I think it's a good thing. Why not bring back a product that is not available any longer? It's not like they are selling Thiringians and labeling them Escher. Taking the effort and risk to bring back a good product and sell it at a reasonable price is a big effort. In the end it doesn't matter what they are called, as long as these stones are mined from the same source as the vintage ones, the quality should be the same. These stones have been around for millions of years. Sure, using the name is a good marketing move, but we are talking about some guys doing this out of passion, it's not a mass-production.
La Lune Special Stone...Anybody got one?
- Thread starter hig789
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So looks like he just met with Maurice at Ardennes and from the way he is speaking sounds like they may do some sort of collaboration. He posted on Facebook with pics of him and Maurice at the shop. Not sure what this means though.
A great meeting with the Belgian masters, yesterday at Ardennes Coticule .
When a French manufacturer meets the Belgian ones, it can give a unique product in the world, and I hope to realize it with the help of my Belgian friends.
I thank very particularly the owners of the place for having taken a lot of time with me, a meeting which without any doubt will always remain in my memory.
A great meeting with the Belgian masters, yesterday at Ardennes Coticule .
When a French manufacturer meets the Belgian ones, it can give a unique product in the world, and I hope to realize it with the help of my Belgian friends.
I thank very particularly the owners of the place for having taken a lot of time with me, a meeting which without any doubt will always remain in my memory.
Isn't it? They're selling French Slates and labeling them La Lune. How is that different?
But are they? How is that verified? I didn't see any claims on the site that this material was dug out of the original La Lune mines. Does it say that somewhere?
I'm all for new and good quality stones. But I don't think a stone of great quality would need to attempt to masquerade as a vintage stone. If Mueller German whetstones were actually good, folks wouldn't bother reselling them as "Thuringian". They'd sell themselves as "Mueller German Whetstones".
Now if these are actually coming out of the same mine as the original La Lune's, calling them la lunes is less problematic in my eyes... the reproduction labels and throwback sawmarks would still raise my eyebrow though, because they're seemingly helping buyers to try and resell them as vintage stones to people who don't know better if the modern ones are ever found out to NOT be of good quality and the resale value tanks. Maybe I don't understand that collector mentality... but replicating the unique sawmarks of the vintage La Lunes doesn't offer any benefit in my eyes EXCEPT helping it be used to trick someone into thinking it's a vintage stone. It's like the guys who carve "Year 0001. Jesuz wuz here" in their coticules and list them as ancient for $2000.
Afaik a lot of the time spent on that project was doing the research to find the original site.
We have been wondering about those mines for a long time. Just imagine if you wouldn't know where translucent and blacks where mined! Or coticules... La lune where sold all over France for many years, but no traces of the origins...
Saw marks are saw marks. Easier left in, than lapped. Less work. Most vintage had them for the same reasons.
Saw marks are saw marks. Easier left in, than lapped. Less work. Most vintage had them for the same reasons.
I would rather have seen these new La Lunes labeled as "New La Lune," " La Lune Deux" or something to that effect. Those among us who are collectors and that know stones well will know and understand the difference but it's just asking for confusion from those less well informed. And over time that may not be clearly differentiated in everyone's minds. I do like that they are making the stones available, though I would like to see a little better explanation of whether the stones do in fact come from the same mines as the original, etc.
As far as Sebastian goes, I have nothing but respect for him, and he is very knowledgeable indeed in terms of the stones themselves. I don't think he would try to pass off a stone of the same name that wasn't of the same material as the original.
As far as Sebastian goes, I have nothing but respect for him, and he is very knowledgeable indeed in terms of the stones themselves. I don't think he would try to pass off a stone of the same name that wasn't of the same material as the original.
From what I've read that material is prety usual in the vosges. It seems to me that it was Sebastien that had pictures of tombstones made of that purple stone. He got a huge one, with a line down the middle from someone in France, the picture and story is in RLS.
Keith has a video with another of those purple hones that he calls vosgienne, with the green spots and everything. He mentions a guy that had a few of those, wondering who it was.
Vosgienne is another mystery!
Keith has a video with another of those purple hones that he calls vosgienne, with the green spots and everything. He mentions a guy that had a few of those, wondering who it was.
Vosgienne is another mystery!
It sure looks the part thought don't it. I would be interested to hear anyone's experience with this if someone gets their hands on one. I have the blue xfine variant and it makes a hell of a handheld barbers hone. Would love to know have these new purple lunes compare.
Traditionally they are not known for a super smooth edge.
It can be ridiculously sharp but at a price. Minimum strokes to increase sharpness and still keep the smoothness of something previous.
As I recall, Sebastian did not have much luck in the smoothness department with these. Glycerine got him close though.
I used it for finishing after two different coticules on two razors and I found them really smooth. I used water with 3-4 drops of Glycerin. Maybe, due to the sharpness, I used less pressure than usual, but I don't think it could have been such a difference.
I found it to be a good addition to a Coticule edge.
I found it to be a good addition to a Coticule edge.
My own testing over a period of time was to us water and only go 10-15 strokes.
It would bump the keenness quite a bit and still maintain the the smoothness.
It would bump the keenness quite a bit and still maintain the the smoothness.
They are sensitive to what you lead in with, strokes, buffer. I greatly prefer the purple to the black.
Me too!
The purple is not that fast, but prety efective and smoth. Done rigth, water only, with low pressure final passes it ends up there with thuris and PDSO. I don't bother with slurry. It does great after a maxed coti, but it takes a while to get the best out of it. Feed back only starts to talk when you get close to the max it can do, but is loud and clear.
Most of my razors see the purple or a thuri before my finisher, but straight out the stone the shave can be excellent.
The blue is the fastest stone I know at those top fine grits. On some steels is stupid fast. I find the edge quite aggressive, so rarely use it as a razor finisher. It is great to redo an edge with out dropping to lower grits, but always use another stone to finish the edge.
For razors the surface has to be worn down a bit (knives or tools) after lapping, otherwise I find it scratches the bevel.
It is a great stone for many other things, and I use them a lot.
Most of my razors see the purple or a thuri before my finisher, but straight out the stone the shave can be excellent.
The blue is the fastest stone I know at those top fine grits. On some steels is stupid fast. I find the edge quite aggressive, so rarely use it as a razor finisher. It is great to redo an edge with out dropping to lower grits, but always use another stone to finish the edge.
For razors the surface has to be worn down a bit (knives or tools) after lapping, otherwise I find it scratches the bevel.
It is a great stone for many other things, and I use them a lot.
I find the Purple to be plenty fast considering the fineness.
Any stone that can considerably improve the sharpness in 10-15 strokes from an otherwise very good finisher is quick.
I certainly would not consider it slow or that it takes a while to get the most out of it.
Any stone that can considerably improve the sharpness in 10-15 strokes from an otherwise very good finisher is quick.
I certainly would not consider it slow or that it takes a while to get the most out of it.
I've read that often. In my case, to max to the end, it takes a while. May start with some slurry, but id dilutes to water only. Pressure decreases to almost nothing, chasing the rigth feedback.
And is not lack of stones, or that they are small. Just that the edge keeps improving, and I stop when I feel no more changes. While I still feel changing feed back under the blade I keep going.
Under scope there is no real wear, just gradual edge improvement.
For a while it bother me since I keep reading that a few passes are enough. But shaves improved, so it work for me...
And is not lack of stones, or that they are small. Just that the edge keeps improving, and I stop when I feel no more changes. While I still feel changing feed back under the blade I keep going.
Under scope there is no real wear, just gradual edge improvement.
For a while it bother me since I keep reading that a few passes are enough. But shaves improved, so it work for me...
To be fair, I grabbed a good razor the was honed on a Y/G with 2 shaves on it and gave it 80 strokes on the Purple Lune with no pressure whatsoever using water only.
Damn fine shave today. Silly sharp and smooth, nearly no sting at all from alcohol aftershave.
To be honest I haven't played with much in the last 5-7 years. When I did though, it could not be used alone as a finisher in a progression. It would feel harsh even though it looked fantastic under the scope.
Through experimenting I found that if used after a very smooth high end finisher (Escher, Gokumyo 20k) and about 10-15 strokes it would noticeably bump up the keenness without loosing smoothness. That alone was enough to make it usable and a keeper.
I'm not sure how many strokes would send it the other way but today was a wonderful shave for sure and worth playing with again, so thank you.
Always good to revisit stones and verify or disqualify previous notions. More testing needed
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You are rigth. I've stopped selling my unused hones. I've been surprised more than once by left aside rocks. As we gather experience, it seems easier to unlock potential.
I'm glad it works for you. Is an amazing stone that deserves the time it takes to learn it. Pressure control seems to be one of the keys on this one, like most hard hones.
Tried long time with different concoctions. Gone back to water and hand control. Keith was the one mentioning that hand feel thing, and he was right. Once you fell the connexion, is much easier to tune the edge.
I'm glad it works for you. Is an amazing stone that deserves the time it takes to learn it. Pressure control seems to be one of the keys on this one, like most hard hones.
Tried long time with different concoctions. Gone back to water and hand control. Keith was the one mentioning that hand feel thing, and he was right. Once you fell the connexion, is much easier to tune the edge.
I'm pretty thorough when testing and when originally tested the more strokes 30 plus always left a slightly harsh feeling.
The secret was having a super smooth finish to begin with and just bump up the keenness.
15- 20 at the time seemed to produce the most consistent results.
Maybe just because I refreshed this time, who knows. Always uber light pressure anyway with this stone.
This time extra strokes just worked, I certainlt wasn't expecting it to be good. Even brought another razor just in case.
It just gives incentive to try all the stones from time to time.
Many times I get fixated on a killer Coti and use just that for a while.
Jnats for certain razors, etc, etc... I don't rotate razors and stones like I used to but I should. I have them anyway
The secret was having a super smooth finish to begin with and just bump up the keenness.
15- 20 at the time seemed to produce the most consistent results.
Maybe just because I refreshed this time, who knows. Always uber light pressure anyway with this stone.
This time extra strokes just worked, I certainlt wasn't expecting it to be good. Even brought another razor just in case.
It just gives incentive to try all the stones from time to time.
Many times I get fixated on a killer Coti and use just that for a while.
Jnats for certain razors, etc, etc... I don't rotate razors and stones like I used to but I should. I have them anyway
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