Hello all Ive decided to bring a combo bout in to my life and look forward to learning and testing out the results on my face, Im a member over at SRP and will be looking for guidence here as well. This site and a few of its members Bart included ofcourse really got me interested in a natural hone. Just saying hello Matt aka medic484
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.
newbie intro
- Thread starter medic484
- Start Date
avatar1999
Member
welcome matt!
As a fan of the natural stones, I don't think you will be disappointed with a combo
I love the 2 I have, and will be picking up more as soon as I can manage it
-Rob
As a fan of the natural stones, I don't think you will be disappointed with a combo
I love the 2 I have, and will be picking up more as soon as I can manage it
-Rob
pedalpowersailing
Well-Known Member
Hi
welcome.
Many of the members on this site use a coticule exclusively and get tremendous edges.
If you cannot at the moment you will be able to, look at the sharpening academy
Merry Christmas
welcome.
Many of the members on this site use a coticule exclusively and get tremendous edges.
If you cannot at the moment you will be able to, look at the sharpening academy
Merry Christmas
towliff
Well-Known Member
Hi. again, welcome!
Pedalpower is right.....I just got my first coticule two days ago, and ive just managed to dull my main razor and bring it back up to shaving ready with just my coticule. ......took a while....and close to 450 laps on water to get there mind.. Meh....im looking forward to the shave.
All the best,
James
Pedalpower is right.....I just got my first coticule two days ago, and ive just managed to dull my main razor and bring it back up to shaving ready with just my coticule.
......took a while....and close to 450 laps on water to get there mind.. Meh....im looking forward to the shave.All the best,
James
garyhaywood
Well-Known Member
james did you try the dilucot method after dulling your razor this would speed things up that method is in the academy i use it all the time
towliff
Well-Known Member
I followed the unicot method first time, didnt get it anywhere close to HHT. So i dulled it and tried dilucot....same results. this time i got to the taping stage of unicot, and used dilucot with 50 laps between adding drops of water. still wasnt very good when i reached water (my technique for sure!!), so i slapped another layer of tape, swiped the slurry stone once on the coticule, 50 laps, then 100 water, strop, 100 water, strop, 100 water, strop and so on untill I thought....its doing ok, its reached a stage i could shave off it!
I guess i just need to work on my technique, get the strokes perfectly flat and smooth, and get used to the slurry on the stone - as i have no ideaa what is classed as a heavy or misty slurry etc. I do know that when the slurry is heavy and paste like it cuts like nobody's business.
James
I guess i just need to work on my technique, get the strokes perfectly flat and smooth, and get used to the slurry on the stone - as i have no ideaa what is classed as a heavy or misty slurry etc. I do know that when the slurry is heavy and paste like it cuts like nobody's business.
James
garyhaywood
Well-Known Member
i've tryed unicot method and find it so much easier to ;pass hht and reach keeness. What i would recomend is doing dilucot method first. You need to create a a good milky slurry to start with whilst tying to set bevel to shaving arm hair level, using back and forth strokes. Bart has a video on utube it demonstartes the back and forth stroke.This speeds process up so much. Once the whole edge just starts to shave arm hair add a couple of drops of water to your slurry every 30 laps and as the slurry realy thins out start and do 50 laps untill slurry has vanished to water literaly then do 50 on water check hht the edge should grab the hair and then pop the hair carry on with another 50 to 100 laps if there is no sign of catching and poping the hair then add layer of tape and do 50 laps on water then try hht and you should easily pass. remove tape and strop. I use hair from my barber shop i tend to use grey ones as they are stronger and thicker once i have stropped i use slightly finer hair but i normaly can pass with a stomach or leg hair hope this helps i thinkyour tecnique is ok the dovo you sent to me was in good shape you just need to practice with your coti. I still dull a razor at least twice a week and hone and i notice somthing better each time
tat2Ralfy
Well-Known Member
James, are you doing 1/2 strokes until you can easily shave arm hair along the entire length of the blade? if I do that that and then add a few drops of water to the slurry and do 30-50 regular x strokes I can get a good violin going on at this stage, with the hht test on a good day, remember not to let the slurry get thick, it dulls the edge big time.
After that it is just a case of refining that edge, either 2 drops water every 30 or so strokes until on water then rinse hone and blade and do 50 on water only, or go unicot and tape the spine, add 3 drops water to the slurry and do 30 regular x strokes, then rinse off and do 50 on water, hht at this stage using either method wants to be a loud violin at worst and a catch and pop if its gone really well, if its not there then another 50 on water and test again, you can repeat until you get a catch and pop, then and only then strop 60 canvas and 60 leather, and if you made sure each of the above stages were reached before moving forward you should find the hht is a pop pop pop.
Thats how I do it more or less , and I am very very happy with the edges I get, hope this helps.
After that it is just a case of refining that edge, either 2 drops water every 30 or so strokes until on water then rinse hone and blade and do 50 on water only, or go unicot and tape the spine, add 3 drops water to the slurry and do 30 regular x strokes, then rinse off and do 50 on water, hht at this stage using either method wants to be a loud violin at worst and a catch and pop if its gone really well, if its not there then another 50 on water and test again, you can repeat until you get a catch and pop, then and only then strop 60 canvas and 60 leather, and if you made sure each of the above stages were reached before moving forward you should find the hht is a pop pop pop.
Thats how I do it more or less , and I am very very happy with the edges I get, hope this helps.
towliff
Well-Known Member
Im finding it difficult to keep the slurry on the stone - due to the diagonal shape of it, as i reach the end of the stroke, i loose a bit of it. Is this normal?
Ive been trying to get the hang of the 30 1/2 strokes thing, sometimes i get to the shave arm hair, sometimes i dont. so i just decided to go for it on the blue side with full x strokes and a good slurry - worked fine for getting to the shaving arm hair stage. Then i just carried on with the unicot method.
Once i have shaved with it i will give it another go - dont wanna dull it untill after ive shaven as it took me HOURS to get it to where it is! So ill probs end up trying to hone it with a turkey sandwich and a beer tomoz!
Cheers for all the advice, ill follow it to the letter tomoz. The wierd thing is, ive read all the honing articles on here, completely understood them, but am finding it difficult to do in practice. :-/ ...mind you, Ive been doing shaolin kung fu for a few years on and off, know exactly how to do a xuan feng jiao (tornado kick)...but cant actually do it for sh*t!
Ive been trying to get the hang of the 30 1/2 strokes thing, sometimes i get to the shave arm hair, sometimes i dont. so i just decided to go for it on the blue side with full x strokes and a good slurry - worked fine for getting to the shaving arm hair stage. Then i just carried on with the unicot method.
Once i have shaved with it i will give it another go - dont wanna dull it untill after ive shaven as it took me HOURS to get it to where it is! So ill probs end up trying to hone it with a turkey sandwich and a beer tomoz!
Cheers for all the advice, ill follow it to the letter tomoz. The wierd thing is, ive read all the honing articles on here, completely understood them, but am finding it difficult to do in practice. :-/ ...mind you, Ive been doing shaolin kung fu for a few years on and off, know exactly how to do a xuan feng jiao (tornado kick)...but cant actually do it for sh*t!
garyhaywood
Well-Known Member
I have a bout similar to yours i stop befor the edge so i don't push slurry completely of the hone but you will loose some that is normal mainly comes of the sides of my hone
garyhaywood
Well-Known Member
that looks difficult
towliff
Well-Known Member
Tell me about it....the principals of it = easy, doing it = not gunna happen.
Back to the hone - ill have to try turning it around and doing it the other way, as it will probably loose less slurry that way. I just allready seem to prefer one way as it seems perfect for getting the edge of the heel - which I find doesnt normally get enough attention from me when using the x-stroke.
A nice steep learning curve.....i love this rock :thumbup:
Back to the hone - ill have to try turning it around and doing it the other way, as it will probably loose less slurry that way. I just allready seem to prefer one way as it seems perfect for getting the edge of the heel - which I find doesnt normally get enough attention from me when using the x-stroke.
A nice steep learning curve.....i love this rock :thumbup:
tat2Ralfy
Well-Known Member
If your getting it to shave arm hair off the BBW but not the coti, my guess would be your slurry on the coti is a little too thick, remember thick slurry dulls the edge. try using the 1/2 strokes on a light slurry, and dont be afraid to add a little pressure with your index finger, if the slurry dries add a couple drops of water and do a couple of regular strokes to mix it in then continue with 1/2 strokes.
If you dont get the entire edge shaving arm hair you will not be able to move on, any further work will be wasted time, but if you get that first benchmark then further work just gets easier and easier, good luck mate and happy christmas
If you dont get the entire edge shaving arm hair you will not be able to move on, any further work will be wasted time, but if you get that first benchmark then further work just gets easier and easier, good luck mate and happy christmas
justin
Well-Known Member
During the slurry/bevel stage I find that diluting it once and lightening up on the strokes really helps to get it shaving arm hair no problem. I also tend to do maybe 60-100 x-strokes and that helps.
With Unicot it is very important to be extremely light and easy when you're initially forming the secondary bevel. Actually you should be as light as possible through the whole finishing stage. You'll be popping hairs no problem. It just takes some practice.
Happy holidays guys.
Justin
With Unicot it is very important to be extremely light and easy when you're initially forming the secondary bevel. Actually you should be as light as possible through the whole finishing stage. You'll be popping hairs no problem. It just takes some practice.
Happy holidays guys.
Justin
James,
Welcome to the site. Since you appear to be new at this, give yourself some time to learn how to manage your slurry and develop a repeatable stroke. Once you can do that, move on.
There is a lot of information here, so don't let it overwhelm you. You'll do just fine.
Ray
Welcome to the site. Since you appear to be new at this, give yourself some time to learn how to manage your slurry and develop a repeatable stroke. Once you can do that, move on.
There is a lot of information here, so don't let it overwhelm you. You'll do just fine.
Ray