Bart
Well-Known Member
A while ago, I received an e-mail from Jarrod, known to most of our US based members as the fine gentlemen who runs The Superior Shave. If I would be prepared to meet up with him at Ardennes during his business trip to Europe? He didn't have to ask me twice.
It's starting to become a habit to give you all a little update on the situation at Ardennes, after each visit, so here goes.
There's always something exciting going on at the worlds last Coticule quarry, and this time was no exception. That is an understatement actually.
The quarry of Ol'Preu, that they've been exploiting since so long has been terminated. There is still a last 3 meters of Coticule to dig out, but with large rocks constantly fall down from the aft wall, it is life threatening activity to work in the pit. So they had to abandon that scene. Where the Coticule Pilgrims of last September stood and made pictures, is now a small lake. Maybe one day someone will pump it dry, and extract the Coticule left, but it won't be anytime soon, I think.
In the mean time, Ardennes Coticule is recommencing extraction on the piece of land directly to the East of the former quarry. While we were there a contractor was digging the top soil of the area to expose the first part of solid rock, all the way on top of the hill, some 40 to 50 meters higher (by my estimate) than the adjacent abandoned abyss. I was granted the honor to collect the first new samples of raw Coticule, and upon our return to the workshop, Maurice picked one of the samples and turned in into a hone. And a damn fine one I might add. On the fast side of the spectrum, feeling a bit like a very fine La Dressante, although we did not determine the layer with certainty.
They hope to bring extraction up to speed as soon as possible. I hope they'll encounter some of the layers that were mentioned by Dumont, but apparently already depleted at the old quarrying site by the time Ardennes took over the business. I'm talking about La Gros Jaune, of which we've seen a few rare specimen, but also about La Vaine aux Poissons, La Petite Veinette, and Le Filet. Maurice said I should get my hopes up to high though.
I'll close this small report with a picture of the stones I brought home with me. Several of them are 40mm X 100mm, which is, with proper technique, a perfect size for sharpening razors. And highly affordable.
Aren't they beauties?
It's starting to become a habit to give you all a little update on the situation at Ardennes, after each visit, so here goes.
There's always something exciting going on at the worlds last Coticule quarry, and this time was no exception. That is an understatement actually.
The quarry of Ol'Preu, that they've been exploiting since so long has been terminated. There is still a last 3 meters of Coticule to dig out, but with large rocks constantly fall down from the aft wall, it is life threatening activity to work in the pit. So they had to abandon that scene. Where the Coticule Pilgrims of last September stood and made pictures, is now a small lake. Maybe one day someone will pump it dry, and extract the Coticule left, but it won't be anytime soon, I think.
In the mean time, Ardennes Coticule is recommencing extraction on the piece of land directly to the East of the former quarry. While we were there a contractor was digging the top soil of the area to expose the first part of solid rock, all the way on top of the hill, some 40 to 50 meters higher (by my estimate) than the adjacent abandoned abyss. I was granted the honor to collect the first new samples of raw Coticule, and upon our return to the workshop, Maurice picked one of the samples and turned in into a hone. And a damn fine one I might add. On the fast side of the spectrum, feeling a bit like a very fine La Dressante, although we did not determine the layer with certainty.
They hope to bring extraction up to speed as soon as possible. I hope they'll encounter some of the layers that were mentioned by Dumont, but apparently already depleted at the old quarrying site by the time Ardennes took over the business. I'm talking about La Gros Jaune, of which we've seen a few rare specimen, but also about La Vaine aux Poissons, La Petite Veinette, and Le Filet. Maurice said I should get my hopes up to high though.
I'll close this small report with a picture of the stones I brought home with me. Several of them are 40mm X 100mm, which is, with proper technique, a perfect size for sharpening razors. And highly affordable.
Aren't they beauties?