Pierre La Lune

I posted a thread a while ago about some french hones I bought and we discussed about “The special stone for good razors” and the “La Lune stone”.

I read some other really good threads about this kind of stone and finally came to the conclusion that this two stones - Special stone and La Lune - are quite the same with the typical bluish metallic shining, sometimes a bit different in colour.

I also posted pictures in the French hone thread about a stone with the label “Pierre de Lorraine rouge” and the experts concluded that this is a special kind of coticule or coticule layer.

So far everything perfect.

Now I bought a labeled Pierre La Lune and expected to receive a Special stone with the typical metallic surface.

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Quelle surprise – the stone that came in was a purplish stone that reminds me much on the La Lorraine stone, but not on the special stone.


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The Lorraine stone is a bit more going into red colour, the La Lune more purplish - reminds from the colour on the Lyn Melynllyn stones. The pattern and textures is a bit more distinguished on the Lorraine stone but in general comparable.

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The La Lune has purplish slurry. I have not tried honing yet.

Pierre La Lune – also a (kind of) coticule?

Nice looking stone! The "Pierre La Lune" and "Special Stone" and "Fox Stone", are to my knowledge all from the same area in Vosgiennes France.
If i remember correctly Piet found a "Pierre La Lune" that was manmade.

Very nice hones!
I need to get one of those for my Le Grelots, to hone a fine French razor on a German hone just feels... wrong!
When honing them on an Escher you can really hear the undertones of who started what and bla bla...

Both the Special stone and the La Lune come in 2 colours, purple and grey. I have a purple slate from the UK, which I initially thought to be a Vosgienne, which is very close to my purple La Lunes in colour and texture. Because it's cut similar to a thin YL it's probably not from France. The Fox hones have a significant different texture imo.

Congrats on that La Lune, they're hard to find.

Well the texture of the La Lune is clearly different from the YL ones. It is really more like the Lorraine hone I posted.

On the rough side with the label, the stone also reminds me on the other Lorraine stone that was posted in this thread:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...whetstone.html

Well interestingly you will find that the stones La Lorraine, and Vosgiennes all come from the same region in France.
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Very nice, thank you for sharing, Let us know what you think of their performance Hatzicho. Here are a few more. Piet, don't be stingy, lets see some of your collection.
MIke

http://i.imgur.com/0tUTiio.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/n0wzsGJ.jpg

Someone needs to give me one of these :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brooksie967

Someone needs to give me one of these :)

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Get in line will you... ;)
Someday we will, someday!

I got this stone today, is this also a La Lune / Pierre de Lorraine Rouge?
It measures 12cm x 6cm.

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Ordered also one a like...but didnt received it up to date...

If i got it i will post the pictures here...

Rockabillyhelge, that does look like a purple La Lune. I have a similar box which unfortunately houses a coti/bbw.

Thank you for that info Piet :-)!!
Is it a good finisher, how fast is it?
Are the Results comparable with a thuringian?

I would not be too surprise if those mentioned names were only brands as it happens with YL. Material comes from wherever and is cut into pieces and then given name.

La Lune and Manufacture St. Etienne are surely only brand names, just like Salmens or (i know that some folks dont want to her it) Escher. I tested this purple Hone some minutes ago and here are my impressions.

I took two Razors, a dull 69 Thiers Issards 98 Veritable Special and a Wenborn of Oxford 6/8 Sheffield Steel that needed a Touchup, both Razors are 1/1 Hollow with Blades of comparable Thickness, both double taped.
I used a fast but fine Coticule for TI (with Slurry / diluted Slurry / only Water), i dont needed a lower grit stone cause the Edge was OK.
Then followed a fine Slate around 9-10k (with Slurry / diluted Slurry / only Water), both Razors hab been sharp enough to have a comfortable shave (i guess) after the Slate and a few strokes over my denim (i think this is comparable with the Linen side of a strop). The Finish was light polished, not that dull look on the edge that i usually see after using my Thuringian.

Next was the Purple Hone, it was very hard and it wasnt easy to get a good slurry, the hone feels as if he grips more as the slate. Its hard to describe but the Slate feels slimy with heavy smell of old earth with cement, the purple hone instead feels more gripping on the metal, you hear that it takes Metal from the edge even though you cant see it, the smell is more decent, a bit like earth but as it is glued into a wood box i couldnt say from where the smell comes.

After with Slurry / diluted Slurry / only Water (each 20 double laps) the Razor made the Hair Test right from the stone, the edge got a fine, dull finish just like the finish from a thuringian (i compare the finish with the finish i know from a yellow/green Escher i had). I stroped it with 30 double Laps over my Juchten Strop and then tested both Razors by taking them around 1 cm over my cald and the hairs feel.

In my opinion the purple stone is on eye height with my old escher, the Shave will show if my assessment is right (or not) but im sure this is a special stone, a good stone & finisher insignificant what name it has :-)
I cant wait until tomorrow to proof the Results.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Martin103

Nice looking stone! The "Pierre La Lune" and "Special Stone" and "Fox Stone", are to my knowledge all from the same area in Vosgiennes France.
If i remember correctly Piet found a "Pierre La Lune" that was manmade.

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Do you have any evidence of the origin in the Vosgiennes ? Or from where did you take this information ?
Or was ist just discussed knowledge on the web you are referring to...