Coticule the one

Picked up this vintage natural two sided coticule and been loving it. It is my only real stone. I have a Franz Swaty, but this coticule has made all my shaves perfect. Don't know if I got lucky with this one and my technique, but it didn't take me long to figure it out and make all my razors butter smooth. Although it could have been all that time spent on a Swaty. Now I feel like looking for more, but ones that have even more character. Won't ever let this one go though.

Any insight into the nature of this one? Age? Not the stones age, but when it may have been quarried or where?
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here is a list of characteristics of veins and some info on where they come fun !! have fun and enjoy your new toy

http://www.coticule.be/the-cafeteria/topic/1727.html

I think you did get lucky on that one. It has a few very unique characteristics.

First, it looks like an exceptionally clean and homogenous yellow surface, though it seems more creamy than yellow, so I'll call it an ultra kosher!

Second, the border between the coticule and bbw side seems to be more jagged than most. I have a lot of natural two sided hones and certainly have looked at a lot more and I not many are that jagged.

Finally, the veined stratification of the bbw is also quite unique. It has no impact on function any more than the second observation, but it certainly makes it look like a very attractive hone for those of us who fancy this stuff.

Of course, the most important observation is the one that you already made, which is that it is producing great shaves for you. Congrats on your find!

Yeah I got real lucky looking at just the right time. I had been looking for a few weeks and it suddenly appeared. The seller had it online for a two day really low buy it now price half of what I see all coticules go for. I love this stone and have used the bbw side on kitchen knives too.
I don't see many that look anything like this one. That is what peeked my curiosity.
I should mention stone cuts moderately fast with slurry, slow with water only.

Nice coticule/bbw natural combo! With a thin coti layer like that I personally wouldn't use slurry.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say it was quarried in Belgium :)

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Originally Posted by Piet

Nice coticule/bbw natural combo! With a thin coti layer like that I personally wouldn't use slurry.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say it was quarried in Belgium :)

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Really? My bet is that it will take quite a while to wear out that yellow layer (at least 1/8") beyond usability by slurrying.

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Originally Posted by Piet

Nice coticule/bbw natural combo! With a thin coti layer like that I personally wouldn't use slurry.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say it was quarried in Belgium :)

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Unless I start a restore business (which will never happen) I will be a really old man before I wear out that yellow.

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Originally Posted by rideon66

Unless I start a restore business (which will never happen) I will be a really old man before I wear out that yellow.

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Yeah, I have a vintage coticule much like yours with a very thin layer of yellow left, and it's been serving me for the last five years. Of course, it's not the only coticule in my collection, but it does get used quite a bit, as I like it.

As you say, as long as you have a reasonable number of straights come through your hands, the coticule will last a long time.

Nice hone!

The yellow averages a 1/4" thich on mine. I would love to see pics of yours if it is similar.

That mahogany color in the base is fantastic!

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Originally Posted by rideon66

The yellow averages a 1/4" thich on mine. I would love to see pics of yours if it is similar.

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Sure! Here you go:

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...401_152023.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...401_151913.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...401_151948.jpg

As you can see, my coticule is not as wavy at the coti/BBW junction as yours. Also, while it does have a woodgrain BBW, it's not as pronounced. Great hone, though.

Very nice. I like it. Thanks for sharing. Where did you find yours? The guy I bought mine from was out of PA.

I got mine from a guy here at SRP. I was pretty new to hones at that time, so I undoubtedly paid too much for it. I fell for the whole 'vintage coticule' hype. Still, it's been a good hone for me - one of my favourites.

Wow! What a cool looking piece of stone. This is exactly why I love the natural hones.

Yeah the more I see the more I want. Just wish they were not so hard to find and so pricey. I guess that makes it all the more rewarding when I get the next one.

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Originally Posted by rideon66

Picked up this vintage natural two sided coticule and been loving it. It is my only real stone. I have a Franz Swaty, but this coticule has made all my shaves perfect. Don't know if I got lucky with this one and my technique, but it didn't take me long to figure it out and make all my razors butter smooth. Although it could have been all that time spent on a Swaty. Now I feel like looking for more, but ones that have even more character. Won't ever let this one go though.

Any insight into the nature of this one? Age? Not the stones age, but when it may have been quarried or where?
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That is a very gorgeous coti. The first thing that caught my eye way how clean and bright the yellow is. Just gorgeous. And the BBW while IMO not very useful sure is pretty and even more so on yours.

Wow, gorgeous stone! I'll have to find me one of these someday...

Cheers.

Beautiful stone. As far as Coticules go, when ya get a good one ya really have a special stone.

So didn't realize that designations for various cotis were limited to the veins Ardennes mined. So these old vintage ones may be layers that have never been given names? Most I see are very similar to about 4 or 5 different kinds. This one just doesn't seem to look like any of them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rideon66

Picked up this vintage natural two sided coticule and been loving it. It is my only real stone. I have a Franz Swaty, but this coticule has made all my shaves perfect. Don't know if I got lucky with this one and my technique, but it didn't take me long to figure it out and make all my razors butter smooth. Although it could have been all that time spent on a Swaty. Now I feel like looking for more, but ones that have even more character. Won't ever let this one go though.

Any insight into the nature of this one? Age? Not the stones age, but when it may have been quarried or where?
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Lucky you! That looks like a near perfect select-grade natural combo.