Holy thread resurrection Batman! It's only 7 years dormant ¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯
Continuing my journey with the Mastro Livi Method, I found myself in search of a well-sized Coticule stone. This quest led me to stumble upon a dedicated Facebook page for Coticules, adorned with mesmerizing images courtesy of
Nicolas @ 1Stone.
Nicolas boasted an array of exquisite stones in his inventory; however, the flawless specimens were either snatched up quickly or carried a hefty price tag. Curious to explore my options for the 3K to 6K progression, I sought Nicolas' counsel. His recommendation pointed me toward what he termed the "Belgian Violet," also known as the "BBW" – a term familiar to me as the Belgian Blue Whetstone. This label puzzled me momentarily, as I had previously associated it with the darker side of natural Coticule stones. For a time, my search veered towards the "Lorraine Rouge" or "Rouge Du Salm," pondering whether these were the elusive "Belgian Violet" Nicolas had extolled. My confusion persisted, especially since Nicolas also stocked the "Red Salm," which left me doubting their equivalence. Delving into more literature, I ultimately unraveled the truth: the "Belgian Violet BBW" is simply a moniker for the Belgian Blue Whetstone or the darker facet of a natural Coticule combination stone. I reminisced about my initial Coticule from Ardennes, which sported an adhered black slate piece, rendering the dark side seemingly ineffectual for honing straight razors.
Before committing to a larger Belgian Blue Whetstone in lieu of a traditional Coticule, I opted to rejuvenate the BBW face of my petite 160x35mm stone – a budget acquisition due to its gradually thinning Coticule side. To my astonishment, as I began lapping, the slurry took on a hue reminiscent of red wine, unmistakably identifying it as the elusive "BBW" or "Violet Belgian." Intrigued to validate its prowess, I selected my Solingen 5/8 Best Quality Silver Steel blade – a blade that had always proven a challenge to sharpen efficiently, owing to the Silver Steel's reputed hardness, exceeding that of stainless steel albeit with a lower rust resistance quotient (a detail I'm sure our in-house retired blacksmith
@Gargravarr or metallurgist
@TomG could refine).
Long story short I got a beautiful edge off the BBW side (slurry/dilucot/water) finishing with a a few gentle passes on the coti side, using water exclusively, and the Solingen 5/8 Best Quality Silver Steel has now triumphantly graduated from the realm of blades awaiting to be moved on or given away.
Do any other P&C members have experience using Belgian Violet BBW with dilucot method for that progression between bevel set and polishing?
