Thread: My experience with the BBW

I find a blue green Escher puts, me where I like it. Very keen, but comfortable. Only a light touch needed for shaving.

That's exactly how I like my edges Mike!

I still get my very best edges on a Coticule under running water, until it starts to get sticky, flawless edges

I tried many other things, but that's the best for me

Shall have to try that one, can't hurt.

BBW’s are great knife stones that produce a quick, keen aggressive edge.

The problem is, that like most naturals all “BBW’s” are not alike. Add to that the story/myth that they were intended as backing stones, even less attention may have been paid as to their origin and consistency except for the naturales, and even then, “they were just the backing stone”.

I have been a fan of the Vosigine, La Lorraine and Rouge du Salm, and have several. At one time there was thought, that some “BBW’s” were from the same “family”. Don’t know if that can ever be determined, there is much written on the subject. I have some that look very similar, though admit ally I don’t know the origin of any of mine.

It would be interesting to test natural coticule/BBW to RDS, Vosigine and the vaulted Goldfisch, to see if the naturals are better performers. There are some posts, with good photos on B&B, and here on SRP, regarding blue stone linage.

I have produced good shaving edges from Vosigine and some BBW’s backed with Coticules, but I too feel they are bit lacking.

Great kitchen knife stones, I keep a small agressive BBW in the knife drawer, for a quick touch up.

It has been years since I experimented much with the blue stones, though I still buy them when I find them occasionally, usually for a few dollars. One of the reasons most poo pooed them is they are not as well rounded as the yellow coticule and can be aggressive or finishers and not both, as some coticules can be. If not able to set a bevel, they are kicked to the curb, when compared to synthetics. The yellow stone got all the spotlight, until synthetics knock them off the stage.
There is an interesting post on the Tomonagua site, where he improved a La Luna edge by pre-finishing on a 5k synthetic edge and using the La Lune as just a finisher. I have found much the same results pre-finishing on a Naniwa Fuji Snow White, or SG20 then a fine Natural Arks or Jnats. Some say over kill or going backwards, but for just finishing it is only a handful of laps from a near stria free pre-finished edge.

So, a lot there for those willing to work at it, they are pretty stones still cloaked in mystery and cult like alchemy.

Originally Posted by TristanLudlow

I still get my very best edges on a Coticule under running water, until it starts to get sticky, flawless edges

I tried many other things, but that's the best for me

Is that with weight of blade, or slight pressure.?

Originally Posted by outback

Is that with weight of blade, or slight pressure.?

I do relative fast strokes under running water, sometimes I need to do quite plenty, so I use a natural amount of pressure that comes with the speed,
although I try to keep it as light as possible, just enough to keep the razor on the stone correctly, which is mostly a balancing act by my pinky




@Euclid440

Yes, I absolutely love my BBWs for my knives, easy, fast and very sharp edges, I've actually tried Coticules on them, but prefer a BBW; a BBW is the only stone I use for my knives come to think of it

I also have a La Lorraine and Rouge du Salm, it's been a while since I've used them, but they were capable in their own right



All I know is that I inherited my great grandfather's natural combo Coticule where his BBW and Coti side were both heavily used,
no idea how he used it exactly, but for me going from the bbw to the coti gives excellent results