Thread: Yeloow Slurry Stone for Yellow/Blue Stones?

I find myself using the blue slurry stone on the blue side but seldom even work up a slurry on the yellow. Seems like a wasted intermediate step with my set of stones. Yours may be different.

I bought a small natural combo bout - problem solved

Originally Posted by littlesilverbladefromwale

I bought a small natural combo bout - problem solved

Same here. Got mine from Howard.

Originally Posted by kelbro

Same here. Got mine from Howard.

I know Howard charged like $18 for a "cotigura" slurry stone. What does he charge for a combo bout?

Chris L

Hi Chris, I got mine from Ardennes. I was in the process of buying a 40x200 BBW (I shouldn't, I am rather skint and I'm getting ear ache from the dragon) and I noticed they charge a 15 euro flat rate for postage, anyway the wine was taking effect, and I was thinking "I'd like to be able to make a slurry on this blue" and I'll be buggered if I'm buying the smallest BBW or chopping the end off my 200mm BBW to make one, so I thought "I know I'll treat myself to a small size 6 natural bout.
19euro (£17 or $33ish) just to make up on the postage
BTW, I have some good news for you If you feeling Blue
Marcus

If you buy a coticule it should come with a rubbing stone.

Only in America would you buy/accept one without the other.

But if you won't pay the European price and really think they are so fantastic and cheap in the USA.

To be honest, it's a bit like buying a beefburger and having to pay extra for the burger bun to put it on.

Honestly, I'm reading this and trying to stop the tears from laughter.

Let me tell you all, a fact of life.

As a general rule, you get what you pay for.

The final little observation which you may listen to or put in the trash is about the BLUE BELGIAN STONE. This stone is actually the waste that they use for filling paths and making walls. Twenty years ago, nobody, I repeat, nobody would ever contemplate using the blue coticule to sharpen a razor.

But hey, we got no yellow stuff left so lets promote the blue stuff.

I'm old enough and wise enough to know. The blue coticule is the biggest con out there in the shaving world.

You should buy a German Thuringien and not get involved in the Belgian hype machine, Thuringiens start were coticules finish and then just get better. The best is still inexpensive in Germany and is better than anything the Chinese or the Japanese have manufactured and sees off anything out of a Belgian mine. Today, even the younger German's don't know this.

How do I know, Europe is my back garden that's how I know. Hype just doesn't cut it when you know better.

I hope this helps.

Hey, English, give us a link for a nice piece then

When I first read Bart's wonderful Coticule Chronicles I was amazed that the cobbles that Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck fought on in the Paris-Roubaix were the Belgian Blues we hone razors on.

That said, I have a 3"X8" natural coticule that I got from a forum member. The blue side is wonderful for sharpening and the yellow for finishing. It may be garbage to some but it works for me.

I use a slurry stone on a coticle sometimes. I start with a slurry and when the blade is ready I move on and rinse the coticule and finish without slurry.

Originally Posted by English

I'm old enough and wise enough to know. The blue coticule is the biggest con out there in the shaving world.

You should buy a German Thuringien and not get involved in the Belgian hype machine, Thuringiens start were coticules finish and then just get better. The best is still inexpensive in Germany and is better than anything the Chinese or the Japanese have manufactured and sees off anything out of a Belgian mine. Today, even the younger German's don't know this.

You are comparing stones that are sought after for different qualities. Thuringians are nice, but are not the answer to every question about honing, they polish very well but cut slower than the Coticule and many Japanese stones, and I haven't found a thuringian yet that will beat the polishing capabilities of a Nakayama.

Besides, all that matters is that the Belgian Blue is a perfectly fine sharpening stone. The fact that it wasn't recognized as such in the past is of no consequence.

It sharpens steel and is a stone, therefore it is a sharpening stone.

Originally Posted by English

If you buy a coticule it should come with a rubbing stone.

Only in America would you buy/accept one without the other.

But if you won't pay the European price and really think they are so fantastic and cheap in the USA.

To be honest, it's a bit like buying a beefburger and having to pay extra for the burger bun to put it on.

Honestly, I'm reading this and trying to stop the tears from laughter.

Let me tell you all, a fact of life.

As a general rule, you get what you pay for.

The final little observation which you may listen to or put in the trash is about the BLUE BELGIAN STONE. This stone is actually the waste that they use for filling paths and making walls. Twenty years ago, nobody, I repeat, nobody would ever contemplate using the blue coticule to sharpen a razor.

But hey, we got no yellow stuff left so lets promote the blue stuff.

I'm old enough and wise enough to know. The blue coticule is the biggest con out there in the shaving world.

You should buy a German Thuringien and not get involved in the Belgian hype machine, Thuringiens start were coticules finish and then just get better. The best is still inexpensive in Germany and is better than anything the Chinese or the Japanese have manufactured and sees off anything out of a Belgian mine. Today, even the younger German's don't know this.

How do I know, Europe is my back garden that's how I know. Hype just doesn't cut it when you know better.

I hope this helps.

If anyone DOES listen to English in this particular post, then I'll be the first to ask that you send all of your Belgian Blue stones to me for disposal. I'll take them all off your hands.

I have at least three Belgian combo stones both naturals and the older "bonded" yellow to blue. Prior to lapping, I can say that I have seen dishing on BOTH SIDES of these stones. That tells me that the blue WAS used in conjunction with the honing process! One of my natural combos has the mining date at between 100-150 years as estimated by Rob Cellis and other old time miners that marveled at the stone I make reference to.

I think we can separate our arguments not between the blue and yellow stone but instead between CUTTING and POLISHING. Yellow coticules are excellent polishing stones and in my experience, slow and even ineffective CUTTING stones. I have one vintage coticule that cuts so quickly, that steel swarf appears across its soft creamy surface in 5-10 passes. This is far from being the norm. That stone is exceptionally unique. Frankly, most yellows get the yawn from me as cutters even with slurry. They don't remove steel fast enough. Enter the Belgian Blue; with blue slurry, I put it in the same realm as a 4000K stone. Just because it wasn't regarded as a superior stone "back then" doesn't mean it's crap. It is what it is. It cuts. It removes steel well and it's a truly beautiful stone.

Chris L

Russel was posting while I was writing this. We share the same sentiment.