Fed up with la grise

[Krodor]

My la grise is eating my lunch. I've posted here a few times about it. Tried the Pacocot (accidentally) and it worked...once. Tried light slurry to running water directly...worked once, maybe twice. I can use it to go from glassed-killed edge to fantastically bevel set, but regardless of dilution speed, if I ever go from light light slurry (undercut nice) to water, game over: lose the undercut and edge is gone and I can't figure out how to finish on it. If I use warm water, it doesn't take much for it to visibly auto-slurry. Next up to try is freezing cold water after putting the rock in the freezer.

Tried going from light light slurry to soapy water or oil. In both cases the thing is so slow that it isn't even worth the time: even in a loupe nothing is happening.

What's the freakin' trick? I feel like I wasted a good load of cash on the rock, and I don't want to sell it as I wouldn't subject anyone else to it...that and there's always a possibility that I can figure it out in the future. I read all the love stories of coti edges, and I roll my eyes. I've heard of bum PHIGs (tried two myself, both work great) and I've heard that every coti can be figured out eventually. The ease of the devil's paper is just so...tempting...must...resist...

How do you deal with a soft coti / one that auto slurries?

 

[Graybeard57]

I'm DEFINITELY sticking with DE! I don't understand a word of your thread! Best of luck, though.

 

[Krodor]

I'm DEFINITELY sticking with DE! I don't understand a word of your thread! Best of luck, though.

Oh, don't let my whining separate you from the joy that is straight shaving. I'd never go back to anything else. This rambling is just worried about finer points of fine points of the hobby.

 

[Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt]

My la grise is eating my lunch. I've posted here a few times about it. Tried the Pacocot (accidentally) and it worked...once. Tried light slurry to running water directly...worked once, maybe twice. I can use it to go from glassed-killed edge to fantastically bevel set, but regardless of dilution speed, if I ever go from light light slurry (undercut nice) to water, game over: lose the undercut and edge is gone and I can't figure out how to finish on it. If I use warm water, it doesn't take much for it to visibly auto-slurry. Next up to try is freezing cold water after putting the rock in the freezer.

Tried going from light light slurry to soapy water or oil. In both cases the thing is so slow that it isn't even worth the time: even in a loupe nothing is happening.

What's the freakin' trick? I feel like I wasted a good load of cash on the rock, and I don't want to sell it as I wouldn't subject anyone else to it...that and there's always a possibility that I can figure it out in the future. I read all the love stories of coti edges, and I roll my eyes. I've heard of bum PHIGs (tried two myself, both work great) and I've heard that every coti can be figured out eventually. The ease of the devil's paper is just so...tempting...must...resist...

How do you deal with a soft coti / one that auto slurries?

I'm not one to answer your question. As you know I can "almost" get there with my La Grise. Most of the time finishing with CrOx. Once in a while the stars line up. Mine must be harder than yours, no auto-slurry. As a refresher for slightly less than perfect edges it does wonders on just water.

 

[Wid]

Maybe send it to someone here that consistently gets good coticule edges and see if they can get it to work on a regular basis.

 

[jkh]

Have you tried putting a Unicot edge on a razor? That will at least show you what the Coticule is capable of with very little drama.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I'm DEFINITELY sticking with DE! I don't understand a word of your thread! Best of luck, though.

Nah, come on over. You can have others hone your razor. We won't tempt you.







You do know that the last statement is a blatant lie?

 

[Krodor]

Have you tried putting a Unicot edge on a razor? That will at least show you what the Coticule is capable of with very little drama.

Yeah, tried that last night. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but it didn't work for me. That's what led to this call for help.

 

[Krodor]

Maybe send it to someone here that consistently gets good coticule edges and see if they can get it to work on a regular basis.

Thought about that, but didn't want to go through the "who here wants to volunteer time to help me"? thing.

But since it's out now, I'll pay shipping both ways CONUS if you feel you know enough about coticules to hone up a couple razors and figure this out and tell me. Can't budget more than that, tho...you'd be volunteering, though I might toss in some cash for a couple beers on me.

Here's a link to the pix of the rock:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...love-show-off-your-rock?p=4622419#post4622419

 

[Wid]

I'll be out of town till midweek next week. If no one else volunteers between now and then I'd be willing to give it a shot.

 

[jpcwon]

I'm having a tough time learning my La Grise as well. Although I am somewhat of a newbie when it comes to coticules, I have a few bouts that are harder stones and have much better luck with those. I kept hearing about how softer stones are easier to work with, but I find the opposite to be true. I have gotten some really good edges off of my bouts so I am fairly confident that I am able to get a good coticule edge. What gives with the La Grise??

 

[smalltank]

I'm in to give your coti a try to get an edge on my razor..or yours. ...judging from your picture links I didn't see any tape on the spine..I was told it gives a good indication how the edge sits on the surface..anyways....

 

[blackman]

I'm going through something similar with my la grise. I refuse to let it break me though. I'll figure it out...I hope.

 

[jkh]

Yeah, tried that last night. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but it didn't work for me. That's what led to this call for help.

Do your fantastically set bevel, I mean really mowing down arm hair at skin level with great ease. Rinse and wipe razor and apply one layer of electrical tape to spine (assumes bevel set without tape). Really rinse Coticule. Do 10 x-strokes with just a little pressure, not much. Rinse/wipe blade and rinse stone.

Now, do 10 x-strokes with just the weight of the razor, RINSE/WIPE everything, check HHT. Repeat this step until you are happy with HHT - you shouldn't have to repeat more than 4-5 times, abort mission after 10. I say shoot for HHT 3, but if you get a solid 2 go hit the linen and leather. Strop like you mean it!

Hope this helps. I have a La Grosse Blanche that gave me fits trying to bridge the keeness gap between slurry and finishing, this worked for me ... To at least prove what the stone was capable of doing.

 

[Gamma]

Could be a few things going on here - but if that was my situation, I'd try finishing under cool not cold running water.
Stone on an angle, water hitting stone.
I wouldn't freeze the stone.

But first - did you try shaving with the edge at the light light slurry stage before you lost the undercut?

 

[Puerco]

I was having the same problem with my la grise, it seemed like I was going backwards all the time.
What works for me is applying more pressure, you know how much pressure you use on a eraser wiping out a line of text on paper? That's about the pressure I'm talking about. I lighten up when it's almost ready but never "just the weight of the razor".
You can also try finishing on a "hint of slurry" (one or two rubs with the slurry stone) instead of plain water, the slurry of a la grise has less of that dulling effect that faster coticules have.
Play around with it, if you find a way that works for you and your la grise you'll be rewarded with the smoothest edges you could wish for.
Good luck!!!

 

[Drybonz]

Could be a few things going on here - but if that was my situation, I'd try finishing under cool not cold running water.

I was going to make this suggestion as well. Your stone might be releasing some slurry while you try to finish that is dulling your blade.

 

[Proinsias]

I've not got anything that soft. I have used the method of dipping the razor in a glass of water every 10 strokes or so to try and get the best from the slurry. Hopefully Gary will drop by and share some of his coticule wisdom.

 

[gary haywood]

My la grise is out at the moment. i no one thing there softer than i'm use to. slower on slurry which is'nt problem as i can easily bring back predulled bevel. they don't seem to slurry dull with heavy slurry, sem very slow with water .. great stone to use and they feel lovely..i only tryed mine athew times and i spent ages trying to improve hht i eventualy got a 3/4 but to close to holding point..i test shave any how..razor shaved but lacked smootness oviously because i lacked some keeness...HHT as it was i thought that would be the case..other than than that its been a struggle .. i have sent mine out to two memebers. one memeber sent it back and did'nt have success and got alittle frustarted...the other meber still has my stone ..he sent my puma back to me honed on la grise and and unfortunatly the razor shaved very badly literaly pulled and was not nice , yet he says he had afantastic shave from one of his razors..So thats good news. when i get mine back i'm going to realy give it agood go...

I have so far tryed pressure medium and heavy..No differance .... light pressure no differance ...Not tryed using circles that may help,i'll have to see. I also tryed dilucot. i also try slurry untill shaving arm hair well and then straight to water no diluting and results were same as dilutions, so maybe thats a good method to try.. Infact i'm thinking of just honing on slurry untill razor is shaving arm hair well..test shave ?? half face .. then lets see if water strokes improves. so then you work with half strokes on water finish with 50 x strokes on water shave the other half of your face and see if te la grise is acatuly doing much on water you will be able to tell by shaving?? It may just be that the la grise is doing jack with water honing thats why people think there going backwards . i think that will be agood test to see how the la grise picks up edge with water only from just slurry... It seems like most of us are struggling with the newer la grise and there are a lot of them around at the mo. jarrad must be able to shed some light better than most as e has loads of them .

gary

 

[gary haywood]

Yeah, tried that last night. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but it didn't work for me. That's what led to this call for help.

try two layers oftape on spine that may work i somtimes find one is'nt enough