Trans and black Arks are like any other stones including coticules. A good stone for razors is hit or miss. I have a vintage coticule that I can use with slurry and go straight to water without dilutions for a very keen and smooth edge but it is one of less than a handful out of many I have tried.BTW, my friend swears by the black ark. He uses Dawn dishwashing liquid or shaving soap lather and claims he gets better edges that way...
I was the opposite, I sold off my JNAT's and Arks and now stick with my two coticules, including my les latenueses hybrid combo stone which is somewhat harder then my black ark and produces equally as sharp an edge as a black ark but with the coticule feel to it which I find more skin friendly.I have a vintage coticule. I have tried coticule shave after cotton and leather and it was ok. The edge was comfortable, but not very keen. It was tugging a bit. After that I did coticule and balsa strop with .5mic,.25mic and .1mic diamond and just leather and the shave was much better. Since then I got a Japanese natural that works wonderfully and have put all my other finishers in storage. Very keen and comfortable edges...
You know, I’m mixing it up again.I was the opposite, I sold off my JNAT's and Arks and now stick with my two coticules, including my les latenueses hybrid combo stone which is somewhat harder then my black ark and produces equally as sharp an edge as a black ark but with the coticule feel to it which I find more skin friendly.
It'll probably not change much if at all if you lap it just a little bit.You know, I’m mixing it up again.
Thank God I didn’t sell that old coticule I had. I started using it only as a finisher with glycerine. The edges that this stone produces are magical. I’m afraid to flatten it just in case I screw up the stone.
Not all Coticules are razor grade. If I was you I’d try very light passes on running water. If that doesn’t work you can try dish soap, lather or my preferred method of using glycerine only without wetting the stone for 60-80 passes depending on the size of the stone. I have a 100x30 that I do 100 passes on. It works great for me. Better than my small Thuringian to be honest…Are all Coticules *good* I bought one from the sell/trate forum here recently, and it's been rubbish. I tried all the various methods, slurry, no slurry etc. Did 3 Bengall razors I know and trust, and they were all different shade of *dire*.
Took them all 3 to the Thungarian small hone for about 20 passes and they now shave, again, beautifully...
So I'm really not sure about that particular stone I've got...
I got into coticules about 18 months ago and yes I do shave off a coticule followed by leather. For a month I just maintained my razors with a single stone, even cutting a completely new bevel on one razor which had been chipped. I just used the coticule from bread knifing to new bevel to shave ready.
I went a bit mad and bought a drawer full of stones. Every single one hones differently. I have got the hang of most of them.
I like the simplicity of honing with a single stone, and I do like a pure coticule edge. It isn't my favourite edge but I still like it.
I prefer a Charnley Forest or a Yellow Lake or a paste finished edge but will happily shave with a coti edge.
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