I'm Very Afraid

[Tomo]

If all you’re looking for is a smooth face, you don’t need much gear. You can do that very cheaply. If at some point you discover an interest for shaving and honing, then there’s a lot to explore.

I think most people start here simply looking for a good shave, myself included. It’s a big mental shift to go from that to hobbyist/collector status. Admitting that to yourself is a strange thing too. Straight razors is kind of a weird hobby but thanks to B&B it doesn’t have to be a lonely one.

The good news is that you can start small and build up slowly. If you’re open to spending a few hundred bucks every few months, you’ll soon have a massive collection of toys to play with. There aren’t many big ticket items in this hobby and there are plenty of options to cater for every budget. Having more stuff than you need can seem wasteful until you realise that vintage stones and razors don’t deprecate much, if at all. Buying, selling and trading is all part of the fun for a rock hound.

 

[Rosseforp]

For me coticules and Arkansas stone go really well together

Yep.

~doug~

 

[jbro44]

I've never used a Jnat, so I'm afraid to try one in case I get addicted to yet another expensive habit lol. I love the results I'm getting from a combination of Belgian and Arkansas stones. I use a diamond hone to correct damaged or improperly beveled edges, if necessary, then I go to a soft Arkansas, followed by a Belgian blue. My finishing stone, after a coticule, is a surgical black Arkansas. But my theory about what makes a good finishing stone is that it seems to depend on how one uses the stones before it. In my case I think that the coticule can be an excellent finisher, but the black Ark, maybe because it's very slow, gives me a sort of fine tuning effect without undoing what the coticule accomplished. But then that's me, my hands, my habits, good and bad, and it might be different for someone else. I might be missing out on the joys of Jnats, but I strongly suspect that one can achieve the same result in a variety of ways and if you're getting great results then you are not missing anything.

 

[Rosseforp]

In my case I think that the coticule can be an excellent finisher, but the black Ark, maybe because it's very slow, gives me a sort of fine tuning effect without undoing what the coticule accomplished.

I always follow my coticule with an ark.

~doug~

 

[GreazyThumbs]

To keep things simple, if you have a good JNAT and nagura you should not need or want for anything else. You have all that you need to create a sharp and comfortable edge and can tune with slurry thickness and or final nagura selections. That being said, here are my thoughts for the most common Stones:

• Random Coticule - Good for grunt work and pre-finish, can find one that will also finish if lucky.
• Escher - Mindless and consistent results, normally great finishers. Have some range with slurry
• JNATs - Versatile and fun to use with Nagura and TOMO to customize your edges. A good one will produce great edges.
• Black Arks - One trick pony, best natural finisher of the bunch. Has no range.
• Thuri (Escher) = Good JNAT = Exceptional Coticule < Black / Translucent Ark

If you wanted to branch out, I would recommend a Les Lat Coticule. You can set a bevel and prefinish on the coticule side, then finish on the Hybrid Side normally with glycerine or oil. This would give you the best of both worlds and very similar to a Coticule and Ark combo, but in a one stone system. You can also try just the coticule side for a sharp yet comfortable edge. Good Luck.

 

[Kentos]

It’s blasphemous in these circles, but I had results with a hard base Jnat and a spritz of CBN as a slurry. I think it was .25. Interestingly it not only polished the edge but also polished the Jnat. YMMV.

 

[Empire straights]

I always follow my coticule with an ark.

~doug~

My travel kit is a whole pile of different types of coticules(one glued to a Pyrenees and one 4" green label hard ark slip stone. I can sharpen anything with that case. If you ever find a coticule that feels like glass on water(not pictured) or one with a bbw that's similar, you can skip the ark. The boxed one is a les lat.

 

[Empire straights]

To keep things simple, if you have a good JNAT and nagura you should not need or want for anything else. You have all that you need to create a sharp and comfortable edge and can tune with slurry thickness and or final nagura selections. That being said, here are my thoughts for the most common Stones:

• Random Coticule - Good for grunt work and pre-finish, can find one that will also finish if lucky.
• Escher - Mindless and consistent results, normally great finishers. Have some range with slurry
• JNATs - Versatile and fun to use with Nagura and TOMO to customize your edges. A good one will produce great edges.
• Black Arks - One trick pony, best natural finisher of the bunch. Has no range.
• Thuri (Escher) = Good JNAT = Exceptional Coticule < Black / Translucent Ark

If you wanted to branch out, I would recommend a Les Lat Coticule. You can set a bevel and prefinish on the coticule side, then finish on the Hybrid Side normally with glycerine or oil. This would give you the best of both worlds and very similar to a Coticule and Ark combo, but in a one stone system. You can also try just the coticule side for a sharp yet comfortable edge. Good Luck.

But what if I just want to play with rocks? I've got those options but you'd be surprised at what you can come up with pairing unconventional stones.

 

[Rosseforp]

My travel kit is a whole pile of different types of coticules(one glued to a Pyrenees and one 4" green label hard ark slip stone. I can sharpen anything with that case. If you ever find a coticule that feels like glass on water(not pictured) or one with a bbw that's similar, you can skip the ark. The boxed one is a les lat. View attachment 1545941View attachment 1545942

I watched a video where a BBW was used to build the slurry on a Coticule to finish the edge. I'm still learning my coticules as the pile is growing. Very interesting stones. I find it hard to beat my trans ark though.

~doug~

 

[Empire straights]

I watched a video where a BBW was used to build the slurry on a Coticule to finish the edge. I'm still learning my coticules as the pile is growing. Very interesting stones. I find it hard to beat my trans ark though.

~doug~

Your not going to find many stones that will get finer than an actual hard ark(trans/black). If you've got a fine bbw and use it to build slurry on a harder coticule it'll polish the bevel more than coticule slurry. A light bbw slurry can also be used to put teeth on a knife edge that's too smooth(though sharp).

 

[Rosseforp]

If you've got a fine bbw and use it to build slurry on a harder coticule it'll polish the bevel more than coticule slurry.

Yes, that what the video was showing, and I am able to get some of my coticule edges to tree top, but I haven't quite got my coticule edges comfortable yet. I can get a nice shave off my12k naniwa, but the trans improves it just a touch.

~doug~

 

[Empire straights]

Yes, that what the video was showing, and I am able to get some of my coticule edges to tree top, but I haven't quite got my coticule edges comfortable yet. I can get a nice shave off my12k naniwa, but the trans improves it just a touch.

~doug~

With your set up(from what I see) you could push the coticule until it's maxed out then put lather on it and push it farther. If your bbw is really fine you can do some quick, *VERY* light circles then 10 x-strokes. If it is finer than your coticule and you do those x- strokes on water, then lighter on lather, then lighter on mineral oil.... you might end up with an edge that feels VERY Much like an ark finished edge. AFTER you go through all that bothersome trouble(if you pulled this off correctly), now hit up that translucent for 30-50 feather weight laps on mineral oil and you'll have something that could make a scalpel cry but still smooth enough you'd be willing to drag it across your face.

 

[Wid]

Just one more to add to the list. I have every stone mentioned here and have to add the Water of Ayr to the list if one wants a fantastic stone that gives a very keen edge with a coti like smoothness.

I dare say it is like if a black Arkansas and an Escher had a baby. Not the easiest stone to find but worth it if one does.

 

[Tomo]

Just one more to add to the list. I have every stone mentioned here and have to add the Water of Ayr to the list if one wants a fantastic stone that gives a very keen edge with a coti like smoothness.

I dare say it is like if a black Arkansas and an Escher had a baby. Not the easiest stone to find but worth it if one does.

That’s high praise for a stone that we don’t hear very much about.

 

[Wid]

That’s high praise for a stone that we don’t hear very much about.

Indeed

 

[Tomo]

Indeed

Sounds like I need another stone.