarse as it sounds like your stone is slip by. My guess is something else is up, maybe a technique issue that we can help you resolve.
Maybe thinner slurry and more laps after 1k . Then more laps with water. I have also used shaving soap for lather on stone. I rub a finger tip of soap on stone with a drop or two of water and let lather happen as I lap. For me I have found that I tend to do lots more laps. Sometimes I could get by counting 50 or 100 laps . Now I do circles after the 1k and keep at it until I feel it's time to go to next stone. I have three coticule stones and they each have their own personality. Keep at it and good luck.
Initial thoughts are maybe your starting slurry is too thick? And after coticule did you take it to a strop before using sharpness tests? That can significantly improve performance, though I would imagine it should still SHAVE arm hair without stropping lol
If the bevel is properly set move to the coticule but without any slurry, decreasing the pressure as you continue. Increase you laps on the coti 2x
Figuring out a Coticule can be more like solving a puzzle than anything else. But, I would venture to say that the coticule isn't dulling the razor, and that the problem is most likely user error. Thick slurry after a 1k in the hands of a new user is going to defeat the bevel work 9 out of 10 times. Plus, if the bevel was 'marginally set', as it probably was, then you have a very difficult hurdle to overcome. I don't know that Dovo's stainless is harder than their carbon steel, I do suspect that it might have bit greater wear resistance though.
A few things to consider...
1 - can you shave with your 1k edge? If not, the bevel isn't set.
2 - where are you getting your dilution progresson from? Are you checking the condition of the edge as you go, factoring in dilutions vs stroke count and pressure? Or is it random dilutions at random intervals? Every Coti has it's own personality, some are fast, some slow, some autoslurry, and most respond to pressure in different ways. Usually, dilutions are done when the edge has reached max at any one stage, they're not done based on time. Going too slow can set your edge back.
3 - was the Coticule lapped flat and checked for flatness with a proven straight edge?
4 - thick slurry is almost never neccessary unless you're trying to remove a lot of steel for some reason.
5 - are you checking the bevel and edge to be sure you blade is 100% on the stone?
6 - was the 1k lapped and checked for flatness also?
7 - how are you making slurry - Coti slurry stone or diamond plate? I would avoid the latter.
8 - Are you using circles, 1/2 strokes or x strokes?
9 - Have you checked the striations on the bevel for uniformity? Odd rogue scratches can cause issues. If there is an issue, your stroke type might be suspect. If the stone is autoslurrying, you'll have to compensate for that.
10 - Many people have trouble getting Coti edges to pass the HHT, and usually a Coti edge is more mellow than 'super sharp'.
A few things to consider...
1 - can you shave with your 1k edge? If not, the bevel isn't set.
2 - where are you getting your dilution progresson from? Are you checking the condition of the edge as you go, factoring in dilutions vs stroke count and pressure? Or is it random dilutions at random intervals? Every Coti has it's own personality, some are fast, some slow, some autoslurry, and most respond to pressure in different ways. Usually, dilutions are done when the edge has reached max at any one stage, they're not done based on time. Going too slow can set your edge back.
3 - was the Coticule lapped flat and checked for flatness with a proven straight edge?
4 - thick slurry is almost never neccessary unless you're trying to remove a lot of steel for some reason.
5 - are you checking the bevel and edge to be sure you blade is 100% on the stone?
6 - was the 1k lapped and checked for flatness also?
7 - how are you making slurry - Coti slurry stone or diamond plate? I would avoid the latter.
8 - Are you using circles, 1/2 strokes or x strokes?
9 - Have you checked the striations on the bevel for uniformity? Odd rogue scratches can cause issues. If there is an issue, your stroke type might be suspect. If the stone is autoslurrying, you'll have to compensate for that.
10 - Many people have trouble getting Coti edges to pass the HHT, and usually a Coti edge is more mellow than 'super sharp'.
