Ardennes Coticule Two Layer Whetstone, Small 4" x 1.5" x 0.75" - ARD204

Description

ARD204: Coticule Two Layer Whetstone, Small 4" x 1.5" x 0.75"

Ardennes-Coticule Whetstones

The Velsalm Coticule stone is a natural whetstone with a rich past. The extraction and production of the Coticule in the Belgian Ardennes dates back to the 17th century. It is a sedimentary rock formed over 480 million years, consisting of greyish-yellowish volcanic ash and clay containing hard garnet crystals. The Spessartite garnets are created by a rearrangement of minerals under the influence of regional metamorphosis. Due to a whim of nature, the Coticule only occurs in thin, vertical seems, trapped between two thick strata of bluish-purple slate. This means that the stone needs to be extracted meticulously and mostly without using machinery. This extraction is very time-consuming, labour-intensive and expensive work that can only occur a few months per year, due to the influence of all kinds of weather conditions. The production is 100% traditional and makes every stone a unique item.