Thread: coticule Veins

The biggest stock I've seen in one place is at The Superior Shave, and the owner there has a soft spot for these stones. Your head will spin at all the options--best to let Jarrod know what you want and you'll very likely get it.

There was a pretty active thread last week about using a Naniwa 12k after or before going to a coticule finish. It was convincing enough that I've just ordered the stone to give it a try. It's a long but very informative thread.

Lol hey that's my post on coti.be

Good to know others found it as useful as I did.

Like many have said before a layer is just a name. While they may have similar characteristics within each vein they will still also differ from stone to stone.

Some time with the stone is required to know what you can get out of it.

My favorite vein is the petite blanche

I've had well over 30 coticules in the last four years. I've never come a cross a bad one yet. As said above , i would'nt let a certain named vain mislead you. you'd probably be better of getting one that was unnamed. then you could just get on with honing. Like rich i would say a select la drassante is notv far of a good consistant coticule , they normaly cut well with slurry and finish well enought to give you a nice skin freindly shave .

i have to say i'm only using my la patite blanch from jarrard at superior shave . the edges are so smooth its unreal . I have had lots of coticules with no name deliver just as gooder egdes.

gary

You really have touched a vein here. I agree with many of the posts here, these are just names and Coticules differe one from another. I have two, I do not know from which vein(s) they were mined; I called them the Arrogant Bastards. HOG

You would have to know the reason for the names and who named them. Was it done by a Geologist who tested the stones and decided they were very different coming from different parts of the mine or were they names by the mine operator to just classify what area of the mine they were working?

Not only is every stone different, every layer is different. I had one that cut slow, I lapped it a second time and you could see the swarf in a couple of strokes. If you want a great finisher get a Thuringian.

I've used well over 2 dozen coticules that are currently being sold by Ardennes. As others have chimed, they are a natural stone and will vary even in the same layer. I have a La Dressante that is just an excellent stone that cuts well with slurry and leaves a very nice finish, though not the smoothest. Other Dressantes I've had weren't like this one and from what I've read and experienced, it is the most inconsistent layer.

La Petite blanches have been the hardest coticules for me to master and I wouldn't recommend one to begin with, though you certainly can. They are pretty consistent in being fast on both slurry and water, though can show slurry dulling which can set your edge back as you hone.

La Veinettes are the most consistent layer I've used. Fast on slurry, slow on water and leave a very smooth finish. Great all around stone, though Ardennes has a price hike on this layer.

La Grise's, and La Grosse Blanches are very consistent in leaving probably the smoothest edges you can get from coticules.

In general, it is best to just get one and learn it thoroughly. You should be able to get smooth edges from most any of the layers (though I'd avoid a La Verte as they leave a very keen edge that I like, but definitely not on the smooth side of coticules).

Coticules are nice because you can do so much with them. If all you are looking for is a finisher, you should really check out a vintage thuringian or escher. These have always brought my coticule edges to the next level and lately are all I've been shaving off. Vintage thuringians can be had for cheaper than a lot of coticules as well (though the same can't be said of escher's).
Best of luck.

Originally Posted by Joe Edson

I've used well over 2 dozen coticules that are currently being sold by Ardennes. As others have chimed, they are a natural stone and will vary even in the same layer. I have a La Dressante that is just an excellent stone that cuts well with slurry and leaves a very nice finish, though not the smoothest. Other Dressantes I've had weren't like this one and from what I've read and experienced, it is the most inconsistent layer.

La Petite blanches have been the hardest coticules for me to master and I wouldn't recommend one to begin with, though you certainly can. They are pretty consistent in being fast on both slurry and water, though can show slurry dulling which can set your edge back as you hone.

La Veinettes are the most consistent layer I've used. Fast on slurry, slow on water and leave a very smooth finish. Great all around stone, though Ardennes has a price hike on this layer.

La Grise's, and La Grosse Blanches are very consistent in leaving probably the smoothest edges you can get from coticules.

In general, it is best to just get one and learn it thoroughly. You should be able to get smooth edges from most any of the layers (though I'd avoid a La Verte as they leave a very keen edge that I like, but definitely not on the smooth side of coticules).

Coticules are nice because you can do so much with them. If all you are looking for is a finisher, you should really check out a vintage thuringian or escher. These have always brought my coticule edges to the next level and lately are all I've been shaving off. Vintage thuringians can be had for cheaper than a lot of coticules as well (though the same can't be said of escher's).
Best of luck.

Hello.
PLS Help identify what vien is?

Hello Mikhail,

the coticule looks like it is a Les Latneuse vein. The interesting thing is that most Les Latneuses are combinations of two layers, one is a more coticule like layer in typical creamy coticule color and a so-called hybrid layer which is not as uniform and consists mostly of quartz and clorite. In the deposits, these two layers exist twice, followed by a very red colored BBW. From the pictures I would say you have a Les Latneuses -hybrid layer combined with the red BBW.
Very nice and rare example if I am correct! But I could be wrong though.

OK, thank's a lot