Coticule love... show off your rock

[SliceOfLife]

Small is a coti.

Large is a synth coti. Backing likely had some kind of filler in it that has reacted to something and broken down (changing white), and quite possibly causing the warp. Ahh, paint splatter makes sense. Glad it cleaned up.

 

[Bowmaker]

I feel just a little silly not picking up on the paint spray. In my defense my eye sight isn't what it was though. Seems the crack that was in the larger stone is now unstable and I can squeeze water out. I don't have much invested in these stones so rather then asking for a refund I will just cut the stone. Just a matter of squared off or at an angle.

 

[LJS]

Dry it and fille the crack with CA glue. Lap and may be good to go

 

[Bowmaker]

It fell off and in more than one piece. I think glue might have worked. It's going to be an odd shape but I will just hone on it.

 

[Namkcakram]

Bouts are where it’s at anyways. But I also buy the 1/4 price primitive arks, so maybe I’m all alone here feeling that way...

Have you tested any edges that surprised you yet? When you really nail it on some stones you’ll make the first swipe on your cheek and feel like you just gently wiped the lather away with a butter knife... then you run your fingers over it and realize my gosh, it’s BBS!

If you want to stack the deck in your favor go grab a blade with a very narrow included bevel angle. My first couple Cotis I found I could nail the right edge every time on a Coti with the low 15* and under bevels, but mid 17* and up bevels used to require some tap dancing and only honing under under a new moon before Halloween.

 

[Bowmaker]

I don't have that many razors and I sharpened one three different times killing the edge in between honing. It was a razor that I never have been able to quite get there and with a shave test after the coticule didn't get it there either. I will try a better one in the next couple of days though.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I've not looked into primitive arks, but I found that bouts weren't really much savings per usable space on coticules... I think I did a price per sq inch comparison once, and iirc correctly at MOST sizes, the lower end of the bout size range was MORE expensive than a square stone (even before considering that square hones are guaranteed to be 100% useful surface unless you buy wider than 3"), and at some sizes even the LARGEST end of the bout size range was more expensive than a square stone.
It may have changed, but their bouts were really overpriced in the past.

 

[Namkcakram]

You’re 100% right for new stones and actually I’d never even noticed that!

I’m talking discount bouts on the market tier somewhere below “certified pre-owned” haha

 

[SliceOfLife]

Oh yeah, modern bouts have TERRIBLE resale value and can be had cheap*... and imho vintage coticule "bouts" are overwhelmingly top notch stones. I actively look for rough cut and paddle coticules. They tend to be superior stones... My guess is they're much older and only the best, most treasured ones were cared for enough to survive 100, 200, or more, years.


*My second coticule was a GORGEOUS Ardennes bout. I bought a size 10 bout because I was told by guys who bought from Ardennes regularly that it would let me get a 1-2" wide 10"+ long stone and asked for a long skinny stone and they sent me one that was about 5" square and almost an inch thick coticule. Stunning stone, La Dressante if memory serves... but the OPPOSITE of what I wanted. I resold it a few weeks after buying and took a MASSIVE loss on it. Like 40-50%.

I eventually found what I wanted a few years later, when they started listing special bouts individually... it was a LNV, over 12" long, and turned out to be a relatively weak example of coticule in my opinion, so it too was sold for a big loss after a relatively short time.

 

[Namkcakram]

Does anyone here still order direct from Ardennes? Are they responsive if you ask specifically for something extra fine or extra hard or whatever the case may be?

 

[timwcic]

I will second how amazing a 200 plus year old bout can be. This primitive is dated 1788 (I think, barely visible) and if one of the easiest stones I ever used. This was found at a yard sale just outside Philadelphia. If time is available, stop at a sale, you might be at the right place at the right time

 

[rideon66]

Very nice Tim. I love the old bout rustique coticules and that right there is a cool one.

 

[Bowmaker]

Not sure about the larger stone I bought being a natural. It will absorb some moisture if I leave a drop on the stone for instance. Is this what some coticules do? The shave off of it was substandard also. Just not enough keenness to the edge. Shaving off the little one was a better edge but not great. I usually go ATG on my upper lip on the second pass and I really got the felling that the edge wasn't up to the task and aborted the idea before I started bleeding. I finished on these under the faucet to be sure there was no slurry on the stone. Any tips to get a little more out of the stone? Perhaps a few edge trailing passes?

 

[SliceOfLife]

It's not a natural. It's a reconstituted coticule. Synthetic stone made from coticule dust.

 

[kcb5150]

Bought this released. The inside faces were both humped so they were glued )( like a see saw. Lapped them and mated them with devcon. Lapped every surface. Harder than expected but not mega hard. Blush on one end. Sort of a knotty, slightly holographic look on the blushed end.

 

[David]

Nice work. That looks like a good stone.

 

[kcb5150]

It may well be fast. It murdered sandpaper

 

[Namkcakram]

Not sure about the larger stone I bought being a natural. It will absorb some moisture if I leave a drop on the stone for instance. Is this what some coticules do? The shave off of it was substandard also. Just not enough keenness to the edge. Shaving off the little one was a better edge but not great. I usually go ATG on my upper lip on the second pass and I really got the felling that the edge wasn't up to the task and aborted the idea before I started bleeding. I finished on these under the faucet to be sure there was no slurry on the stone. Any tips to get a little more out of the stone? Perhaps a few edge trailing passes?

There are tricks with a lot of stones. Some like circles, some like exaggerated Xs (striations oriente
Qpast 45* along the bevel), some edge trailing passes, some you actually want to kill the edge with an Extremely light jointing pass, then finish on the water...

In order I think I’d try:
1.linen strop before lightest finishing strokes, then again after final finish like any other stone
2. Add a drop or tiny finger dab of dawn or similar dish soap to the surface and mix with a few drops of water evenly then finish on that instead of running water.
3. If #2 helps noticeably some people try with lather on the stone.
4. Finish with just a few no pressure edge trailing Xs (after completely rinsing stone and blade)
5. Killthe edge as lightly as possible with a jointing pass prior to water only Xs.

Idk what else, that’s about all the weirdness I’ve had to go through with my stones personally. All that “become one with the stone” stuff is sort of true with Cotis IME... sometimes just by the time you’ve spent the hours honing to test different options, you suddenly start getting the edges you want with just normal honing and no tricks necessary even though you swear nothing changed.

 

[LJS]

Here are a few I have. Been waiting to lap some down and be at the bench to take some pics.

#1 - little 5”x1” - quite hard and glassy. Nice stone.

 

[LJS]

#2 - a little over 5 ¾” x 1 ¼”. Nice color and medium hardness for a coticule. The blue side is strange and releases like a synthetic with broken down binder. Came in old terrible box and I think was mined some time ago.