ShavingUniverse.com

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

New member

Andreas63

Well-Known Member
Hi!
Andreas63-New to the forum :)

Last month I “stumbled” on Coticule.be and I started to read more about Coticules…I got very curious and I sent my favorite Dovo razor to Bart for honing. Excellent service :thumbup:

I’ve been shaving with straight razors honed with Naniwa Superstones &CrOx....
I got the razor back on Friday and I shaved directly with it on Saturday.

I’m 47 years old and my beard looks and feels like “barbwire”: if Gillette used me for one of their commercials they would go bankrupted...

The razor honed by Bart gave me a very pleasant shaving experience. Thank you again Bart! No nicks or cuts – not a single microscopic one. And the best of all: no razor burn at all...it’s difficult to explain but I did not feel that a razor had passed on my face several times. When you have a very thick and coarse beard it’s always a tough match…but not this time.

Same positive experience this morning :lol:

I enclose some pictures of my new and first coti (I bought it from RMA Tools in Italy, 200 x 50mm, standard quality, a lot of lapping work had to be done on this stone but now is ok) …what do you think?

I have a lot of razors at home…a lot of work has to be done soon: I’ll start with Unicot and let you know!

Best regards,

Andreas


http://www.ladda-upp.com/bilder/32315/coticule
http://www.ladda-upp.com/bilder/32316/coticule-26slurry
 
Welcome Andreas.

All the best with the coticule you bought. May it put amazing edges on your razors. :thumbup:

I really should send a razor to Bart for honing. It would be nice to have a well-honed razor to use as a standard.:)
 
yohannrjm said:
I really should send a razor to Bart for honing. It would be nice to have a well-honed razor to use as a standard.:)
Do it! Unfortunately I deteriorated mine before I had a chance to try. :cry:
I propose to extend International System of Units with a new SI derived unit of sharpeness.
We just need to invent a name and the formula. The International Prototype we already have. :thumbup:
 
yohannrjm said:
Welcome Andreas.

All the best with the coticule you bought. May it put amazing edges on your razors. :thumbup:

I really should send a razor to Bart for honing. It would be nice to have a well-honed razor to use as a standard.:)

Many thanks :)
 
I have to report that m first Unicot try was not succesful :(

Ok, I have create bevel (it looks nice) on my test razor, an Heljestrand nr.7, but it does not shave arm hair yet...I've done the 30 laps with slurry at least 7 times... it only shaves "some hairs"...not as in Bart's Unicot video.

A question: I have a lot of slurry when I start but during the X-strokes (15 to 20) it just dry out...the stone feels dry too...should I add some drops of water during the process?

In Bart's video one can see that the slurry darken due to the fact that metal is removed from the blade...I cannot see the same on my coti...the slurry turns grey, only light grey from white...but I have a bevel on the razor anyway...only a dull bevel so far...:thumbdown:
 
Hi Andreas. Glad you like the shave of your razor.:)

I've looked at your pictures. The look a lot like this one: http://www.coticule.be/coticule030.html, which doesn't surprise me, because I saw several of those during my latest visit at Ardennes. They're very good, yet not all that fast, which is confirmed by your statement about light gray slurry.
Andreas63 said:
Ok, I have create bevel (it looks nice) on my test razor, an Heljestrand nr.7, but it does not shave arm hair yet...I've done the 30 laps with slurry at least 7 times... it only shaves "some hairs"...not as in Bart's Unicot video.
If it's the first time you hone that Heljestrand, it could take some time, all the more because your Coticule is not among the fastest ones. Not knowing anything about the original bevel shape, it could take a lot of extra honing time, for the bevel faces are flat and fully extending. But it's equally possible that you allow the slurry to become to thick, which rounds the very edge a bit and prevents it form reaching "shaving arm hair" stage.
Andreas63 said:
A question: I have a lot of slurry when I start but during the X-strokes (15 to 20) it just dry out...the stone feels dry too...should I add some drops of water during the process?
Yes, indeed. While honing, I'm constantly adding drops of water, also when I want the slurry to remain constant. It often seems one of the important newbie challenges: keeping the slurry hydrated. Every time you let it become too dry, you're resetting the keenness to a lower level. (you're still perfecting the bevel shape, so at the earlies stages it's not all that important, but later on, you must absolutely prevent this from happening)

Andreas63 said:
In Bart's video one can see that the slurry darken due to the fact that metal is removed from the blade...I cannot see the same on my coti...the slurry turns grey, only light grey from white...but I have a bevel on the razor anyway...only a dull bevel so far...:thumbdown:
Don't be afraid of applying some extra finger pressure during the bevel correction stage.
If you feel insecure with your honing stroke, please check out this threads:
http://www.coticule.be/the-cafeteria/topic/266.html
http://www.coticule.be/the-cafeteria/topic/235.html

Finally and most important of all: don't give up. It takes most be some time to get the hang of sharpening razors.
Good luck,
Bart.
 
I've never placed any importance on honing howto's. I just do it freehand. i hold the stone in one hand, the razor in the other and make circular motions adding a few drops of water every so often. I've never done any of that X stroke stuff and I always get my razor shave ready.
 
Bart: Thank you again I like "the Coti-Dovo" very much! :lol:

Yes it looks like that one you linked to...not so green but almost like that one. And yes, it's not a fast cutting, but if I use it with water only it seems to be a great finisher: no traces of slurry. This coti may not be a fast cutter but it gives great feed-back anyway.

It is the first time I hone this razor: it was a very rusty and bad blade on which I put some work to get rid of all rust. I have rescaled it too and it looks nice...only dull at the moment:(

Actually for 20 minutes ago the Heljestrand shaved arm hairs:lol: :lol: :lol: I kept putting water on the slurry and it worked! Then I became so eager...why not trying a "shorter Dilucot?"...well the razor did not shave arm hair again...:thumbdown: :thumbdown:

Anyway I never give up: I'm a marathon runner so I have to have the same attitude here!
I have honed many razors before on syntethics hones...but it's very interesting to learn again :)

Thank you again for all these good advices!
 
kinematic said:
I've never placed any importance on honing howto's. I just do it freehand. i hold the stone in one hand, the razor in the other and make circular motions adding a few drops of water every so often. I've never done any of that X stroke stuff and I always get my razor shave ready.
So, what are you suggesting? That Andreas does the same? Or does your apporach require a special natural talent?:confused:

Bart.
 
Bart: I put some more pressure on the blade and some more waterdrops into the slurry...now it shaves arm hairs:thumbup:

I think I was just "too light and too dry" before.

Anyway I have put some nice Ballistol on the blade now... at the moment I'll leave the "battlefield" with this little victory :lol:
 
Hi and welcome from me :thumbup:

Good work on your honing skills so far, a top tip that I always use is to remember "Thick slurry dulls edges" and with coticules this is very very true, also unfortunately when it comes to Dilocut there are no real short cuts, and I consider the method as "Advanced" when it comes to achieving repeatable good results, if I were you I would continue with the Unicot method, its a very good way to learn and you have every chance of achieving some excellent results in a relatively short time.

Best Regards
Ralfson (Dr)
 
tat2Ralfy said:
Hi and welcome from me :thumbup:

Good work on your honing skills so far, a top tip that I always use is to remember "Thick slurry dulls edges" and with coticules this is very very true, also unfortunately when it comes to Dilocut there are no real short cuts, and I consider the method as "Advanced" when it comes to achieving repeatable good results, if I were you I would continue with the Unicot method, its a very good way to learn and you have every chance of achieving some excellent results in a relatively short time.

Best Regards
Ralfson (Dr)

Thanks Dr Ralfson :)

Yes I'll stay with Unicot. I did not believe that the slutty had such "power"...but from my first lesson yesterday night I realised that's very true. Some more drops and you've a nice bevel, too dry and you have to start again!
 
Andreas63 said:
Yes I'll stay with Unicot. I did not believe that the slutty had such "power"...but from my first lesson yesterday night I realised that's very true. Some more drops and you've a nice bevel, too dry and you have to start again!
The slurry power is very real. I have experienced that myself. :(
If you want to see how powerful it is and how not to hone the razor, have a look at the pictures in this post: http://www.coticule.be/the-cafeteria/message/2719.html
 
Back
Top