I have been honing and using straight razors for a little more than 6 months. I have tried a number of different finishing options. Shapton Pro 12k, CNat, JNat, Black Ark, Translucent Ark, Jasper, CBN, Diamond Paste, etc. But I keep coming back to coticules. I like that you can go from bevel set to finish to with one stone. I like that I get an edge that is plenty sharp to shave but extremely smooth and unlikely to cut my face. I now have 4 different vintage coticules in my collection. And I decided it was time to do a little comparison to see how each performed relative to the others. Some of you may have seen this on the razor thread on KKF. I will be going more in depth and have more thoughts, info, pics, and vids to share about my journey here.
I honed up a dozen razors. 3 razors for each coticule. I picked razors that were in good vintage shape. They came from my "No Major Issues" box. Which means they can just be cleaned and honed and used. Some have wonky bevels/chips/minor pitting or blemishes. But nothing that will affect shaving that can't be fixed on the stones. I did three razors on each coticule. Each razor has had the bevel fixed and set with the Shapton Pro 1500. After that each got the exact same progression, just with different coticules.
Honing Progression
Dilucot - 3 rounds, diminishing pressure as I go. All edge leading on the hones and edge trailing on the strops
1. Medium slurry generated by the other coticules - 50 laps
2. Dilute by 1/2 - 50 laps
3. Flood with fresh water, drop of propylene glycol - 50 laps
4. Plain linen strop - 50 laps
5. Horsehide Shell Strop - 50 laps
Coticule #1
This is my fastest coticule. It is a natural combination with a Belgian blue. The feedback of this coticule, both tactile and audio, is kind of grainy. And there is a visible grain structure to the stone. There are faint traces of the blue material visible in layers from the side view. There is also a line of blue material that seems to have seeped into the yellow material at some point during formation. At first glance it looks like a crack but you can't feel it with a fingertip, fingernail, or while honing. The size is 6 X 1 3/8". At first, I was unable to get quality edges off of this stone like I could off of the Shapton Pro 12K or my Arkansas stones. But gradually, my technique improved. The edges still don't feel especially sharp, but they effortlessly get the job done. I think that this coticule pairs especially well with heavier grinds. It would not be my preference for finishing something that was very hollow. Bevel setting is definitely possible on this stone. It would be quite slow for fixing repairs, but for a coticule it is quite quick. For the mid grit to pre finishing stage, this is the best stone I own. Here are some pictures.
Coticule #2 - 4 3/4 X 1 1/4"
This was the second vintage coticule I purchased. It is a glued combination with BBW. It is slightly smaller but still a fairly convenient size for razors. No visible grain. Surface is kind of blotchy though. Patches where there is more yellow, blue, or pink. Smoother feedback, not as much feeling of bite. Lower pitch sound, more muffled. Generally I like the edges off this one better but I like the first one for the rest of the honing process due to sheer speed. I am not sure how hardness/softness relate to the fineness/coarseness with coticules. But this one feels finer and softer than the first one.
Stay Tuned. More to come.
I honed up a dozen razors. 3 razors for each coticule. I picked razors that were in good vintage shape. They came from my "No Major Issues" box. Which means they can just be cleaned and honed and used. Some have wonky bevels/chips/minor pitting or blemishes. But nothing that will affect shaving that can't be fixed on the stones. I did three razors on each coticule. Each razor has had the bevel fixed and set with the Shapton Pro 1500. After that each got the exact same progression, just with different coticules.
Honing Progression
Dilucot - 3 rounds, diminishing pressure as I go. All edge leading on the hones and edge trailing on the strops
1. Medium slurry generated by the other coticules - 50 laps
2. Dilute by 1/2 - 50 laps
3. Flood with fresh water, drop of propylene glycol - 50 laps
4. Plain linen strop - 50 laps
5. Horsehide Shell Strop - 50 laps
Coticule #1
This is my fastest coticule. It is a natural combination with a Belgian blue. The feedback of this coticule, both tactile and audio, is kind of grainy. And there is a visible grain structure to the stone. There are faint traces of the blue material visible in layers from the side view. There is also a line of blue material that seems to have seeped into the yellow material at some point during formation. At first glance it looks like a crack but you can't feel it with a fingertip, fingernail, or while honing. The size is 6 X 1 3/8". At first, I was unable to get quality edges off of this stone like I could off of the Shapton Pro 12K or my Arkansas stones. But gradually, my technique improved. The edges still don't feel especially sharp, but they effortlessly get the job done. I think that this coticule pairs especially well with heavier grinds. It would not be my preference for finishing something that was very hollow. Bevel setting is definitely possible on this stone. It would be quite slow for fixing repairs, but for a coticule it is quite quick. For the mid grit to pre finishing stage, this is the best stone I own. Here are some pictures.
Coticule #2 - 4 3/4 X 1 1/4"
This was the second vintage coticule I purchased. It is a glued combination with BBW. It is slightly smaller but still a fairly convenient size for razors. No visible grain. Surface is kind of blotchy though. Patches where there is more yellow, blue, or pink. Smoother feedback, not as much feeling of bite. Lower pitch sound, more muffled. Generally I like the edges off this one better but I like the first one for the rest of the honing process due to sheer speed. I am not sure how hardness/softness relate to the fineness/coarseness with coticules. But this one feels finer and softer than the first one.
Stay Tuned. More to come.