Vintage Belgian Coticule Paddle Hone

Vintage Belgian Coticule Paddle Hone

This is a beautiful little vintage yellow  Belgian coticule mounted on a small exquisitely made paddle with a leather pad on the reverse.  This is an old stone and superior to all the modern ones I have tried.  It has a nice uniform colour and is quite hard, and it gives a razor a very good edge.  It is pre-lapped and ready to use.  It is in very good condition - there is a tiny little pit on one side, apart from that the stone is in excellent shape.  There is some wear to the binding along the edges of the stone, but it is very firm and in no danger of coming loose.  The leather pad on the other side has a few slight marks but is still usable, although something larger would be preferable!  The stone, being quite small, is more in the line of a touch-up hone: used to maintain a shve-worthy edge.

The stone measures 155mm x 28mm (4.0 inches x 1.0 inch) by 5mm 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 including the paddle handle is 147mm - just under 6.0 inches.  As it is, it has been around as a hone for 100 years or so, I would imagine.  The stone comes with a fitted box - made of thick card and nicely gilt embossed.  The box has some signs of age and wear but is in no danger of falling apart.

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

Packaged weight will be about 350 gms.