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Well I'm confused...

jfdupuis

Well-Known Member
Hey guys,

Well I'm getting confused on the results I've been getting. I've been playing all weekend with my coticule and razor and I don't know why, but the razor is just not passing the HHT test at all. I spent a long freaking time trying to achieve some decent results but nothing. I'm really starting to thing that my coticule is super slow...

JF
 
to know if you have a fast or slow coticule there is an easy test. just raise a milky slurry, take a razor and start doing half strokes. if the slurry turns gray immediately/very fast you have a fast one if it takes a while you probably have a slow one.
as far as the HHT I can rarely pass it but I'm stubborn enough to just try to shave with it with a back up razor laying next me. and I have to say I had a few razors that shaved very smooth without passing the HHT(maybe it's my inability to perform a good HHT)

cheers
Stijn
 
jfdupuis said:
Hey guys,

Well I'm getting confused on the results I've been getting. I've been playing all weekend with my coticule and razor and I don't know why, but the razor is just not passing the HHT test at all. I spent a long freaking time trying to achieve some decent results but nothing. I'm really starting to thing that my coticule is super slow...

JF
Nothing to do with the speed of your stone. This is just a side note.
I've no idea if this will help you, but I've taken to stropping on the palm (just below little finger) if I don't get a decent HHT at the end of the water only stage. Not many strokes, maybe just 10 at most. (Laziness prevents me from getting the strop out cos it's never at hand during honing.)
I've even put a little bit of slurry dust occasionally on there too, then tried the HHT again with a noticeable improvement.
After that, I do more light strokes on the hone with water only. Works for me.
 
Thanks! I will keep that in mind. I find that when I'm working with heavy slurry, the slurry turns dark very quickly. I don't know if that's any indication that it might require a different approach in the diluting stage. I'm also thinking about taking it to some some coarse Wet sandpaper for some lapping. Apparently it was lapped before shipping, but I still feel like there might be some rough areas on the stone. I noticed that there's a small spot when I get close to the end of the stone that feels a bit gritty. The edge tends to grap a bit more and not slide as smoothly as it should. I'm hoping that my other stone will work better. I have two Gold dollar razors in the mail. I will use those to practice and compare my results.

JF

JF
 
RicTic said:
jfdupuis said:
Hey guys,


JF
Nothing to do with the speed of your stone. This is just a side note.
I've no idea if this will help you, but I've taken to stropping on the palm (just below little finger) if I don't get a decent HHT at the end of the water only stage. Not many strokes, maybe just 10 at most. (Laziness prevents me from getting the strop out cos it's never at hand during honing.)
I've even put a little bit of slurry dust occasionally on there too, then tried the HHT again with a noticeable improvement.
After that, I do more light strokes on the hone with water only. Works for me.

In the same way, I usually am wearing jeans when I hone and when I get to any stage that demands a hht, I strop 5 laps on my thigh just above the knee. It makes a big difference cleaning the honing debris before the test. Same thing with an edge that has been oiled for protection. Sincerely, Denny
 
JF,
First, make sure your slurry isn't too thick when you start out, and don't let it get too thick as you proceed. Don't move to the finishing stages until the blade can cut arm hair, at the base of the hair next to the skin. Once you can do this, it is time to move on but not before. Sometimes this can take quite a long time, so just hang in there and trust the arm hair test.

Ray
 
Thanks! I think my problem starts when I add the extra layer of tape to create the secondary bevel. I feel like compared to my previous attempts with other stones, that this particular one is very slow and might require more than 30 x strokes with light slurry.
 
jfdupuis said:
Thanks! I think my problem starts when I add the extra layer of tape to create the secondary bevel. I feel like compared to my previous attempts with other stones, that this particular one is very slow and might require more than 30 x strokes with light slurry.
NO!

If it needs anything more during the tape stages of Unicot, it's finishing strokes on water. Don't increase the taped slurry laps.

Kind regards,
Bart.
 
Well I just made another observation. As I was stropping a razor I noticed that the tip and toe and most of the middle were nice and sharp and were popping hair very nicely, but that a small part of the razor wasn't I then realized that my strop is quite cup leaving a good part of the razor to have very poor contact. I truly hope that the Dovo Russian leather I'm getting with my package will be better. The strop I'm using right now is my old backup Craftsman strop which is very very thick and stiff.

I'm a little worried that the extra wide Dovo might lead to even more cupping..
 
Okay, well went at it again tonight and I'm still not making any progress. Man it's so frustrating thinking how easily I could get any razor shave ready with my old coticule, but this puppy is just not working for me. I can dull a razor, raise a slurry then go to town. The slurry goes dark after only about 10 passes, but after that I don't seem to be making much progress. I get it to cut hair so I added an extra layer of tape and did 40 passes with light slurry followed by 50 with water.

I then did 60 passes on canvas and 60 on leather and nothing. It will cut arm hair fairly well, but it won't pop hair or pass the HHT at all...

I really hope I get my other coticule tomorrow to compare. I really hope that this one will work better.
 
jfdupuis said:
I added an extra layer of tape and did 40 passes with light slurry followed by 50 with water.
For the third time...
Do not augment the slurried passes after you have taped the spine. (Make sure your tape is 0.15mm thick). You're using a fast cutting Coticule. If you use too many passes on slurry for the creation of the secondary bevel, it will grow too wide, and you will not be able to undo the slurry dulling with your final laps on water.
Skip the slurry step all together, and work on just water till it passes HHT-3. The edge will just have a very minute harshness, that you can solve next time by adding 5, or 10 or 20 strokes on very thin slurry, depending on your Coticule and the pressure you use. But if you can't manage to pass the HHT, always lower the amount of passes on thin slurry.

Best regards,
Bart.
 
Well i tried bart's suggestion and it worked very well. It however did not work as well on ky imp 132
The fact that it's wedge might be a factor. Stupid canada post did not deliver my package!
 
jfdupuis said:
Well i tried bart's suggestion and it worked very well. It however did not work as well on ky imp 132
The fact that it's wedge might be a factor. Stupid canada post did not deliver my package!
It should not make any difference at all. The secondary bevel overrules the wider primary bevel of a wedge and should sharpen up just as easily. Just make sure that you have the bevel of the wedge perfectly set, and are following the curve of its smile (wedges usually have a pronounced smile).

:thumbup: on your success with the other razor.
Kind regards,
Bart.
 
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