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new findings/coticule.

garyhaywood

Well-Known Member
the last three years i have ben honing on coticules. probably longer. i'm still trying differant ways on my coticules and this is what i have found.

I have tryed alot of layers not all.they all give similar results. they cut at differant rate with slurry, depending on layer. they all seem to leave the same smooth forgiving edge.I also found that you get realy get stuck in with a coticule . there is less chance of a cuts , due to forgiving edge. as we all no they leave no if hardly any iriation.

I have found they have been frustartingat times. I also found i have had the best smoothest shave from just a hone alone has given me..this is what adicted me to coticules.I also had the worst ever shaves , when i got my first ever coticule. Due to barts giudence they improved imemncly. As of today i have repeatable shave ready edges on my first honing . that may be a good shave or a magical.

i have found some layer that have been expected to be easy , not all ways the case. i've gone back to that same coticule six months later. I have tryed again and had an amazing shave, why i don't no, this is just how it goes. May be six months more practice made a differance.


I have also found a HHT of a thick or medium hair of the mainly thick hair that grabs and catches on the edge and breaks in half .this will always give a shave ready razor on a scale of good very good or wow!.

I have also found a HHT of the strop at level 5, can be and has been to crispy. i've normaly acheived this by doing way to much work on water.

I have found the shaves can be absalutley efortless, going through stubble like its not there. I also find there can be minimal resistants, with a coticule edge, but still very smooth and extra forgiving with this kind of edge. By this i mean you can push the blade along with out any pain or discomfort, and still get a close shave with out any sting with a alum block

Now strops. there is no dout in my mind that linen works very well for me after a coticule honing. leather does'nt seem to differ. so long as your comfotable with the leaher your using that all that matters. I like a light to medium draw , even slick . i don't lick heavy draw its not nice for me to strop on.

as of this week i've been doing dilucot on my lpb.i always start with a slurry that milky to coffe cream. its always worked well.

So i had ago starting out with literaly skimmed milk like slurry. just like i poured skimmed milk on the hone. ralfy mentioned this so i listend and i tryed. the results have been very good indeed. i found i was'nt removingto much metal and not needing may dilutions, as my slurry stated of very thin. at the end of the day i got the bevel set from dull and finished the razor and got the same result. the hht was a desent 3 of the hone and gave me a good shave with minimal resitances and absalutley no iritation with a total of 4 passes 2 of agtg .

not amazing hht of my lpb but sill a very good shave and very close. just such a forgiving shave. i shape my border line s up with a shavette . just in doing that i hae two red marks eith side on my temple. I did four passes with a coticule edge and i have no redness . Now thats the differnance between a shavettee and a straight razor honed on a coticule.


i do like the use of TI pate on a paddle or cotton strop. for some reason it does seem to work well after a coticule wheather you need it or not. if there is any room for improvemant , you should only need 10 to 20 laps . i have noticed a differnace and there is times many times when i have not. the ti pate leaves a smooth edge that is in my opinion very similar to a coticule edge . it helped me out when needed . i still have it around on my travel paddle .

there s loads of stuff i probably missed but its bee a great jourey . One of the things i got to mention is i also met and spoke to some spot on lads . Who have done some nice favours , helped me out and vice the versa and thats what i think has been great . the coticule trip was a great weekend and somthing i hope we can do again somtime.

regards gary
 
What a nice post, Gary!

For those that do not know, Gary and Ralfy have done a lot behind the scenes helping me with my honing, and providing great information on everything straight razor related, and life in general.
These gentlemen are selfless with their time, generous with their hard won knowledge and are the best Ambassadors of the coticule, and straight razor shaving in general, that I've come across..

Meeting Gary has been entirely my pleasure, and he deserves whatever good comes his way... Likewise, my good friend Dr. Ralfson.
 
Nice recounting experiences Garry.Please remember my words,for my opinion you are too close to the point that will begin to quarrel with your strops considering them unable to improve your edge leaving from your coticule.
Best regards
Emmanuel
 
Thank you bill,paul and emanuel. It has been a pleasure. i still ask for advice and apreciate any advice that comes my way. Its good to share our experiances and pass them on. some may work some may not , but it all helps . i always listen and learn , thats how i became a barber. i was cutting hair in a shop at sixteen years old . i learn't by watching. Learning to hone was'nt as easy as i had to learn with out watching .apart from the odd video. it takes time and patients and you have to enjoy what you do.that way you will sukseed . I'd like to hear how some of the newer guys are finding there coticules are shaping up?

regards gary
 
That's a great post, Gary, and I think it sums up perfectly what sharpening razors of a Coticule is all about.

Your observance about skimmed milk is spot on. I must note however, that you likely honing a razor that already had an impeccable bevel go start with. All my razors ever see for sharpening is a Coticule or BBW, and the most they ever need to get them back in peak performance is what I call a "power touch-up". For that I just start with thin slurry, what you call skimmed milk, probably even a bit thinner. I might even pre-dull, just out of habit, and have the razor shaving at its best in no time. But the razors I receive for the free honing service usually have bevels that require more work, and for that, I like the slurry to be a bit heavier.

I also like to note that the methods in the sharpening academy are designed to work with all Coticules in all circumstances. But I think it's great when somebody develops a personal style and methods for honing with his Coticule, and it's certainly good to post about it over here. I don't always have time to follow up new experiments, mostly because I'm either need to stick with standardized methods for testing Coticules (new Vault additions are in the pipe-line) or because I'm occupied with experiments of my own, (lately, it has been the search for finding a universal approach for the BBW, that doesn't require tape. And I'm also still searching to figure out why surface coating sometimes works and sometimes not, even if it has for many no direct purpose ).

But if you, or anyone else for that matter, thinks he has a universally applicable method, please turn it into an article. We'll put the Research Team at work to confirm the results and publish the article for the benefit of all.

Kind regards,
Bart.
 
I totaly agree . for more power on a less bevel. you, i would need slight more slurry. I've removed chips with my lpb many a time . I used slurry that was functional while in use but a little heavier. Infact i use my lpb slurry stone to remove a chip at the toe, i found that handy.
gary
 
Gary wrote: "it takes time and patients and you have to enjoy what you do. That way you will succeed . I'd like to hear how some of the newer guys are finding there coticules are shaping up?"

About a month ago I had the opportunity to obtain two hones (LD & LGB), started to use the easiest one to learn (LD), I practised a bunch with some old razors, Unicot is not that difficult to do, but I'm intrigued with the Dilucot method, not much consistent luck so far, sometimes it works out ok, other times not. As expected, I'm not disappointed at all, it can only get better. Thanks for the interesting reading Gary!

btw. Just had someone over to buy some 4/8" razors (was a gift but I don't use them), he talked about all the hones he had and the progressions he uses, I showed him the coticules and he is interested, maybe he'll join the forum. His son makes knives and razors and he himself has worked a long time in the leather industry. Makes his own strops and such. Greets Ron
 
Thanks Gary for this very nice post. It seems you have closed the loop.
Personnaly each experiment or advice shared by you or other members either help me to better understand the "standard" procedure or to try something that could suit me better.

Regards

Laurent
 
Absolutely wonderful Gary :thumbup:

I cannot thank you enough for posting this, its just how it has been and continues to be for me too, its a great pleasure to both give and receive help and advice, I simply put it down to sharing experiences and observations :)

Regards
Ralfson (Dr)
 
Hi Gary,
I enjoyed your posts and answers. You have given me a little better understanding of the process. I have been honing and shaving with my edges for about 7 months. I learn more from each posting and the differing manners of presenting the information. Each person's choice of words and their "take" on the subject improves my knowledge, and more importantly, my hand eye skills! I have been lucky to be able to shave comfortably with some less than perfect edges. I got my first real HHT3 Saturday evening and it was a pleasure!
Thanks for keeping us up to date!
Respectfully
~Richard
 
Thank you Gary!

I bought my first razor from Gary in 2009. Tried the free honing service, and kept it as a reference for my honing efforts. I usually go with the Unicot method, because it literally works from the 1rst try for me.

The hone makes no difference. I have two cotis, one fast and one slow, and maybe someday will sell one of them (you only need one).

If stropped correctly, a good edge will last a long time. I have to re-hone only after few months (with some touch-ups in between).

Thanks to all the folks in this forum.

Regards,

/d
 
That's a great post, Donald, IMHO. For some reason, the Unicot remains to be underutilized. In fact, when I'm teaching people to use a coticule, I often show it to them after showing the dilucot method. That's really a disservice, I think. The Unicot technique works, and it has for me from the start...
 
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