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N°49 of the Vault

Bart

Well-Known Member
Gentlemen,

I'll be adding test results of a few special cases in the vault. N°49 is the first.
Sometimes you'll see a La Nouvelle Blanche with a small piece of red Coticule sandwiched between the BBW and cream-colored Coticule part. I've only ever seen it at a small fragments and buried underneath many years (or even decades) worth of "regular" Coticule.
Last time I visited the quarry, Maurice, who knows I'm always in for something special, had kept this one apart for me. He said he never saw such a large piece of red "coticule sublayer" (my term, not his). The Coticule part itself separated and was glued to slate bases. What's left is this large BBW with a unique sort of red Coticule. It has a stunning silky appearance. The red part sits like a large wedge on top of the blue. On the picture you see the thick side of that wedge. At the rear side, it slopes to zero. The BBW is very thick. The slab is not trimmed and has an impressive length of 35cm. That's two 175mm Coticule. Width is 55mm. Maurice said I could offer it to our members for 100 EUR.

But how does it hone?

Behavior on slurry is comparable with a typical "La Petite Blanche". Feedback speaks loudly, but I attribute that to the size of the hone. It's almost as if it amplifies the singing on the razor while honing. I estimate it's a bit slower than a normal "La Petite Blanche". Moderately Fast +. Slurry keenness limit is better than most Blanches.
Results on water are excellent. It has some refining power, with makes it a good touch-up hone, and also should help when a Dilucot stayed a bit behind. Finish is "engaging".

Here's Paul's explanation about the smoothness classification:


[note=Richomdesi's_elaboration_on_the_smoothness_scale]Brisk = a crispy, rejuvenating feeling that lasts for a some time. I would imagine this edge would give a tingle that would make a gentle breeze feel especially cooling and would be quite pleasant on a hot summer's day.

Engaging = This edge would be slightly crisp, but not lasting as long as a "brisk" edge. I would imagine this edge would be invigorating and refreshing, leaving a man alert and ready to take on any challenge.

Mellow = This edge would be totally smooth and devoid of any discomfort. This would feel a face smooth, but it would lack the rejuvenating tingle of the other types of edges. I would imagine this giving a gentleman a very calming, almost "zen" like sensation. This type of edge would be especially desirable on a cold, windy day I'd imagine.[/note]

I've also done some tests on the BBW side. It's a relatively fast one (for a BBW) and works well for the with the Uniblue method (currently investigated in the Researcher's Mess) and also with a dilution based method, to be published about later. It can be used to refine after the slurry stage on the Coticule part, and before finishing on water.

Kind regards,
Bart.
 
Bart said:
Gentlemen,

I'll be adding test results of a few special cases in the vault. N°49 is the first.
Sometimes you'll see a La Nouvelle Blanche with a small piece of red Coticule sandwiched between the BBW and cream-colored Coticule part. I've only ever seen it at a small fragments and buried underneath many years (or even decades) worth of "regular" Coticule.
Last time I visited the quarry, Maurice, who knows I'm always in for something special, had kept this one apart for me. He said he never saw such a large piece of red "coticule sublayer" (my term, not his). The Coticule part itself separated and was glued to slate bases. What's left is this large BBW with a unique sort of red Coticule. It has a stunning silky appearance. The red part sits like a large wedge on top of the blue. On the picture you see the thick side of that wedge. At the rear side, it slopes to zero. The BBW is very thick. The slab is not trimmed and has an impressive length of 35cm. That's two 175mm Coticule. Width is 55mm. Maurice said I could offer it to our members for 100 EUR.

But how does it hone?

Behavior on slurry is comparable with a typical "La Petite Blanche". Feedback speaks loudly, but I attribute that to the size of the hone. It's almost as if it amplifies the singing on the razor while honing. I estimate it's a bit slower than a normal "La Petite Blanche". Moderately Fast +. Slurry keenness limit is better than most Blanches.
Results on water are excellent. It has some refining power, with makes it a good touch-up hone, and also should help when a Dilucot stayed a bit behind. Finish is "engaging".

Here's Paul's explanation about the smoothness classification:


[note=Richomdesi's_elaboration_on_the_smoothness_scale]Brisk = a crispy, rejuvenating feeling that lasts for a some time. I would imagine this edge would give a tingle that would make a gentle breeze feel especially cooling and would be quite pleasant on a hot summer's day.

Engaging = This edge would be slightly crisp, but not lasting as long as a "brisk" edge. I would imagine this edge would be invigorating and refreshing, leaving a man alert and ready to take on any challenge.

Mellow = This edge would be totally smooth and devoid of any discomfort. This would feel a face smooth, but it would lack the rejuvenating tingle of the other types of edges. I would imagine this giving a gentleman a very calming, almost "zen" like sensation. This type of edge would be especially desirable on a cold, windy day I'd imagine.[/note]

I've also done some tests on the BBW side. It's a relatively fast one (for a BBW) and works well for the with the Uniblue method (currently investigated in the Researcher's Mess) and also with a dilution based method, to be published about later. It can be used to refine after the slurry stage on the Coticule part, and before finishing on water.

Kind regards,
Bart.

Very cool. I've been wondering for quite a while what the review for this one would be like.
 
You know, I keep on think of this hone and wondering if I should claim it. Then I wonder where I would possibly hide it. :lol:
 
richmondesi said:
Bart,

May I reserve this?

Thanks,

Thank you for putting me out of my misery. I'm sure you will very much enjoy this massive hone. Hell, two people could enjoy it at the exact same time. Fortunately you have a brother. :lol:
 
danjared said:
richmondesi said:
Bart,

May I reserve this?

Thanks,

Thank you for putting me out of my misery. I'm sure you will very much enjoy this massive hone. Hell, two people could enjoy it at the exact same time. Fortunately you have a brother. :lol:

I'm thinking about asking him to split it (literally) with me :lol:
 
Holy crap, that thing is almost 14 inches long!? it says 35cm, that is nuts! I'll buy half of it richmondesi heheh.
 
Your reservation is noted, Paul. If it needs to be trimmed, you can arrange that with Ardennes. I'm returning the current batch on Friday.

Cheers, I know that one has been on your mind for quite some time. :)

Kind regards,
Bart.
 
Bart said:
Your reservation is noted, Paul. If it needs to be trimmed, you can arrange that with Ardennes. I'm returning the current batch on Friday.

Cheers, I know that one has been on your mind for quite some time. :)

Kind regards,
Bart.

Yes, it has. I was very excited to read the good results (and have an opportunity to reserve it). I only want one more type of coticule, and I'll likely be content for a very very long time:)

Thanks Bart!
 
richmondesi said:
Bart said:
Your reservation is noted, Paul. If it needs to be trimmed, you can arrange that with Ardennes. I'm returning the current batch on Friday.

Cheers, I know that one has been on your mind for quite some time. :)

Kind regards,
Bart.

Yes, it has. I was very excited to read the good results (and have an opportunity to reserve it). I only want one more type of coticule, and I'll likely be content for a very very long time:)

Thanks Bart!
Hear that guys!... only one more to go and the rest of us will finally have a chance at the vault.
That’s a nice stone Paul (love those one-of-a-kind stones)… I look forward to reading your review.
 
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