Ok, i have a new coticule but i'm having the same trouble. This one is a 6X2, i also have a 4X2. The small one was my first one and i had trouble with the tip of the razor not being sharp. Thinking it was because i didn't have enough surface to complete my half X stroke (Unicot) i bought a bigger hone. But as usual, it is me and not the equipment. I do the 30 Half X strokes just like Barts video until it shaves arm hair, from the tip to about a third of the way down the razor doesn't shave arm hair but from the top third to the heel it does shave arm hair, i switch to the 30 X stokes then and complete the unicot method. Should I continue doing the first step until the whole razor shaves arm hair or am i doing something else wrong? Let me say again. I do the half X strokes until the razor shaves arm hair (not the whole razor just about the middle to the heel) then i move to the next step. I end up with a razor that pops arm hair from the middle to the heel but doesn't do a whole lot of shaving from the point to about a third of the way down the razor. Any idea what i'm doing wrong?
Coticule Honing Question
- Thread starter Walker
- Start date
My guess is that your blade is not laying flat on the hone. And the smaller and thinner the hone, the harder it is to achieve this without practice. The 6x2 should be better...you can use your index finger to push the blade flat and then do the 1/2 strokes...but, the finger is just used to keep teh blade flat, not apply pressure per se
That's my guess anyway
That's my guess anyway
- Thread starter
- #3
Ok, there is one thing i am doing wrong. I put my finger on the spine at the tip, but i apply pressure. I do this to try to get the tip sharp. I guess it is hindering more than helping, huh. Well i have 3 more razors to hone so i will try no pressure with the index finger on the next one to see what happens.
As he mentioned a lot of blades won't lie flat on a hone. Usually because someone in the past honed them with too much pressure at the toe, though other reasons exist. The solution tends to be to slow down a bit and adjust your strokes so that you deliberately lift the heel slightly to drop the toe down enough to make contact. (Edit: I believe the term the wiki's and experts use for this motion is a "rolling stroke") This avoids having to do major spine grinding and likely lose several mm of blade depth. The downside is now you've got a razor that requires delicate honing for the rest of it's life. Another downside is that if you do this improperly (too much lift, angling the edge down, etc) you will only damage the razor further.
Razor spines are pretty thick, so by applying pressure (assuming you aren't using pressure near the edge to flex the blade... which is even worse), you are pushing the spine into the hone much more so than the toe, so while you might be able to get the toe sharp this way, you will be doing serious damage to the razor in doing so (giving it extreme overhoning at the toe) and wasting a lot of effort. This is why many honers prefer narrow hones for these sort of razors. Lifting the blade slightly to focus honing is easier on narrow hones. Wider hones are better for what you're doing and in fact I dare say encourage it.
Razor spines are pretty thick, so by applying pressure (assuming you aren't using pressure near the edge to flex the blade... which is even worse), you are pushing the spine into the hone much more so than the toe, so while you might be able to get the toe sharp this way, you will be doing serious damage to the razor in doing so (giving it extreme overhoning at the toe) and wasting a lot of effort. This is why many honers prefer narrow hones for these sort of razors. Lifting the blade slightly to focus honing is easier on narrow hones. Wider hones are better for what you're doing and in fact I dare say encourage it.
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I would also advise not to rely on the finger to do the work...somehow you have to develop good muscle memory with honing...bad muscle memory is a bad habit to break. The pressure thing is counter intuitive...But less pressure does reach an amazing result with the edge. Now if your edge is somehow warped or bevel uneven, you probably will need to apply more pressure at certain areas of the blade compared to others and get this kink worked out. once there, no pressure or very light pressure gets you there
I would also wait and see what the experts have to say.
- Thread starter
- #6
Great stuff guys!!
Good advice here!
For me, the key is to watch how the wave of water flows over the top of the razor during the stroke. A drop of liquid soap in the water will help you see it. If the water is not flowing over the top of the edge, you don't have good contact with the hone.
- Thread starter
- #9
I switched gears for my next razor. I used my Norton progression of 1k, 4&8 K and finish with the coti. I got a shavable razor from it. It is hard to not apply pressure while honing and just let the weight of the razor do the work. The first thing i want to do is apply a little pressure. Especially on the 8K Norton because of lack of feedback i get. I figure it isn't polishing very well. Rookie mistake
- Thread starter
- #10
I just honed another one (Keenest Cutter) and this one was honed with just the weight of the razor throughout it all. I know all razors are not created equal but this one passed the HHT which is a first for me!! Thanks for the advice guys, i'm back on track. Next is a Joseph Rodgers
