Belgium

[Carbonsteel928]

Can anyone recommend a good place in Belgium to pick up a few stones? My buddy is currently stationed there and he owes me a favor or two. :-D

[Slartibartfast]

umm.. these guys? Ardennes Coticule - natural sharpening stones from Vielsalm Belgium. - Home

or just break into bart's shed.

[Robert Duncan]

I am not sure that I can help you, but I will try. If your friend is familiar with Brussel's area I will do my best to direct him. If you go to the shopping street (no cars allowed except for deliveries in the morning) one of the stores is a place where you can get a razor sharpened. Here is where you can get assorted items pertaining to straight razors if the store is still there and it still sells these items. Wish you luck. Bob Duncan

[Carbonsteel928]

Thank you guys for your help. With any luck, I'll post pictures of my new stones soon.

[Bart]

Where exactly in Belgium is your friend stationed?

[Carbonsteel928]

He and my other friend are stationed in SHAPE working PSD.

[Bart]

He and my other friend are stationed in SHAPE working PSD.

That's in Casteau, near the city of Mons, in the South-West of Belgium.
It's a 2 hour drive from there to Ardennes Coticule, the last operational mine/quarry of Coticules. They're in Lierneux.

There's a map here.

As already mentioned, in Brussels are a few stores that sell stuff for straight razor users, but they're not cheaper than what you could get elsewhere in the world. In Antwerp is a neat little shop that sells straight shaving gear, including Coticule hones. Here's their website: De Koordenwinkel / shaving-and-razor-shop.com

If your friend 's prepared to drive to the Vielsalm area, where lots of abandoned Coticule mines and pits are, and if he has an adventurous nature, he could be able to pick up some raw rocks. There's no full guarantee that he'll pick the nice ones, and by the time you have them cut into slabs and lapped the most promising pieces, it'll cost you more than buying one, certainly if you account for your time. But it's a fun undertaking if you're into that kind of stuff and you could end up with some very good hones.
There are several accessible mining pits along this trail. These pits are dangerous. They were mine shafts 50 years and longer ago. Collapse is a serious risk.

Best regards,
Bart.