Thread: Vintage coticule expertise needed

Originally Posted by Utopian

I have a coticule in exactly that same box. It is a very clean homogenous coticule that I believe could be rated in the kosher category. My hone does not have a stamp on it while yours appears to have one on the left end. Can you make out what the stamp says?

It looks to say "Extra Choice Select" or whatever the rating. I actually read a great article on kosher cotis earlier. Let me post up the link

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...planation.html

Kosher is actually a set of strict religious standards used in Judaism; based on Jewish law. We, as a culture, have since appropriated the word to mean a great many things; usually something is above board/ clean. They are literally selling Kosher stones which means nothing to the non-jewish, but fill us hone hounds with a great many questions lol.

Originally Posted by Utopian

My understanding is that it is a designation of a very homogenous uniform surface and to be cream color and creamy feel when honing on it.

Thank you. Interesting use of a word associated with the religious purity and quality of food.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Out of curiosity please explain the use of kosher in context to coticules.

A Jewish 'Shochet' is a meat cutter who is required to use Kosher tools to fulfill his purpose. Since the Kosher designation requires 'without blemish' for the meat, the same is required of the tools. So a "Kosher Coticule" is supposed to be, as Ron noted, "a very homogenous uniform surface and to be cream color," and may not have imperfections in it.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

A Jewish 'Shochet' is a meat cutter who is required to use Kosher tools to fulfill his purpose. Since the Kosher designation requires 'without blemish' for the meat, the same is required of the tools. So a "Kosher Coticule" is supposed to be, as Ron noted, "a very homogenous uniform surface and to be cream color," and may not have imperfections in it.

Thanks Jimmy for a fuller explanation. My Mother's Father was a kosher butcher and meat inspector for most of his 86 years and would have snorted to see the word associated with a rock (no matter how good the rock was). Very Orthodox and strict and doting on his many grandkids. As kids, when visiting him he would dole out silver dollars. As adults we had to join him in a shot (or two) of Slivovitz and hope we could drive home safely.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Thanks Jimmy for a fuller explanation. My Mother's Father was a kosher butcher and meat inspector for most of his 86 years and would have snorted to see the word associated with a rock (no matter how good the rock was).

Interesting. I know one vendor told me years ago, that Shochets were always in the market for the "kosher" coticules, or yellow/green eschers. Whether they would have referred to the stones as "kosher", I don't know.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Interesting. I know one vendor told me years ago, that Shochets were always in the market for the "kosher" coticules, or yellow/green eschers. Whether they would have referred to the stones as "kosher", I don't know.

That could be how the word came to be associated with the coticules. Never did know what he sharpened his knives on.

The pure cream color is not a necessary prerequisite nowadays for a kosher coticule. Maurice from Ardennes told me that especially cotis with a light red tint are sought after by kosher butchers.
Here are two kosher coticules, one cream, one reddish, that I bought at Ardennes some times ago:



A shochet told me, that the coticules get red either during the slaughtering because the knifes need some re-sharpening and the blood isn’t removed from the knife blades during the process. That might be one reason why coticules with a red tint in the original stone are preferred.

Originally Posted by Utopian

My understanding is that it is a designation of a very homogenous uniform surface and to be cream color and creamy feel when honing on it.

This is not a definition usually associated with "kosher", IME. Learned something new.

I have one of those. It should be capable of top performance.