Oil on Coticule.

[Doc226]

A few folks here have alerted me of a post at another forum where oil on coticules is being debated. The question there is whether anyone has tested the stone for oil absorption.

Now I am not a geologist, don't play one on tv and did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. I'm just a guy with stones that likes to rub metal on them and shave with that metal.

If you look at old vintage coticule boxes they recommend the use of oil or water.


My stone has seen oil at least 30 times and it's more like 40-50. I don't see a change in the look or feel of the stone.
Here is the stone dry



Wet stone


As you can see there is no beading up of the water.

Ok how about slurry you ask.


Again no change in feel of the stone

[Doc226]

Here is the slurry in motion


Again no change in characteristics.

Your stones your razors do what you like.

IMO coticule edges improve when finished on a coticule with oil. I have not seen any effects from using oil on the coticule. Now coticules are expensive and if you don't want to use oil on yours then don't use oil.

I have been told by someone that if they want to improve the coticule edge they will just use a thuri/Escher. Great, some folks don't have those stones and don't want to spend more money on more stones.

I know Krodor put a drop of oil on a slurry stone and it seemed to darker in the spot, he also commented that it did not appear to affect the stone in any other way.

I use a drop or two of mineral oil and five the razor about 50 light pressure laps, then wash the stone off with detergent. Total oil time on the stone is just a few minutes.

Your stones your razors but IMO coticules edges are great but lack a little keenness that the oil helps to bring out. Coticules are really a one stone honing solution.

Questions?

[BakerAndBadger]

Oooooh controversial Doc!

+1 for your comments.

I've tried a couple of times and no adverse effects with my coti - water doesn't bead and slurry is still as easy to generate.

[Legion]

I have used oil on my coticules. Notice a slight improvement on the edge. Have not noticed any damage to the stone. I've only done half a dozen razors this way though.

Probably too small a sample group to form an educated opinion. See how you go...

[mdunn]

Are you guys discussing something shaving related on a shaving forum?

Get out of here!




Honestly? I see no reason not to oil your coti's

[gnoils]

that is one pretty stone.

[leonidas]

that is one pretty stone.

......totally agree..... very nice looking stone........

[Doc226]

that is one pretty stone.

Thank you

......totally agree..... very nice looking stone........

Thank you.
I have 5 coticules this one is my favorite finisher-on oil of course

I would post on the other forum-but I can't.

[life2short1971]

I have used about every coticule I have had with oil with the exception being those with with cracks. Not magnesium lines but open cracks that water will seep into. I have never had one that held oil that soap and water would not clean and never saw any evidence of oil even on vintage stones once lapped.

[honed]

This can be explained in one sentence.
Coticules are non-porous

Hence, they cannot absorb anything.

I haven't used oil on a coticule, but I have hosed my la Grise & my la Grosse Blanche with a whole lot of water-based concotions.
CBN, diamond, cerium, chromium oxide & what not.
Never noticed anything sticking to the coitucle once it's rinses off.

If we need to go further with it, picture this:

I have put chromium oxide on a coticule, both HA's semi-paste & the loose powder.
Anyone who has ever handled CrOx knows what a huge mess it makes.
Even the tinest amount ends up EVERYWHERE
And everything it coems in contact with turn Hulk Green instantly.

But once the CrOx is washed off the coticule NOT A TRACE OFF GREEN IS TO BE SEEN.
Would that be possible if the coticule had even a miniscule amount of porosity? Don't think so...

[Doc226]

This can be explained in one sentence.
Coticules are non-porous

Hence, they cannot absorb anything.

I haven't used oil on a coticule, but I have hosed my la Grise & my la Grosse Blanche with a whole lot of water-based concotions.
CBN, diamond, cerium, chromium oxide & what not.
Never noticed anything sticking to the coitucle once it's rinses off.

If we need to go further with it, picture this:

I have put chromium oxide on a coticule, both HA's semi-paste & the loose powder.
Anyone who has ever handled CrOx knows what a huge mess it makes.
Even the tinest amount ends up EVERYWHERE
And everything it coems in contact with turn Hulk Green instantly.

But once the CrOx is washed off the coticule NOT A TRACE OFF GREEN IS TO BE SEEN.
Would that be possible if the coticule had even a miniscule amount of porosity? Don't think so...

Makes perfect sense to me.

[dakotaev]

Someone recommended to me using oil for the final stage on my coticule a long time back maybe two years ago. I tried it, loved it and used it on one of my Coticules. On my other coti I could not get any change. He said the creamy coloured ones and especially if it has a hint of red or pink really seem to react well to the oil finish.

Anyway back to the topic at hand, after using oil quite a number of times over two year period neither coticule has suffered any consequence. I always washed it off with soap immediately afterwards though just as a precaution.

Thanks Doc and others for bringing this lost technique back to the mainstream, at least here on B&B anyways! Let those other non believers pay more to get the same finish on some other expensive stone ;)

[kwigibocity]

Have gone back and forth between water and mineral oil on an Arkansas piece I've had for 22 years and can't tell any difference. I use Dawn dish detergent to switch. It doesn't make sense to me that a fissure-free coti top would take on a damn thing, and I've thrown a bunch of various pastes and such atop them over these years (but strangely, not with oil).

In regards to oiling the coti, why only finishing, why is it taboo for slurry? Any drawbacks to using it from the beginning, and "dilucoting" with oil in a dropper bottle?

[BakerAndBadger]

In regards to oiling the coti, why only finishing, why is it taboo for slurry? Any drawbacks to using it from the beginning, and "dilucoting" with oil in a dropper bottle?

Can't quite decide whether it's a good idea or not. Would the oil slow down the cutting action of the garnets in the slurry by acting as a lubricant OR would the oil speed up the cutting action by the particles being in thicker slurry?
I'd plump for oil slowing it down and probably also slowing down the production of slurry at the beginning but having no evidence I don't fancy sticking my neck on the line.

[Doc226]

Have gone back and forth between water and mineral oil on an Arkansas piece I've had for 22 years and can't tell any difference. I use Dawn dish detergent to switch. It doesn't make sense to me that a fissure-free coti top would take on a damn thing, and I've thrown a bunch of various pastes and such atop them over these years (but strangely, not with oil).

In regards to oiling the coti, why only finishing, why is it taboo for slurry? Any drawbacks to using it from the beginning, and "dilucoting" with oil in a dropper bottle?

Don't see why you could not use it during the entire process but really don't see and advantage to it. The real reason is just to bring out that last bit of keenness out.

[Easttexasman]

Norton Sharpening oil works great for me and with no adverse effects on my coticule.

[Seraphim]

All fine and dandy, but can you hone a Gold Dollar with oil on a coticle, and discuss it "over there"?

[Doc226]

All fine and dandy, but can you hone a Gold Dollar with oil on a coticle, and discuss it "over there"?

Nope. You can't discuss oil on a coticule no matter what.

[Obiwan]

Oil on coticules....shaving with Gold Dollars. Madness I say. Up is down, black is white, dogs and cats playing together. Madness I say.

This is a topic that always makes me smile as I didn't feel strongly about it until I was banned for voicing my experience using oil. That said, I will say for those who don't have a ton of money and want to use a household item in an effort to improve your edges, this is worth a shot. Many people are drawn to coticules as a one stone honing solution. This can just take the edge a little further. Might not be for everyone, but with everything in this hobby YMMV.

[jred]

I find that oil on coticules tends to make the tape slip off the spine when I flip on the edge of my Sweeny Todd replica, especially when I've been using Barbasol shave cream.

Wait, how easy is it to get banned here? :P