Thread: Ebay Gambling again :D

Been in the garden, the light is flat and pretty poor today but the pictures don't look so bad.









Higher res images can be found on my flickr page.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47243534@N00/


The slurry was raised with a 1K diamond plate. Took less than 20 strokes for that amount.

I also ran a razor on it without slurry to see if it does auto slurry. 100 passes, no slurry produced. So it's hard and soft at the same time. Certainly not expected, and probably means I can use the regular dilute method for honing.

No doubt that this is a La Lorraine - at least from all what I have seen at the pctures you present.

I managed to get a razor on it. Working from 1K through slurry. It was going really well. Polishing once I hit pure water then I stopped and added oil, was just like the 8K naniwa finish, bright crisp, with a few very light scratches.

Then I noticed a burr forming took it to a crox balsa paddle to remove it and rolled the edge like a child (it's the only big smiling wedge I have and the toe always gives me stropping problems you either don't catch the toe, or mash it up there is a fine line to getting the stropping right). I'll give it another shot on Monday. So far this stone seems to performs exactly like the others minus the auto slurry.

I'm 100% happy with it. Learning curve aside this is definitely a keeper.

Looking into the archives a bit I think this is a Gillette stone. All of the others came with labels this rock shows no signs of glue. Henk Bos lists the Gillette at the back of part 4 of his stone guides and shows an example. Mine is very similar in apparent size and material. Including the pink/white spots in his example and mine.

Henk Bos Coticule Part 4, Page 54 ,Picture 13.

Index website Henk en Ge Bos

Thank You Henk and Ge. These files have been very useful. And I hope Henk is resting well.

Congratulations, beautiful example. Thank you for showing.
Mike

Blake dont think its the Gilette stone, probably the label has gone or never owned one. it exactly is the "razor hone" size, a size which really doesnt exists but i recalled those like that because the are in comparison quite short und wide like the razor hone size on Jnats are...

These are the two types in this size 140x70mm i know...one is "Our Levant" the other is "La Lorraine":

Do we know who EGS were?

There is a reason you appear on every thread about these stones isn't there!

Also do you have a scan of the label? If EGS were the only 140mm stones then mine has to be one of theirs.

And do the Our Levant appear for sale very often? A set might be nice.

Originally Posted by Iceni

Do we know who EGS were?

There is a reason you appear on every thread about these stones isn't there!

Also do you have a scan of the label? If EGS were the only 140mm stones then mine has to be one of theirs.

And do the Our Levant appear for sale very often? A set might be nice.

Actually no ! We dont know what EGS is the shortcut for...there is a shortcut which was used in the french speaking areas (france, belgium) which was a shortcut for Établissement Général des Services. But i dont really think that this was the term standing for EGS....iam sure we will come up in future who might stand behind EGS / LA Lorraine / Our Levant.

Our Levant appeared one time in an older Coticule.be thread, it never appeared again i think....

It came up with the stones i bought as LA Lorraine, so you wont find those often....

If you need a scan let me know, i can provide one for you.

Right just had my first shave off it. Using a no brand Astra straight.

Progression was 1K chosera, La Lorraine, Crox on balsa, Hard veg tan strop.

The 1K was a regular bevel set on a less then perfect blade no tape I wanted to see the spine. The old Astra is an odd razor, The steel will only hold an edge for a few shaves so I think it's got a poor temper. The reason I picked it is because it's got the poor temper. It's a little softer to hone and picks up every defect from the stones.

The La Lorraine was lapped and washed, Brought to slurry with the naniwa slurry stone. I then did a Dilucot style progression. Using only x strokes. 40 laps per thinning. And a very slow dilute. I must have done 15 dilute stages.

It was then fully cleaned in soapy water, and I progressed another 40 laps on water.

I then did a further 40 laps under running water.

And finally 40 laps on neat bubble bath.

Razor came off the rotation looking sandblasted but without any noticeable edge defects. Had the razor just been handed to me and I was to make a honing estimation I would have said it looks like a 4-5K polish without and scratch marks.

Stropped on the balsa for 20 laps, Then 150 on the veg tan.

HHT 2-3. Not where I'm used to seeing it. I get solid 4's from my usual stones. (n12K, Thuri, Ark). And the edge and spine still look sand blasted.

I figured I'd do a test shave at this point. Lathered up with palmolive stick and went for a sideburn. The sensation was unique and not expected. It didn't feel like the razor was sharp on my skin, but the hair was been removed without any resistance. Normally I can feel the edge on my skin this was different I could have been rubbing my face with a round bar.

So I did a full lather and shave. 1 pass only and it was really smooth. Different perhaps not as sharp as I could push it but not bad either. Not a BBS but on 1 pass I wouldn't expect it to be.

I'm going to progress a better razor slightly differently. 1K chosera, 5K, 8K, La Lorraine without any slurry, just the plain water, running water, soap. And report back with the results in a few days.

I'm certainly impressed I was expecting it to be a first try failure.

Yes to a certain point these stones are really underrated.

Not a stone for a daily shave in the end, but i had some days where i just wanted to get the feeling from Lorraine Rouge.....

I more often use it in the prefinish state and finish with other finishing stones. But Lorraine itself is capable to be a finishing stone...it depends also on the individual quality.

Iam always surprised about the polishing qualities which Lorraine leaves on the bevel..

You can push the edge further more with water glycerine or oil.