Interesting Discovery

[justalex]

The BBW seems to work the best for refreshing the surface. I tried my ozuku, but it seems like you would have to lap it alot longer to have any effect being a smoother stone, I only lapped for 10 minutes which I guess for a refresh should be enough. I didn't see any difference.

Great tip Nick, its an integral part to my finishing process now (officially add to dilucot maybe?) and for the first time after stropping I have semi consistent, silently falling hairs from my razors, a HHT4-5, nicest edges I have ever gotten from my razors.

happy finishing, Alex

 

[Deckard]

I tried this for the first time, coming to this thread late.
I can tell from hht that the price of poka has just gone up:O
This is embarassing now, every time I e mail Gary I use superlatives of some sort.
I'm losing credibility, thanks Nick, this is great stuff.
Will shave next Sunday night with this edge.

Joe:thumbup:

 

[Paul]

I have 3 Puma Inox blades and they all shave great. I honed two of them on my LPB, Bart honed one on an unknown (to me) stone... Strangeness

 

[Bart]

I have 3 Puma Inox blades and they all shave great. I honed two of them on my LPB, Bart honed one on an unknown (to me) stone... Strangeness

I don't recall, but it could be one of the soon to be published to the Vault Coticules. If you really want to know, I can check some notes and seen of your Puma turns up somewhere.

Considering the original topic, I think if you really want to know about surface refreshing and what particular tool to use for it, I think you must base conclusions on more than just a good shave. I'm not saying this to dismiss anyone's ideas here. But I've had so many "breakthroughs" with special techniques that I couldn't recreate in a controlled manner afterwards, that I've lost count.
You could try to sharpen 2 identical razors to the same level. Next give one 50 laps extra on a non-refreshed surface, and the other 50 laps extra on the refreshed surface with a BBW stone. See if you can notice a difference between both edges. If you can, send the razors to a friend, and let him figure out blindly which one shaves best.

Sometimes, I get a stellar edge that pushes the envelope just a tad further, without doing anything different than before. Sometimes it happens after a small adjustment. It's easy to attribute it to the adjustment. And it's definitely worthwhile to report it on our forum here, so we can all try that particular adjustment sometime. :thumbup:

Best regards,
Bart.

 

[danjared]

At least a couple of times, I'll use a stone for the first time and get amazingly sharp and smooth results as if something miraculous happened. I'll use the stone for a second time and utterly suck at using it. So, I'd have to agree with what Bart said. There are so many different factors to account for.

 

[justalex]

my coti swarfs up at the edges. In my case its really useful for finishing as when I've finished the slurry stages it leaves it a dark orange when it should be a pale yellow.

I think as Bart says, it depends on your stone, razor, technique, etc, but I've noticed easier finishing with this method, especially when refreshing with the BBW after every 50 laps or so. Not necessarily pushing the keenness or smoothness envelopes - in my case anyways - but then again, I don't have the skill that other members have, but from a beginners point of view, it feels easier to get a HHT

 

[garyhaywood]

thye bbw slurry stone defanatley made my lv surface feel much better, i get swarf around the very corners, that does'nt rub of to well, so using a slurry stone cleans my surface up. It is true you get a good shave and one will thik , ah it must be because i did this or that, i try every trick in the book if need be, i even strop and then go back to the stone i'll rpeat , and i do get better hhts in some cases. there are ways and means , you have to just get the best hht you can , and the shave may well be one of best.

gary

 

[Disburden]

Does anyone know why you're getting swarf on the stones? I never had a coticule that did this before until I got my La Veinette two weeks ago...

 

[garyhaywood]

i'm getting it on my lv from two weeks ago. its just collects around the corners? its happend on other s i have ie leslat yellow side. i'd like to no why and how and if it means slow or faster on water?this is one for bart as i have not a clue.

gary

 

[Paul]

Thanks for the offer, Bart, but I don't care... I've never really cared

I agree with your statement too about attributing success to things that don't turn out to be as repeatable as I *thought* they were

Swarf, I get it on occasion, but it comes off very easily unlike the way my Shaptons clog.

 

[justalex]

I've been rubbing the swarf at the corners off with my hand under the tap. I used to use the slurry stone but then that gave me swarf further into the centre of the coti because it made low points around the edges so I just use my hand now and have had a much easier time honing.

I'm confused with the darkening from yellow to orange, because I thought it would just go black with honing, but I don't really mind why it happens, I'm happy if it gives me a HHT 2-3 off the stone, if it needs to change colour to do it, oh well

 

[Emmanuel]

Emmanuel was mentioning that several times and I noticed this difference, too. If you give your coticule several rubs with another coticule and rinse it, before proceeding on only water, it gets a little refreshed. Surely provides a better feedback and Emmanuel also claims it improves the ability to squeeze more from the stone during the final laps.

cheers,
Matt

Exactly . I was mentioning many times before that is necessary to refresh the surface with a slurry stone or by another coticule before proceeding on water. This wakes the garnets ,cleans the surface
of swarfs pushing the edge keenness openly.
Best regars
Emmanuel