Thread: Help me identify my coticule

I just got this in the mail today and I'm curious to know what vein it comes from. Seems like many on here are able to offer up a good guess as to what it might be.

Not a coti expert myself, but that stone looks really nice!

To look at it you will have a fast cutting hone on slurry and fast on water. It seem to be a nice meld of garnet sizes.
I can suggest you look over at:
http://www.coticule.be/CSA.html
There are to be found open areas like the " Coticule Sharpening Academy" and "The Coticule Vault," and
the "Clinic/ Help Desk," where one of the Coticule experts and graders maintains a presence and he retains the whole site because...he likes Coticules. The site otherwise has been a read only for about 4 years now.
~Richard
I believe you got a winner!

When you say "fast cutting" do you mean, lower grit? Does this make it less of a polisher when used with just water if it is lower grit?

Originally Posted by ShaveWares

When you say "fast cutting" do you mean, lower grit? Does this make it less of a polisher when used with just water if it is lower grit?

I could retype all of the information at the site I just gave you. I won't.
It is a natural stone and all I can say is that a similar pattern has given me those results.
Those hones go back a very long time and I have many that do not have a name. The names were given by quarry workers to the hones cut from a particular drift/ vein in the mine.

As for which vein it comes from I have no clue, but fast cutting doesn't necessarily mean lower grit just able to remove metal faster. Certain coticules with slurry can remove metal pretty fast and as you dilute down to clear water it slows down. Yours is a combo so you could probably utilize both sides in a honing progression is you wanted. Here is a link that describes different veins. http://www.coticule.be/the-cafeteria/topic/1727.html

If it is a coticule mined at Ardennes Coticule there is info on what vein the coticules harvested there are from. If it is a vintage piece there is no telling. The various mines gave different veins names specific to their own mine. More to facilitate work assignments, records of quantity harvested over time.

Back in those days a guy went to a barber supply or a hardware store, paid the $2.50 for the stone, and didn't even ask what vein it came out of. It is nice to know, if you can get the info, but I don't even look to see what they say the stone cuts like. I put a razor on it and see what it cuts like on my kitchen counter.