Vintage Belgian Coticule Paddle / Bench Hone

Vintage Belgian Coticule Paddle/Bench Hone

This is a lovely little vintage yellow Belgian coticule mounted on a solid and heavy hardwood paddle which has enough weight to allow the hone to be used as a bench hone.  This is an old stone and superior to most of the  modern ones I have tried.  It has a nice uniform colour with one short, small vein (see close-up pictures: it looks a little like a crack in the pictures, but the surface is homogeneous) and is fairly hard, giving a razor a very good yet smooth edge.  It is pre-lapped and ready to use. 

The paddle is made from some sort of hardwood - probably mahogany - and has the usual signs of age and wear that you would associate with an item of this vintage: it is probably a hundered years old or more.  There are dings, scratches, knocks, etc to the wood, but overall it is in very good condition.

The stone measures 166mm x 34mm (6 and 1/2 inches x 1 and 5/16th inches) by 6mm thick and there are many more years use left in it - used as a touch-up hone on a regular basis it will probably see another generation or three! The overall length of the paddle including the handle is just under 12.5 inches and the thickness of paddle plus hone is about 1.5 inches. 

I have used this hone and can confirm that the coticule leaves a good, smooth edge.  It is quite usable, and as a shaving collectable it is very desirable.

Packaged weight will be about 750 gms.