Ardennes-Coticule 910 Belgian Blue Whetstone Large w/ Wood Box

Measures 7 7/8" x 2". 100% handmade in Belgium. Each stone is formed by hand and unique. Comes in wooden storage box.

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 colour. Just like the Coticule, the extraction of the BBW is a time-consuming task that must be carried out very meticulously, without the use of machinery.

The Belgian Blue Whetstone consists of 1 layer with a thickness of between 13 and 16 mm. The BBW, unlike the Coticule, comes without a substrate to give it extra strength. The BBW is not divided into categories like the Coticule, and there are almost never any blemishes in the surface. The Belgian Blue Whetstone is only produced in rectangular shape and due to the deposition of thick strata of sedimentary rock, large sizes are the rule rather than the exception. Production is carried out using traditional methods, and a small tolerance as regards dimensions is perfectly normal.