finishing stage..halfstroke or Xstroke

[stalker]

hello! do you ever tested, which of this two combination, are better for the finishing stage??

 

[wdwrx]

Stalker,
I've followed the advice found here all over this site that recommends a set or two of half-strokes followed by lots of very light x-strokes when going to the water finish stage.

Cheers,
-Chris

 

[tat2Ralfy]

Thats bang on Chris, you can do half strokes, but need to finish on regular strokes, I tend to do my mine with the full weight of the blade btw, I have never found a very light touch works for me on the Coticule.

Hope this helps and best regards
Ralfson (On Holiday)

 

[wdwrx]

Ralfy buddy! Good to see you back from ... where ever

It hasn't been the same around here while you were on vacation!

Cheers,
-Chris

 

[jkh]

Thats bang on Chris, you can do half strokes, but need to finish on regular strokes, I tend to do my mine with the full weight of the blade btw, I have never found a very light touch works for me on the Coticule.

Hope this helps and best regards
Ralfson (On Holiday)

I thought it was typical to only use the weight of the blade when doing final/finishing x-strokes. Are "light" stokes using less than the weight of the blade?

 

[Paul]

I work my way from kinda heavy x strokes to weight of the blade only to less than the weight of the blade when finishing. I rarely do use half-strokes unless I'm going back to the stone after not quite getting satisfactory results... don't pay attention to Ralfy, he says Pip Pip all the time... What can he know? :

 

[wdwrx]

Jeremy, I find that I seem to turn out my nicest edges when I start with regular pressured 1/2 strokes for the first set, but I try to lighten up as I near completion. I've been trying to finish with my very lightest x-strokes, done as quickly and smoothly as i can. I do about 4 sets of ten 1/2 strokes, (1/2 of my normal 20 strokes per set) clearing the hone in between.
Sometimes I think (worry) I'm using too much pressure, I will admit that I think that that's the area I need to finesse. It's the pressure that confounds me.
Maybe the more experienced guys will pipe up.

Edit: I see they already did! I really got to learn to type faster....

 

[garyhaywood]

finishing . i always rinse hone at the end. i then do a set of half stroke. then i clean and rub hone clean again , and perform another set of half strokes. i then finish with x pattern light strokes or just enough pressure to keep blade on hone and keep a nice stroke going. i finish with 30 to 100 laps .then linen/leather done

 

[RicTic]

finishing . i always rinse hone at the end. i then do a set of half stroke. then i clean and rub hone clean again , and perform another set of half strokes. i then finish with x pattern light strokes or just enough pressure to keep blade on hone and keep a nice stroke going. i finish with 30 to 100 laps .then linen/leather done

This was the advice you gave me the other day, which I put into practice just last night. (Along with watching the slurry through dilution, but that's another story)
And with resting the hone for a while after the last set of half strokes (any particular reason for this?), just before the final finishing set of x strokes.
It worked a treat. Smoothest shave I've had off dilucot yet!
Admittedly, only the second time ever with success at dilucot : , but that's two in a row now and the results last night were amazing.

 

[garyhaywood]

i would say your watching slurry now instead of counting laps and diluting to often. plus keeping slurry on your hone. i find when i get down to real milky slurry thats the time to work at that level with a thew more sets . This gets the the edge up to max sharpness at that level of slurry. if you skip through it to soon you will loose some keeness, and not gain back that keenes as your slurry as lost it power to refine. As for resting it just became a habbit due to my hybrid side being a little to sticky. after resting my hone looses that stickiness and i'm able to perform nicer lighter stroke with out any interuption of jittering or sticky spots. Plus i think all the garnets of settled back and the surface is able to realy polish. I'm glad it all coming together for you. a good coticule edge is realy smooth don't you agree:thumbup:

 

[RicTic]

I'm glad it all coming together for you. a good coticule edge is realy smooth don't you agree:thumbup:

Smoother than I ever imagined. It took me by surprise to be honest.
I'm going to hone another razor from dulling tonight, just to prove I didn't fluke it and to keep the advice fresh in my head while putting it into practice. Then I'll know I've nailed it.

Your "Keep your eye on the slurry. It's all about the slurry!" Should be a forum slogan Gary.
That piece of advice helped me to turn the corner, so to speak. :thumbup:

 

[garyhaywood]

I'm glad it all coming together for you. a good coticule edge is realy smooth don't you agree:thumbup:

Smoother than I ever imagined. It took me by surprise to be honest.
I'm going to hone another razor from dulling tonight, just to prove I didn't fluke it and to keep the advice fresh in my head while putting it into practice. Then I'll know I've nailed it.

Your "Keep your eye on the slurry. It's all about the slurry!" Should be a forum slogan Gary.
That piece of advice helped me to turn the corner, so to speak. :thumbup:

have you tryed hybrid side yet? dave i remember the first time i got an ultra smooth edge on my silver wing. It was the best ever edge i ever experianced,i could only match it now and then. That was with the old method. with the back and forth strokes i match it 8/10 . I remember thinking this is a magical edge now i no why coticules can and do acheive a super fine edge.

 

[RicTic]

have you tryed hybrid side yet?

Yeah. Last nights was done on the hybrid only.
The previous night was creamy side and flipped to hybrid for finishing. Obviously quicker.
Tonight's session will be on the hybrid again.

 

[Bart]

Nothing but perfect advice here. :thumbup:

Bart.

 

[Disburden]

finishing . i always rinse hone at the end. i then do a set of half stroke. then i clean and rub hone clean again , and perform another set of half strokes. i then finish with x pattern light strokes or just enough pressure to keep blade on hone and keep a nice stroke going. i finish with 30 to 100 laps .then linen/leather done

What do ya know, Gary, me too!

 

[DJKELLY]

Thats bang on Chris, you can do half strokes, but need to finish on regular strokes, I tend to do my mine with the full weight of the blade btw, I have never found a very light touch works for me on the Coticule.

Hope this helps and best regards
Ralfson (On Holiday)

I think the pressure of X-strokes can be a trap with the coticule exactly as it is with the strop. You can put tons of pressure on the spine and just sweetly torque the edge into the hone. Or vice versa, though not recommended. Just do whatever it takes to get Gary's smooth stroke. I hear someone already typing that will cause undue spine wear, but it is all relative (existential even--my new tag word). Once one gets the feel of superfine abrasion going on at the edge, he is very close to breaking the code. When this feel is recognized, and you learn to read your stone's slurry, you will no longer need to count strokes or dilutions.

Sincerely, Denny