Intro and a question on eBay Coticule Crapshoot

Hi All, long time listener, first time caller here (sorry couldn't help myself, had to say it)

First a huge thanks! This place has been invaluable in taking my knowledge from zero to..well...still barely able to hone a blade effectively - but I wouldn't even be capable of that if it weren't for the incredible depth of knowledge from the people here. I kinda got into straights on a lark and it's developed into an outta control obsession at this point. Im sure none of you can relate to that. Ahha...

Second a question followed by some photographic evidence for the expert "panelists" to review:

I've read through a bit here on both Coticule and the general merits of attempting to purchase any of the high end natural finishers on eBay (The clear concensus of which seems to be "don't do it unless you really know what you're doing and don't expect any bargains if it truly is what it claims to be) - so, of course, I have no idea what im doing and I went ahead and rolled the dice anyway.

BUT, I actually think I may have lucked out and scored a great piece of coticule. I REALLY wanted a Coticule. However, I also REALLY like paying my mortgage.

So....Long story short ..I found an interesting specimen from an eBay seller who had acquired an old barbers estate. She was unsure precisely what the stone was other than that it was found alongside a bunch of clearly labeled barber hones. The box on this particular stone was unlabeled (has a bottom that appears to be original but no top) It looked like coticule but so could a lot of things if you paste them to blue slate I guess.

Looking at the pictures though, something about the striation and the gradual curve of where the blue and tan layers met in one particular photo led me to believe that this just might be the real thing and was worth the gamble.

It's kinda hard to see in the photo but it curves in a way that only real sedimentary formations would. I actually gave it to my cousin who was a practicing geologist for a decade or so and he stated it was most definitely real ( ie its a singular piece of naturaly formed stone - definitely not glued or otherwise man made) He had no idea if it was coticule or what and barely remembered the word coticule from the deep recesses of some college class decades ago.

He stated also that while it was fairly common for sediment layers to change that abruptly it was relatively rarer to get a large piece like that from exactly the intersection where two very large layers met. Which got my hopes up even more that this is a rarer kind of coticule.

As for its honing properties: It definately hones finer than an 8k with just a little water. The slurry, if built up, is like talc-water but it seemed to cut pretty quickly and, I can't explain, more roughly? so I stopped (I was using it on an only slightly worn old Puma and didn't want to take the edge down any).

Coticule or not im 99% confident from my limited testing that its at least an 8 to 10K+ finishing stone, I like the "feel" of it a lot and for a grand total of $48 I'm extremely happy either way.

I'm just wondering how I could verify with any certainty that it's coticule, or are there other formations (Arkansas stuff?) that look and behave similarly? If it is coticule are pieces with the natural "two-layer" intersections of the sediment more valuable and if so, why? Just due to rarity or because of their properties? This is probably posted somewhere but I couldn't manage to find it.

Sorry for the really long intro post but I'm kinda amped and am hoping I can confirm that it is actual Coticule.

By all means please feel free to dash my hopes if someone knows better. I'd rather know what it is. I'll test it some more on other razors but any feedback would be hugely appreciated!

Really glad to have found this place. Seems like a great group of people.

Thanks so much!

Peace,
Chris

here's the stone:Attachment 128003

Attachment 128001Attachment 128002

It is a coticule. There you go. If you trust me, you can now be 100 percent satisfied. Can't believe that one went so low. Value is in the eye of the beholder, and many like to have a stone that is a nature made example of coticule/bbw. But it's honing properties are not better than a glued up version. It's honing properties could be better than other coticules, but it has nothing to do with that natural occurrence of two layers in one stone. :) Nice looking stone! Congrats!

Welcome to SRP. It is a 'natural' coticule, as opposed to yellow glued onto a backing for strength. Is it 2 1/2 x 5" ? It is typical of what I have seen old barbers have in the 1980s. I used to prowl around barber shops back then looking for coticules, razors to buy from the old guys. Some of them have 'Made In Belgium' ink stamped on one or both of the long sides.

@regular joe:

Thanks! Yeah I thought the bidding was going to go through the roof at the last gasp, like it does with all the truly valuable blades and - especially - the stones. but it was weird. There was *some* bidding competition but nothing like what you would expect for Coticule. I feel like every bidder was waiting for one other guy to push it up with a high maximum - confirming he 'knew something' maybe - but it just never happened. It wasn't listed as Coticule but rather simply as a barbers hone and it was clear the seller wasn't trying to peddle it as anything special. She also did seem from her other listings to be clearing a bunch of random barbers items. Which is kinda what made me believe it. I just got real lucky.

Oh and I only trust guys with 1500 posts or more. So in a few days or so depending on your activity, your opinion will officially become valid :)

@JimmyHAD

You were scouting for these in the 80's? People aren't kidding with the term 'hone hounds'. Some guys are really into the stones! What'd they go for then? Im thinking thats turned out to be one hell of an 'alternative investment vehicle' for you. I gotta say this is one interesting rock though. Never felt a texture quite like it. Smooth as silk and durable yet has this natural sort of 'give' to it when you sharpen that I can't put into words.

Dimensions are 2x4 exactly and appears to have been originally cut and chamfered that way. So i dont know if that would help you date its manufacture. I do think the box bottom is original to it and has this kind of tape and cardboard construction that seems 40s or 50s ish. Pre-plastic materials anyway. No detectable markings at all on that or the stone itself (and I combed the thing with a Jewelers Loupe).

I think if there was just a single indicator anywhere on the box or stone that this thing was Coticule it would have gone into the Second Mortgage level pricing stratosphere I'm accustomed to seeing for these.

Thank you both for your replies. I'm officially done with hone hunting on eBay. I'm taking my winnings and leaving the casino before probability screws me :)

Oh one last incredibly newbie question: what...ahem....is the..err... blue stuff? Haha. Belgian blue right? Whoever this particular barber was he didn't use that side.

Peace,
Chris

Never mind the last question. Dumb question.

great grab , i almost went for it myself had i not been watching another one ..lol.. i thought when it wasnt listed as a coticule that it may go low .. congrats !!

You were watching that too! Kinda small community i guess. Yeah I definitely look for mislabeled stuff. Pretty effective tactic for scoring some deals razor hunting but the stone guys out there really seem to know what they're looking for and labels seem to matter much less.