Thread: Stone Identification

Originally Posted by Bart

I have made a basic article in the Wiki about honing with a Coticule. It starts off at a DMT1200, but if your Coticule is up to it, you can easily replace the DMT by your Coticule with slurry. The article is here: A simple honing method with DMT-E , Belgian Blue Whetstone and Coticule - Straight Razor Place Wiki Bart.

Bart, what you wrote in the post above was too good to let it get buried in the archives. I edited it into the SRP Wiki here with no changes to the text. If you want to take a look and change anything or delete it all. Too good to not put in there though.

Originally Posted by Oldengaerde

A small side-step full of 'mays' and 'coulds' you could or may not find interesting:

As you wrote your father came from the North of France, and conjecturing your nick bar the first letter is your surname - a Dutch name, meaning 'brewer('s son)' - I assume he may have been from Flemish France, in the present Région Nord-Pas de Calais. One of the most respected cutlers in this region were, and still are Maison Leclerq of Boulogne-sur-Mer, purveyors of fine knives, scissors and razors and all related since 1807. First misreading the stamps for Lecler Co, Bouloon Manah recently sold this razor made for them in consignment. Your hone could well have been purchased at this same House.

You nailed it My family name is Dutch in origin. My father was born in Reims but the family is actually from Belgium. Thank you very much that is amazing research. I am not sure where in Belgium I will call my aunt and find out, she is the only one left in the states with my last name that is a direct relative. I know I have family in France and Belgium but not sure where. And also thanks Bart your post will help me a lot. And thanks everyone for all your help

Well I lapped the dark side of the stone and the slurry was a light milky gray color. It was not purple or blue I just don't think it is a bbw oh well if not at least I got a nice yellow now.

It is hard to take slurry pics. This is about the best I could do.

It ain't a blue. Nice yellow though. Let us know how it works for you. Fun to mess with it with and without slurry. The one on the left is slate and blue on the right. Re-read Barts tutorials in the Wiki and play.

Thanks JimmyHad The slate is identical to the slurry I got that helps out a bunch. I am going to try and touch up my dovo tonight on the yellow. Give it a go and see what happens

Well, i just looked at my Belgian hones again, some with a slate backing and the others a natural bbw backing. I still think yours is a bbw despite the lack of a purple slurry color. The pic of your stone shows that it has a "texture" to the surface pattern. True slate backing does not appear that way. The only way to find out for sure is to use it.

Working on my first cup of coffee,

I vote slate. Besides Coticule and Blue schiste, The Vielsalm region in the Belgian Ardennes is famous since ancient times for one other product... premium quality slate.
Note that Ardennes Coticule doesn't use Belgian slate. But I suppose some of the old Coticule companies must have used slate as well. Your hone kinda proves that, since it is older than Ardennes Coticule (the last operational quarry). Ardennes Coticule called "Burton Rocks" before Maurice Celis saved it from closure after bankrupcy. I'm not completely sure, but I believe Burton used Blue as backing stone. I have to check that with Maurice or Rob some time.
I've never seen a Blue which slurry wasn't, eh, well blue or purplish. Slate slurry looks very neutral gray, just like yours and Jimmy's.

Have fun with the yellow side,

Bart.

I vote slate too. But based solely on the color of the slurry.

I have a natural combo on which the "blue" side is black, or almost black. It is very obviously a natural, with a wavy and strikingly well-defined seam. I thought for a while that coticule must occasionally be found adjacent to something other than BBW, since mine was so damn black. But lapping it yielded the tell-tale blueberry slurry.

The gray side is nothing like any stone I have ever seen for honing. I figured it was slate but since I have never seen a blue before I was not sure. Now I am sure it is slate. I really to appreciate all the help from everyone who posted thank you all for the help