Thread: Choosing a good Belgian Coticule stone

my yellow rock is better than your white rock because I like it more #facts.

Just wanted to join the silly discussion on an old thread, have a good weekend everyone.

Originally Posted by Pithor

Really, did anyone on here start wet/straight shaving because it was easy? Like I said, if you want easy, get a Gillette Fusion, a DE or an SE and call it a day. The blades they take are consistently sharper than anything you could ever hone, so why bother at all?

Mentors slamming a preference. So much for YMMV, I guess.

Best regards,

Pieter

I don't see much 'slamming' going on. In a discussion, an explanation of the issues in selecting 'a good coticule' is not a bad thing. After all, the premise in this particular discussion is someone expects to be able to just buy a single coticule. We both know that the chances of that stone behaving exactly that specific way that he is looking for, are less than great.

Many of us here have tried several, and there are always some that work very well, and some that are just 'meh' for what you are trying to do with them. That doesn't mean coticules are bad. It just means that if you want one that does exactly what you want, you have to be prepared to go an a journey.

Now as for being easy...
I cannot speak for others. I got into this because I liked the idea of using a single retro style sharp edge against my face. That doesn't mean you 'have' to take the difficult road.

I like making my own razors, either starting with bars of tool steel to make my own damascus, or with a baseball sized ingot of wootz that needs forging down. Hardly the easy road I took. That doesn't mean I need to scoff at others for 'taking the easy road'.

To each their own.

I sure did start for the ease of it. No more going to the stores to buy cartridges. No more treating razor bumps. I most certainly did it for the ease of shaving. As far as homing goes it’s extremely easy I have it done by a pro I like. Now I agree if you like the edges off of a coticule. Then good for you. I personally haven’t met the coticule that delivers the shave I look for. But everyone’s face is different. If I had a sensitive face with peach fuzz they may work. I love these coticule threads they are like tape or no tape. Brings out all the pithy people. Tc

I had a chat with a member and he said if the 12 k Nani etc was around 50 years ago would they have used coticule etc ? I very much doubt it I love coticule and have owned lots of them I have had great success with some but for some reason not all of them that’s why I use my 20k G for finisher after the Naniwa. Even the easiest of coticule can be frustrating for many of us . If I was wanting a coticule I would just buy one and work with it

After he quit shaving, I used my grandfather's natural combo coticule for another 30 yrs with no complaints. Never heard about dilucot or any of that until I found this site.

Synthetics have their attraction to some, same as naturals do for others. Some use a combo of both.

I've decided that for my taste and face, arkies and thuringians are where it's at.

The first coticule I ever had a chance to use was a tiny worn out concaved coticule bearing in mind this was used in my barber shop. It belonged to the previous owner who is now 87 And has only just fully retired and his father who was a barber in the same shop. Jim taught me how to perform a x stroke with water no lather or oil and later when I discovers dilucot I asked Jim if they used slurry etc and he said no . The only other thing he mentioned was they used jeweler red paste on
Canvas strop he said this brought the edge to where they wanted it.

My main issue was with the fact that in a three year old thread a well-regarded mentor felt the need to state as fact that "there are better edges [than coticule edges]". I felt some nuance was in place, I guess.

For instance, some people like to smooth out the feel of a high synthetic edge on a coticule with water without losing much of the synthetic's keenness.

And I wanted to highlight the joy of learning, and why some prefer to not choose the "easiest" or most foolproof method around. Admittedly, with a bit of passion, but without snarkiness or (sarcastic) ad hocs.

I'll leave it at that, hoping everyone finds their way to get the edges they like, by brick, yellow rock, grey rock or diamond paste on a wobbly coffee table.

Best regards,

Pieter

diamond paste on a wobbly coffee table

I think a lot of beginners are deterred from using a coticule when reading comments about a learning curve and the risk they may end up with a " bad" stone.

I highly doubt there was so much fuss about how good or bad a specific coticule was back in the old days. They would typically follow up with a pasted strop afterwards, so the end result was typically the same.

My advice to beginners interested in trying a coticule is to just get one ( ideally from a reputable seller) and get your feet wet. There is no shame in using paste after the stone if you are not satisfied with your edge. The edges will get better.

Originally Posted by gary haywood

The first coticule I ever had a chance to use was a tiny worn out concaved coticule bearing in mind this was used in my barber shop. It belonged to the previous owner who is now 87 And has only just fully retired and his father who was a barber in the same shop. Jim taught me how to perform a x stroke with water no lather or oil and later when I discovers dilucot I asked Jim if they used slurry etc and he said no . The only other thing he mentioned was they used jeweler red paste on
Canvas strop he said this brought the edge to where they wanted it.

Hands on lesson from a real barber, NICE!!