Thread: Vintage Hones

Originally Posted by Bart

Those are all locations where Coticule traders resided. Most of them are right in the middle of the Vielsalm area (Vielsalm, Lierneux, Bihain, Salm-Chateau), where the Coticule rock is found (in a geological formation called the Stavelot Massive) But Spa, Namur and Herbeumont are just locations of export companies. Amel (Amblève) and Recht are in the neighborhood of Vielsalm. But there's no Coticule in the underground of any of those places other than the Vielsalm area. Not according to the geological maps I've seen. And neither have I ever read a single source that mentioned any Coticule mining activity in another area than the Vielsalm vicinity.

There has bee confusion about this. Coticules have been exported all over the world. Sometimes they were rebranded by large wholesalers in foreign countries. There even exists a source that (mistakingly) locates the Coticule mines in the south east of Germany, probably because a large reseller was located there.

But it would come as a complete and totally unexpected surprise to me, if someone came up with proof of any Coticule mining activity at another location than the Vielsalm area.
That of course doesn't deny that a company located at Namur couldn't be selling highly regarded Coticule hones.

Best regards,
Bart.

All of the references I have treat these areas as sources where the stones were found, as opposed to the location of manufacturers/ wholesalers. I'm willing to defer to your knowledge here, but the following are some of the sources I have found. " The Mineral Institute of the British Empire & Foreign Countries- Abrasives," published in 1929 specifies that razor hone quarries were found in Lierreux, Sart, Bihain and Recht. It also mentions that there a number of quarries to be found in Vielsalm, but doesn't specify how many.

The Geologie de Belgique specifies Stavelot and Salm-Chateau as the locations where hones are found.

Herbeumont is mentioned as containing extensive beds in the Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute. Although I'm beginning to have doubts that the coticule I have which was represented as coming from this area is genuine, as looking back over my e-mail correspondence with the seller, he didn't mention Herbeumont stones until I asked, when he miraculously remembered having one.

Rene d' Hauy mentions hones found in Liege, and Brongniart goes on to specify Namur. Also, one of the earliest mineralogies (either by Kidd or Kirwan, can't remember which) specifies Namur as being the source of particularly superior honestones. Blum specifies Ottrez and Bihain. Zirkel mentions Petit Sart.

Can't remember any references off hand, but the slate quarries at Ambleve are mentioned as having a very long history of producing razor hones. Spa is mentioned as having a number of quarries producing hones in a Universal Gazetteer.

Kindest regards,
Alex