Thread: Coticule ID

Wondering if anyone could tell me what vein this coti might be. Its really hard and slow.

Impossible to say. It looks like a vintage coticule in my mind, though I'm no expert on Belgians having used only a handful. If you enjoy it why does it matter what vein it is, further, some of the areas where older coticules such as Deep Rock and Salm may now be depleted, so in a sense there is no such vein...

So is it a good finisher - how's the shave?

If it is a vintage coticule I doubt if anyone can name the vein with assurance. As Rob from Ardennes coticule pointed out, the old mines, long since closed, had their own pet names for one vein or another. If they wanted a crew to go into a particular vein they had names for he various sections within the mines. This way they kept track of who, what and where. As far as the relationship of a vein to the honing characteristics of a razor, I don't think that had anything to do with their naming the veins.

i don't think it has anything to do with it now. It is still a way for managing the mine and the workload. If it weren't for a coticule enthusiast in Belgium who is also a razor enthusiast I don't think we would have any idea of the different veins at Ardennes or their characteristics. The owner, Rob, freely admitted on this forum, a couple of years ago, that he was not sure of which vein was particularly applicable to razors. IIRC.....

I was just curious. It doesnt really matter. I thought they had always named the veins. Thanks for info, learn something everyday

You say it cuts slow. It seems to show a lot of garnet in the surface. Mark some pencil grids on it and lap it and see if the characteristics wont change.