Combo Coticule Question

**WittyAg** · 01-26-2010, 06:15 PM

How would one go about telling the difference between a Blue/Yellow combo coticule vs a Yellow coticule with a slate backing? At a glance they look the same to me and I don't want to get ripped off.

**Ray-man** · 01-26-2010, 09:07 PM

A slate backing is black and smooth with no changes, other than scratches, in the surface from one end to the other.

A bbw is more purple in color and the surface has a definitive grain to it. Looking at it from an angle you will see, what look like tiny little pin markings and a grain pattern from one end to the other.

Ray

**SliceOfLife** · 01-26-2010, 09:12 PM

Ray is correct, suh!

Naturals are pretty easy to tell by the joint (in profile). I've never seen a perfectly flat meeting of BBW/Coti (Though maybe Bart has, he's surely seen many more than I).

To be perfectly honest, other than resale value, I wouldn't worry too much about whether my coti was slate or bbw backed. I've only used my combo a little, but I don't bother with the BBW side at all. I have better low grit stones than BBW, and even if I didn't I understand I'd need only slurry up the Yellow side a bit thicker and then I would.

**WittyAg** · 01-26-2010, 11:30 PM

Appreciate the replies guys. The only reason I was concerned about the BBW side was for secondary use to sharpen my pocket knife and kitchen knives.

So of the following, which would you say are probably combo coticules and not yellow backed with slate?

Coticule #1

Coticule #2

Coticule #3

Coticule #3 Different View

**SliceOfLife** · 01-26-2010, 11:58 PM

3 is clearly BBW from the look of the stone.
1 is clearly a natural combo from the crazy mating between the two stones
2 looks very much like a natural combo, but I'm not 100% sure.

Wait a minute.... Im watching Coti 1...

Nope thats not bbw... that's not even a Coti... it's umm Heroin. Yeah, from terrorists. You don't wanna buy that or the DEA and DHS will come for you.

**WittyAg** · 01-27-2010, 02:20 AM

Originally Posted by SliceOfLife

3 is clearly BBW from the look of the stone.
1 is clearly a natural combo from the crazy mating between the two stones
2 looks very much like a natural combo, but I'm not 100% sure.

Wait a minute.... Im watching Coti 1...

Nope thats not bbw... that's not even a Coti... it's umm Heroin. Yeah, from terrorists. You don't wanna buy that or the DEA and DHS will come for you.

Lol, you've nothing to fear. I'm interested in #2 and #3 and just put a picture of #1 up for comparison.

**SliceOfLife** · 01-27-2010, 05:49 AM

Ah I passed on those two because I felt they were a bit on the small side... but maybe that means you can get them nice and cheap. eBay coti's do seem to go for quite a bit more than what I'd consider them worth (seen a couple 8x3's in the 500$ range, and some rough looking 6x1-2" go well over $100... when Ardennes has new ones for less... I guess people really value the vintage or natural combo aspect).

**SliceOfLife** · 01-27-2010, 08:40 PM

Man did you see what stone #1 ended at... and it DIDN'T meet the reserve. That's crazy. I'm just buying a decent sized coti off Ardennes Coticule and being done with it. 3.5x2's going for $86 shipped. I should sell my 2x2. It could pay for my new 150x40mm from Ardennes.

**WittyAg** · 01-28-2010, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by SliceOfLife

Man did you see what stone #1 ended at... and it DIDN'T meet the reserve. That's crazy. I'm just buying a decent sized coti off Ardennes Coticule and being done with it. 3.5x2's going for $86 shipped. I should sell my 2x2. It could pay for my new 150x40mm from Ardennes.

Yeah I saw. I guess that guy wanted $200 for it.

**Oldengaerde** · 01-29-2010, 11:39 AM

$350 actually - I asked. Ridiculous indeed.

All pictures are of natural combinations of BBW and coticule by the way.

Originally Posted by SliceOfLife

I've never seen a perfectly flat meeting of BBW/Coti.

Perfect - no. But some really do come close:

In addition to the answers to the original question: if the slurry isn't purple, it isn't BBW.

Only recent coticules have backings of Portuguese slate. All backings on vintage coticules are BBW - which is not to say that all backs of vintage coticules are good hones. After all, the BBW just needed to provide stability; they were not selected for their uniformity or cutting speed.

**SliceOfLife** · 01-29-2010, 01:18 PM

Very nice hone porn. The skin (I think that's what the uncut bottom side of a stone is called) is real interesting. Shame you have to flatten them to use em.

**mitchshrader** · 02-03-2010, 06:49 PM

I bought the combo stone referenced above, '3.5x2 for 86$ shipped' and would agree that it is a few dollars above the market price. It fit the hole in my collection, and is my smallest hone.

I needed a small hone for craft blades, a portable pocketknife hone, and a fat nagura for my largest coticule. It fit all three jobs. I'm happy.

Folks DO use them for other than razor hones, and sometimes that makes them more valuable. It happens to be one of the very few that cost me under 100$. I was congratulating myself on a bargain.

**SliceOfLife** · 02-03-2010, 06:53 PM

Sorry. I didn't want to rain on your parade. I just don't understand the wide gap in prices between the New stuff from Ardennes and the vintage combos. Mainly because I personally find no use for the BBW, though I know some people do. If you're happy with your purchase, that's what matters.