Dribbling. A terrible habit

UKJim · Mar 28, 2014

Good news - I won a coticule off ebay - vintage natural 181x41x18mm.

Bad news - I appear to be dribbling all the time.

Good news - from the coticule, not my mouth

Process starts off well - I create a milky slurry, but by the time I have made 20-30 half strokes I seem to have pushed all the slurry off the side & it is dribbling over my fingers that are supporting the stone.
Not getting a decent edge off it yet - unsurprising - newbie honer with new stone

Is this normal?
How do I retain the slurry a bit longer?
Should I even worry about it ?

Jim

ACorazza · Mar 28, 2014

Slow down with you stroke and shorten it a little bit to leave room for the slurry to end up at the end of it. Also since your probably doing x strokes since its on the narrower side, don't make an abrupt x motion, just slowly move the blade down in the x pattern as it crosses the stone. Most importantly don't worry about speed because it you go too fast slurry will leave the stone, I have had it happen to me. BTW any pics of the stone

PapaFish · Mar 28, 2014

You may be using too much water. Too much water, and you will push it right off the stone, slurry and all. Once you have a wet stone all over, any subsequent slurry you build will run off by the same path. Only the honing surface should be wet, if possible.

Maybe try running your fingers around the chamfered edges of the stone. The natural oils on your hands will help repel water, making it more likely that the water stays on the stone. Even if some jumps over, there is no established "river" to drain the rest. DISCLAIMER: I just thought of this and have not actually tried it, but it seems plausible. YYMV.

PS-That's a nice sized stone. I have one that's very similar in size, but so far I only use the BBW side.

Heespharm · Mar 28, 2014

It's all in the stroke and also hand hold it the stone... Focus on moving the slurry to stay on the stone by changing you half stroke angle

By hand holding you can tilt the face of the stone so gravity brings the slurry down and the blade pushes the slurry up

SliceOfLife · Mar 28, 2014

As others have said, stop your strokes a bit shorter, flip into the other side of the slurry (so you're pushing the slurry from one side to the other with each stroke), and also yes, if you're slurry is too thin, it will be much easier to push off. Often when I'm dilucotting I don't wash the stone before water, I just thin the slurry down enough and shove it off the stone by pushing to the edge.

gary haywood · Mar 28, 2014

You could do circles clockwise towards you anti clock wise away from you this way you push slurry on to stone not off the edge. I use 40 mm wide coticule and with half strokes you should,nt loose much slurry providing you stop short at both ends of stone, watch my video I do use a smaller bout, that may help.

gary

Alum of Potash · Mar 28, 2014

If the slurry is accumulating in the hollows of the razor, lift the blade off the stone and lightly tap the toe near the spine on the stone's surface every few strokes or so. This will dislodge whatever is there back onto the stone, rather than letting it build up to where it flows off the edge of the stone.

Gamma · Mar 28, 2014

Are you losing slurry on that stone you won, or another stone?

UKJim · Mar 29, 2014

Gamma said:
Are you losing slurry on that stone you won, or another stone?

Just this stone.... My other stone is much wider & drubbing only a very minor one on there. Think it is because I am not used to the 40mm width.

Thanks for replies folks.... will experiment some more

Proinsias · Mar 29, 2014

Emmanuel's method gave me a few pointers in slurry management.

gary haywood · Mar 29, 2014

This is the method. I use it all the time.

gary

UKJim · Mar 29, 2014

Ok, tried again with suggested methodology.... retaining much more slurry, but still dribbling a bit too much. More practice required.

Will try shaving with this Joseph Rodgers tomorrow.

And for those with an interest in Hone porn....

gary haywood · Mar 30, 2014

Jim have you lapped that stone? I would smooth the edges over by rounding them especially the chips along edge they will come out , it will be safer when honing chances are you could catch your razors edge

UKJim · Mar 30, 2014

gary haywood said:
Jim have you lapped that stone? I would smooth the edges over by rounding them especially the chips along edge they will come out , it will be safer when honing chances are you could catch your razors edge

Lapped it twice, but having used it I think I need to do a bit more....The top of the stone was saddle shaped i.e. Bellied away at the sides & raised at the ends & down the centre line. I got most of it out but not fully from the feel of the razor. This may be a small contributing factor to my dribble problem also.

I had also rolled the edges on the wet&dry to create a rounded edge. Thanks - Didn't think of possible effect of the chips. I'll use the wet & dry rolled around a pencil & smooth those out a bit.

The razor I honed on this yesterday was sort of OK when using it. but the alum stung too much so clearly it wasn't good enough.

UKJim · Mar 30, 2014

OK Lapped it again, plus smoothed all the chips in the edges.

Followed the methodology suggested.
Kept the stone dry other than the top.
Circle strokes pushing the slurry.
Stone hand held to have gravity assist with restricting slurry movement.

Only minor dribbling & able to go through many dilutions.
Based on shaving arm hair, razor much sharper than previous attempts.
Still doesn't pass HHT :confused1

Prepared 2 razors - 1 straight off coticule, 1 off my welsh slate as a polisher following the coticule
Both stropped on denim (the thigh of my jeans)
Will strop on leather just before I shave tomorrow

Now I have a new problem....
I have so many bald patches on my forearms that I look as if I have some weird form of alopecia.Think I will run out of armhair well before I perfect my honing competence. :001_tt2:

Heespharm · Mar 30, 2014

So dilute coticule slurry maybe
5 or six times.. Then rinse stone and stroke on water... If slurry builds up from water only that means stone "auto slurries" rinse frequently or hone under running water then..

The next step I do is a little controversial... Some people disapprove but After water only passes I replace water with mineral oil and do strokes on oil only.. After be sure to rinse stone with water and handsoap

Good luck! Pm me with questions

Krodor · Mar 30, 2014

UKJim said:
Only minor dribbling & able to go through many dilutions.

Based on shaving arm hair, razor much sharper than previous attempts.

sounds like awesome progress!

Still doesn't pass HHT

Prepared 2 razors - 1 straight off coticule, 1 off my welsh slate as a polisher following the coticule
Both stropped on denim (the thigh of my jeans)
Will strop on leather just before I shave tomorrow

stropping on your jeans (if you are wearing them) is a problem. because of the "give" due to your underlying muscle, I could easily see it rounding the edge. Also, the itty-bitty grit that generally collects on clothing might be moving you backwards as well.

coticules are not easy to learn on. try looking here ---> http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/322989-Fed-up-with-la-grise for some possible pointers. In that thread I show extreme frustration with my rock....patience, patience, and more patience from the guys around here got me to the point where that rock is now a pretty solid performer for me and I enjoy it's use.

Now I have a new problem....
I have so many bald patches on my forearms that I look as if I have some weird form of alopecia.Think I will run out of armhair well before I perfect my honing competence.

ahh...."honers mange" wear it proud. If someone points it out at work, just tell them you're honing straight razors, and they will go from laughing at your funny arm to respecting you for such a cool hobby.

Heespharm · Mar 30, 2014

Krodor said:
sounds like awesome progress!

stropping on your jeans (if you are wearing them) is a problem. because of the "give" due to your underlying muscle, I could easily see it rounding the edge. Also, the itty-bitty grit that generally collects on clothing might be moving you backwards as well.

coticules are not easy to learn on. try looking here ---> http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/322989-Fed-up-with-la-grise for some possible pointers. In that thread I show extreme frustration with my rock....patience, patience, and more patience from the guys around here got me to the point where that rock is now a pretty solid performer for me and I enjoy it's use.

ahh...."honers mange" wear it proud. If someone points it out at work, just tell them you're honing straight razors, and they will go from laughing at your funny arm to respecting you for such a cool hobby.

Hahaha honers mange never heard that one before lol

UKJim · Mar 31, 2014

Krodor said:
ahh...."honers mange" wear it proud. If someone points it out at work, just tell them you're honing straight razors, and they will go from laughing at your funny arm to respecting you for such a cool hobby.

Honers mange ! :clap:

Well - a good result from my Crown & Castle 6/8 Hollow - the razor sharpened on coticule & finished on slate. Smoothest shave I've had from a razor I have honed myself

Be interesting to compare to the razors Gary Haywood is sharpening for me - Can't wait until they come back to me.

gary haywood · Mar 31, 2014

There in the post tomorrow mate

gary

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Dribbling. A terrible habit

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