Thread: New level of sharp, Belgians, no more moles

Okay, this week I got two NOS Thiers-Issard horn covered tang razors, a Sheffiled and a Spartacus. Beautiful razors, both needing a little bit oh honing. I also got a nice vintage 2" x 7" Belgian "extra-extra" select Yellow Coticle from a collection I bought.

Well I was happy with my sharrpening before although I occasionally send a few out to Lynn when they have me beat but this was a new experience. After a short session on the Belgian and a little touchup on 0.25 I promptly shaved off two moles that have never been an issue with any other straight I have owned!

I guess this is the new standard instead of the hanging hair test now for me.

Tony

Tony,

That's good news (I think) Any idea what the difference is between an extra-extra select coticule and a regular yellow?

Ed

The coticules are graded according to the flaws or imperfections in the stone. I would imagine the extra select should have no imperfections at all. I have a yellow from Howard's site and it has a crack running down the center though its polished into the stone and has no effect on honing but the top of the line stone should have no such flaws.

Most Yellow Coticules sold today are called "select" grade and occasionally "Quality I" and "Quality II" this usually has to do with imperfections on the stones surface, color, etc..... Some pieces are called "extra-extra" and I have seen this marked on the surface of older coticules. To me it seems the more uniform the color of the surface the better the stone and the finer the cut.

Many times those with the seams and cracks turn out to be the better stones with a very homogenous yellow color with little grain or crystaline structure evident. This stone is much like that. I think there are very few quarried today though that look like that.

I sent a very grainy looking, vintage stone to Lynn 2 weeks ago to test and he reports it cuts very well so the jury is still out on just what the grade and appearance really mean for those using these on razors.

The second stone from the right is typical of the vintage type coticules, the one on the far right is typical of the newer quarried stones although both types are still in the formation.



Tony

The one coticule I have seen is atleast 30 years old, and it had grain in form of parralel lines to it... It also was natural bond with the blue stone.

Nenad,
The one I sent to Lynn to test is like that. Very grainy lines running in streaks like grain in wood and is a natural yellow/blue combination. Much like the one on the far right. Most of my old ones are a solid yellow instead.

Tony

Tony,

Are the two leftmost ones the stones that you sell?

Ed

Ed,
The two right most stones are called "bout" which is French for "end". Meaning the broken "ends" of stones which are sold in roughly the shape they are quarried in. The pieces of yellow coticule and bonded with epoxy onto a slate backing and then cut and trimmed to form neat edges. They are not squared up at all, just smoothed to make even edges. These are far less expensive than the rectangular stones.

I mostly had rectangular stones in common sizes, 2x8, 3x8, etc.... These are priceir as there is much more waste in cutting to exact sizes, plus there are far fewer pieces quarried that cam even make an 8" long stone. The yellow stone is very brittle and does not often come longer than 6" to 8".

Tony

Tony,

Thanks for the explanation. I expect those bout stones would be difficult to hone with given their shape. It seems like the scales of the razor would hit the stone.

Ed

Tony, that's the one in the far right. Yesterday, the pic would not open, but now that I see it, I recognize it...

Nenad