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Some wonderfull additions to the Vault

tat2Ralfy

tat2Ralfy

Well-Known Member
I see you have added some new Coticules to the vault Sir Bart
They do indeed look very splendid examples
Kudos to you, I for one appreciate the work and dedication you must be putting in to this. :thumbup:
 
Wow! I didn't realize Coticules varied so much in appearance. How come I never see Coticules like these being sold? It's as if these are black market hones, or something. That one is like sparkling gold! Nice haul.
 
justin said:
Wow! I didn't realize Coticules varied so much in appearance. How come I never see Coticules like these being sold? It's as if these are black market hones, or something. That one is like sparkling gold! Nice haul.
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They have told me at the quarry that most sellers (not all) in the US only want big rectangular hones with absolutely no figuring. With that policy, they are missing a lot of very nice stones. So far, I've noticed that black mangane spots and lines, and also reddish glow, can be considered a promise for a very fine specimen. In the case of mangane, that doesn't come as a surprise. Mangane is one of the key elements needed to form the famous spessartine garnets of which all Coticules derive their unique abrasive qualities.

I brought back a few interesting new layers, that I have not been able to use before: La Grosse Jaune, La Grosse Blance (they oxidize to a dark brown color if you leave them alone long enough!), Les Laitneuses. Besides those, a lot of La Veinette and La Dressante (in different shades of reddishness), a Nouvelle Veine, one or two La Petite Blanche.
And two undetermined ones.

I also brought 4 BBW's of different layers for full assessment.

It's a lot of work, but who cares when having fun?:)

Bart.
 
I look forward to hearing your assesment of the BBW's Bart
there seems to be little information on these stones
 
I'm practically drooling! Your tempting me to buy another one. Ahhhh CAD!

Those are some interesting stones, especially the La Grosse Blance. That's amazing that they oxidize like that. The La Dressante next to it has an amazing red/pink tint, and the Les Grosses Juanes remind me of kindergarten :lol:.

You're fortunate to have the opportunity to play with all these. :)
 
looking forward to the write up on the new additions i can see me getting another one. my no 3 is on its way i never experianced a fast coti i will see how this one compares to my others.
 
Wow, some lovely new stones Bart!

I can believe the comment about people wanting rectangular stones.

Oh well, their loss is our gain! Personally I like the way the "off" stones look, and even prefer the Standard Grade, as opposed to the Select.

I think it adds to the, as you put it, romanticism of the Coticule :)

Look forward to reading the data on these new stones once you get them tested :D

-Rob
 
garyhaywood said:
What size is 11 and 14?
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I'm in the habit of measuring when I write my assessment report on one.
They will become active in the Vault, one at a time, not necessarily in numeric order. I like to select particular ones to do side by side comparison.

I know, for most of you this will be an exercise in patience...
:rolleyes:

Bart.
 
Don't want to sound like I am rushing you but.... hurry up and do #13 and 22 i like those two.
But I am drawn to the "X" marks the spot" coticule (#25)... that should be a fun hone.
 
BTW, I don't know if it makes a difference but you may also want to classify the stones as hard or soft.
 
Smythe said:
BTW, I don't know if it makes a difference but you may also want to classify the stones as hard or soft.
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Well, I have no means of measuring that. I do mention how well the hone generates slurry, which correlates to hardness. And I note it if the hone releases slurry from contact with a razor, which probably correlates to it being soft. But that remains a rare instance.

In general, the differences between Coticules are highly over-estimated. I have not encountered a single one that could give me a better edge than all the others. There are some difference in speed and in where you are when coming off slurry, which possibly makes some of them easier to reach good keenness, but that's about it.
I can imagine that people would want to own a narrow one for warped razors and a wider one for the rest. Maybe one of the faster specimen for someone that likes to repair damaged edges with a Coticule. (I personally use a 600 grit diamond hone for that, which does in 10 minutes what takes half an hour on a very fast Coticule).
But apart from all that, I can't figure out any physical reason to own additional Coticules, and certainly not in varying hardness. If that offends people that, for honing a razor, progress through Coticules with different hardness, try reversing your progression, and tell me in all honesty that it makes a single difference in outcome.

Hard or soft, what does it matter if something that may take 15 minutes on the latter could take 20 on the former? The difference in final outcome will not be discernable either way. Talking about speed: length of the Coticule is in most cases a more important factor than hardness.

I am testing these hones by honing 3 razors on them in different sessions, with different methods. I can assure that the differences are discreet and only affect the strategy one needs to use for getting the best results. What I write about them in The Cafeteria could be more important that the boring data sheets in the Vault.

Best regards,
Bart.
 
Thanks for the info Bart. I was wondering if there were any major differences in the edge when finishing on a fast Coticule vs a slow Coticule. Such as a La Dressante vs a La Veinette. But I see it's of no real significance.

When choosing a Coticule speed wouldn't even be a factor for me. Who cares if there's a difference of 5-10 mins between hones. If speed were an issue for me I would be using Naniwas or some other synthetics:)thumbdown: ).

Looks are my main concern. Wow, that sounds really superficial. Oh, and size is really important also. ;)
 
justin said:
Looks are my main concern. Wow, that sounds really superficial. Oh, and size is really important also. ;)
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:D That's what my wife keeps telling me...:D

If I'm not mistaken, n°7 is coming your way, right?
That one sure looks beautiful. The picture in the Vault is a dry surface. Wait till you get some water on it... Remember Endymion, by John Keats:

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
 
Bart said:
If I'm not mistaken, n°7 is coming your way, right?
Click to expand...

Yes! I can hardly wait! I'm practically jumping out of my skin. If it's half as beautiful in person as I expect it to be, then I might have to right a poem about it myself. :)
 
Bart said:
What I write about them in The Cafeteria could be more important that the boring data sheets in the Vault.

Best regards,
Bart.
Click to expand...

Its all very interesting reading, and I for one am grateful to you, both the information and education are very stimulating, I really like the data sheets, and the more in depth reviews you post here are very cool my friend.
 
Thanks for the clarification Bart, I have very little experience with coticules so pardon my ignorance.
Most of my stones are man made, some I consider soft and others hard judging how easily the slurry comes up from the stone. But I only have one coticule and I believe it to be hard. I thought coticules had hard and soft variations so I thought if I get another it would be soft… for variety.
 
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