Yellow Belgian slate stone (Yellow Coticule) 150x25x7mm on blank

Vintage yellow Belgian slate (Yellow Coticule) size 150x25x7mm. Yellow Coticule contains up to 42% pomegranate seeds ranging in size from 5 to 15 microns. Compared to BBW, Yellow Coticule is soft and brittle and is used bonded to bluestone (either glued or cut from a single natural piece) to improve performance. The color of Yellow Coticule is white-yellow, sometimes with red, sometimes with green tints. By analogy with artificial stones, Yellow Coticule is compared with 6000-8000 grit in the Japanese classification of synthetic abrasives.
Work with yellow Belgian slate by wetting its surface with clean water. Depending on the type of blade steel being processed, a suspension with varying degrees of intensity can be induced on the stone. The suspension can be preliminarily applied by rubbing the working surface of the caticle with a piece of the same stone or another abrasive bar. As a rule, work with yellow Belgian slate is carried out in two stages: first on a suspension, and then on a clean stone moistened with water. Sometimes oil is also used for finishing on these stones, which is also acceptable, although the manufacturer does not recommend this format of work.
To date, there are not many sharpening stones that have proven their quality over the centuries and Belgian slates, known since the time of the Roman Empire, are one of them. Despite the huge variety of synthetic and natural abrasives, the Belgian stone firmly occupies its niche and is unique in many ways. Even if you are not sharpening straight razors, where Belgian slate shows the best results, this stone should definitely be present in the sharpening set as one of its mandatory elements. It gives a very high sharpness, works very quickly, does not form a burr, does not salt at all. An amazing, incomparable feeling from the sharpening itself, a unique response when passing a knife, which no other stone has - all this makes Belgian slates incomparable with any other of the existing artificial or natural abrasives. The stone is absolutely amazing in terms of the pleasure of working with it.
Layers of yellow Belgian slate (Yellow Coticule):
Layer No. 1 aux Poissons - layer thickness 3 cm (exhausted)
Layer #2 Petite-Veinette - layer thickness from 0.7 cm to 3 cm (exhausted)
Layer #3 Fillet thickness - layer thickness 0.7 cm (exhausted)
Layer No. 4 Grosse-Blanche - layer thickness 6 cm (rare, color from light to dark brown or a combination of them, dark lines and dots may occur. One of the best cuticles for sharpening knives and carpentry tools)
Layer No. 5 Gros Grès - layer thickness from 2.6 cm to 7.5 cm (extremely rare, gray-yellow color, darkens to ocher when wet. One of the best razor coats)
Layer No. 6 Dressante - layer thickness 2.6-7.4 cm (the most variable in color, the color can vary from light yellow, white, pink to coffee-cream, dark lines and dots are possible)
Layer No. 7 Jolie-Veinette - layer thickness from 1.5 cm to 3 cm (yellowish or brownish in hue, uniform in color, no pattern, but there are dark stripes or blue spots)
Layer No. 8 Petite-Blanche - layer thickness 0.7-2cm (pale beige color, no pattern, but sometimes there are brown blotches)
Layer No. 9 Les Deux Großes-Latneuses - layer thickness 1.5 cm (color from milky coffee to pink, there are brown, orange or blue streaks, very hard and thin, but works quickly).
Layer No. 10 Nouvelle Veine - layer thickness 7.5 cm (color milky gray)
Layer 11 La Grise (gray with yellowish and bluish tint)
Layer No. 12 La Verte (has a greenish-gray tint, the formation of a suspension is not intense)
Layer No. 13 La Veine AUX Clous (soft, porous, rarely used for sharpening).