If anyone has a coti and a USB microscope, could you post pictures of what your finished edge looks like? Or even pictures of the edge through your progression. I've seen edges off of synthetic stones or film and I'm sure they won't look the same, so I'm curious what it should look like so I know what to look for. I know this is probably a shot in the dark, but it would be a huge help.
Coticule edges under microscope
- Thread starter blackhhawk
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Don't know if this is close enough, or even a good edge, but this just came off my coticule.
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- #3
Interesting, thanks. When looking at some edges from film or different type stones I see the edge looking almost perfectly polished. No scratches at all. I'm wondering if when finished, a coti edge will look the same.
Most coti edges will not be polished. As a matter of fact most natural stones will not impart a mirror finished bevel.
Mine tend to be hazy when im done. No clearly discernible scratches (ok, maybe every now and then) but most of it is just a general haze. Nowhere close to the mirror easily obtained from film or even a Norton 8k.
Edit: temjeito...is that a unicot edge? Looks like a main bevel then a very tiny secondary one. Cool pic.
Edit: temjeito...is that a unicot edge? Looks like a main bevel then a very tiny secondary one. Cool pic.
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I (re)set the bevel on a DMT 1200, then slurry/water/running water on my la grise. This edge has been a bit confounding, but I will shave with it in the morning and see where things are at.
This is my Wacker Gadsden. I honed it up last Saturday, started on the 1200 and worked through clear water on the Coticule. Probably spent 45 minutes or so on the Coticule (only a few minutes on the 1200).
This was a straight Dilucot, no tape, finishing on clear water, stropped on Tony Miller linen and one of his #2 hide strops.
It's got a week of shaves on it including a headshave....
The angles are slightly different. The left image, the blade is lying flat so the bevel is angled away from the camera. The right image, the blade is angled up so the bevel is pointing slightly into the camera (scratch pattern is different because these are not the same spot on the edge.
This was a straight Dilucot, no tape, finishing on clear water, stropped on Tony Miller linen and one of his #2 hide strops.
It's got a week of shaves on it including a headshave....
The angles are slightly different. The left image, the blade is lying flat so the bevel is angled away from the camera. The right image, the blade is angled up so the bevel is pointing slightly into the camera (scratch pattern is different because these are not the same spot on the edge.
Coticules dint make great finishers. Unless you use Mediterranean oil on a 7th layer coti from the black hole.
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- #9
This makes me feel a whole lot better. My edges are definitely looking good. I was looking at a synthetic edge as a reference and chasing the polished look, killing myself. Spending hours wondering why I wasn't getting there and getting really really frustrated. Thanks for the pics everyone.
Have a look at http://www.tzknives.com/razorbevels.html
Yea a coticule or most natural edges are not polished.
Film, naniwa, nortons leave almost a mirror like bevel
The coticule edge has lots of superficial scratches.
The JNAT edge looks like frosted glass
Yup, don't worry that your edges aren't gleaming with vorpal film keenness. Naturals create a pebbly slurry mess that rubs around under the razors edge and leaves it all scratchy and uneven.
Embrace the "au naturale" look.
Sort of like a nudist beach--it sounds like a great idea, and it's all natural. But in reality it's filled with fat middle aged men with hairy backs, so it's not much to look at....
Embrace the "au naturale" look.
Sort of like a nudist beach--it sounds like a great idea, and it's all natural. But in reality it's filled with fat middle aged men with hairy backs, so it's not much to look at....
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- #14
Lol, as long as it shaves well, it doesn't need to look like a mirror under 100-200x. I just want to make sure my edge looks how it should, so these pictures are just a reference for me (or anyone else who is in the same boat).
Ugh...now I can't get that image of fat middle aged men with hairy backs out of my mind. >.<
My ultra hard ozuku will eventually polish to a very very slight hazed mirror finish. Eschers/thuringians are the closest to that synthetic stone mirror finish IMHO.
Funny you mention that Brooksie, I rarely look at my edges under a scope but did yesterday after using an Escher (which I dont think I've used in about a year) and noticed the same thing. It was a better looking edge, but my face still prefers a jnat or coti edge.
The difference in natural edges of what i have seen is the scratch pattern being shallower and a well defined bevel. I havent bothered in a while though as Im very happy with my edges and it doesnt seem to matter much in the scope from a great edge or a meh edge. I can see the crappy edges that didnt shave well as I saved those images.
Dave, I'm trying to sell 3 eschers on the BST don't talk like that LOL.
A really really dialed in Jnat edge is, I agree, better than an escher edge and actually better than anything else i've ever tried. The upside to eschers is that they really are just about the easiest stone to use and achieve superb comfortable results from.
I've used mine with slurry right from chosera 1k and within about 10 minutes (probably less) all the 1k scratches are gone and the edge is close to perfect.
I actually prefer the kind of hazy look that a Jnat imparts on a bevel and the coticule I have definitely leaves a dull finish. I think the contrast of a shiny razor and a matte bevel looks really nice.
+1 to that. As for naturals, it might be one of (probably "the") easiest stone for consistent finishes.
