Natural Barber Hones ID

[Pougee]

Hi All

I found these barber hones at a second hand store, and purchased them thinking they are coticules. One looks like it has been used a lot and is quite dished, and the other is relatively flat and has a lot of stone on it.

I am guessing they are a natural coticule on a nature belgium blue stone, but not sure how to identify the vein?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.



Regards,

Matt

[DZEC]

It’s really hard to determine the vein from pictures and even a visual inspection of the actual stone will lead to disagreements about that unless you happen to be at the quarry in Belgium and can consult one of the experienced folks there.

They sure look to be older coticules. I can’t tell if they are natural combinations from the photos. The one on the left in the top picture seems to worn through the coticule layer to the BBW. There is still a lot of use left in the other.

[Geezer]

Thuringers usually have scratches like someone sharpened fish hooks on them. Yours appears to be of the common dimensions for a Turingian.
The other one appears to be a nice sized coticule.
JMO, YMMV
~Richard

[Pougee]

I have two straights I beveled set on a king 1200 then went to a 4000 Japanese whetstone then onto a black arkansas surgical and could never get a comfortable shave. After purchasing this stone, I did maybe 60 x strokes on the coticule just with a little water and no slurry, and the edges have come up very nicely. Very happy with the finish polish results, which I couldn’t achieve on the black surgical.

[JP5]

I have two straights I beveled set on a king 1200 then went to a 4000 Japanese whetstone then onto a black arkansas surgical and could never get a comfortable shave. After purchasing this stone, I did maybe 60 x strokes on the coticule just with a little water and no slurry, and the edges have come up very nicely. Very happy with the finish polish results, which I couldn’t achieve on the black surgical.

Have you tried shaving off the BBW on the other side?

[jfk742]

If both sides of your black are flat, I would lap the unburnished side to 600 grit, going from ~4K to a well burnished black or translucent Arkansas seems like a fair bit of a jump to me. Use the 4K then to the 600 grit finished ark side then burnished side. If you have an 8kish home that would be the ticket then to your black.

Nice looking coticule, btw.