Subcategories

• Belgian Stones - BBW

  
  The Belgian Blue Whetstone, or BBW for short, is extracted together with and at the same location as the Coticule. The BBW comes in wide vertical strata with the thin Coticule seams in between. The BBW was formed in the same way and at the same time as the Coticule. The presence of iron oxide in the stone explains the bluish purple color.

  
  Use only water when sharpening, not oil.

  Oil is only used with porous stones to prevent iron particles remaining stuck in the pores.

  
  Working life of stone: The working life depends on the use. The more intensive the use, the faster the stone will be worn away. Generally speaking, whetstones last 20 years in normal use.

• Belgian Coticule...

  
  The Vielsalm Coticule stone is a natural whetstone with a rich past. The extraction and production of the Coticule in the Belgian Ardennes dates back to the 17th century. It is a sedimentary rock formed over 480 million years, consisting of grey-yellowish volcanic ash and clay containing hard garnet crystals. The Spessartite garnets are created by a rearrangement of minerals under the influence of regional metamorphosis. Due to a whim of nature, the Coticule only occurs in thin, vertical seams, trapped between two thick strata of bluish-purple slate. This means that the stone needs to be extracted meticulously and mostly without using machinery. This extraction is very time-consuming, labour-intensive and expensive work that can only occur a few months per year, due to the influence of all kinds of weather conditions. The production is 100% traditional and makes every stone a unique item.

  
  Use only water when sharpening, not oil.

  Oil is only used with porous stones to prevent iron particles remaining stuck in the pores.
  
  Working life of stone: The working life depends on the use. The more intensive the use, the faster the stone will be worn away. Generally speaking, whetstones last 20 years in normal use.  

• Strops

• MST Stones