Blue Spotted Coticule

While digging through my honing paraphernalia that I haven't used in awhile I noticed one of my coticules has developed blue spots that I haven't seen before. My first thought was that maybe something was on the surface so I lapped it and the spots didn't go anywhere. Its weird cause in the spots with no dots there isn't any color change. I think if I lap enough off I can get rid of them, but since they don't seem to affect honing and they kind of look cool I will leave them for now. The slurry stone developed brown spots that lapped off. Not sure what could cause the blue spots, but I read that La Grosse Blanche coticules can develope brown spots so maybe that is what the slurry stone is. The coticule was sitting in a plastic container dry. Hard to see the blue color in the close up photo. I was hoping maybe someone would know what could have caused them or maybe if there is a coticule layer that develops the spots or even if someone has seen something like it before?

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This is very dangerous and may be radioactive ....... I am the only authorized blue spot coticule repository in the USA. PM for my address and I will dispose of it safely for a nominal fee ..... :deal:

Kidding aside, never have seen one like it ..... pretty cool.

Always the possibility of some bacteria having grown from being stored with a slight moisture. I found spots on my Norton stone once after being left in a plastic box for a few months. I would say "smell it" but then I would feel bad if you got some sort of freakish sinus infection!

Well, the only time rocks change color is either through weathering or some rocks change colors because they undergo a chemical change due to environmental factors. I doubt that's your situation so I would assume something settled in there. The question is what?

It's not a natural combination coti/bbw stone is it? I have one that is the opposite of yours - it has yellow spots on the blue side. They are just small yellow layer deposits that became more and more visible as the hone was lapped.

Regards,
Neil

Edit: a layer called La Nouvelle Veine is said to have hazy blue spots. I suspect that is because it is a thick layer that is cut into thinner hones to get the most out of the layer, and presumably the upper/lower cuts have some BBW inclusions.

You didn't store that in my refrigerator did you? Happens to all of my food, there's some cheeses I can't even get home before they start to turn bleu.

Did it eat the pores in the stone? It looks like it in the last picture

The stone is slate backed and it is flat and you can't feel the pores. It almost has a shiny metallic look to it. wish I could get better pictures of it. It was sitting in a plastic tub that I keep alot of my other honing stuff in like stone holders and my other coticule and some other stuff. Most of the rest of my stones I keep in boxes. It didn't even dawn on me that my other coticule is a combo and was sitting on the top of this one for awhile and maybe with the BBW on top might have caused it. I thought coticules were non porous though. I was thinking maybe it was like some that will change color in sunlight. Thanks for all the info.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I would assume something settled in there. The question is what?

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Rock Lobster.

I'd just use it.

Think its more insidious than any of the answers given already. You have to remember that these are 'natural' stones and as such you need to look back to the time when they were formed. Yes, the Jurassic! And as sedimentary rocks they're an accumulation of material that settled into it. Yes, prehistoric Larva!!
Best if you don't keep them in your sleeping area!
Not good!

( you lapped it didn't you! You exposed a new sediment layer!)

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Originally Posted by JSmith1983

The stone is slate backed and it is flat and you can't feel the pores. It almost has a shiny metallic look to it. wish I could get better pictures of it. It was sitting in a plastic tub that I keep alot of my other honing stuff in like stone holders and my other coticule and some other stuff. Most of the rest of my stones I keep in boxes. It didn't even dawn on me that my other coticule is a combo and was sitting on the top of this one for awhile and maybe with the BBW on top might have caused it. I thought coticules were non porous though. I was thinking maybe it was like some that will change color in sunlight. Thanks for all the info.

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The vast majority are, to all intents and purposes, non-porous. However people who have made an extensive research of them (precious few) like Bart, formerly of Coticule.be, has identified at least two porous types, one only slightly porous, one more so.

Also on other coticule-worship sites like Artisan Shaving, there are examples of coticules getting stained. One I recall released something (or the razor that was being honed had a peculiar type of steel, or the water was acidic, or - something!) that resulted in copious rust-brown slurry that left the coticule stained - only lapping removed the stain.

Regards,
Neil

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Originally Posted by 1KnifeGuy4U

I'd just use it.

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Yes, that's what they want you to do. They know you can't resist. Then when you start honing the gas comes out and the following morning you're turned into some extraterrestrial zombie wandering the city trying to spread the contagion. Then they come and take over and take your straight razors away probably led by this Obama guy.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Yes, that's what they want you to do. They know you can't resist. Then when you start honing the gas comes out and the following morning you're turned into some extraterrestrial zombie wandering the city trying to spread the contagion. Then they come and take over and take your straight razors away probably led by this Obama guy.

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I like that! It's a bit of a variation on the 'Zombie Football' thing where at some point a zombie is released onto the pitch and anyone he touches becomes a zombie and so on. Perhaps we have Zombie Coti here... :)

Regards,
Neil

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

I like that! It's a bit of a variation on the 'Zombie Football' thing where at some point a zombie is released onto the pitch and anyone he touches becomes a zombie and so on. Perhaps we have Zombie Coti here... :)

Regards,
Neil

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Plenty of people resurrecting zombie threads every now and again. Such as the most recent I noticed where a guy was giving the OP honing advice on a thread posted 4 years ago ...... :p

BTW, if you think blue spots is a problem ....... http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...light=bubbling

Very strange, but I have seen weirder things happen. Like the other guys said, just try to use the hone and see what happens. If you like the edge then that's all that matters. I would also hone a razor on a stone you know the grit level of and then use this stone and compare the very edge of the razor. When I say compare the edge I do not mean the bevel.