Greetings, Saw a belgian waterstone on ebay, got curious and googled a bit. They are available in Europe, very reasonably priced, including shipping to the US. Prices are on par with Japanese waterstones. Google-grouped in the wreck, and the only articles that came up were from 1994/5. So, in the last decade, has anyone here played around with them?
I'm looking for a 6k or 7k stone to round out my set, and thought it might be fun to try one of these. Will post a review, if and when...
Yes, not impressed.
They handle like a natural Japanese stone, but are much cheaper. "Natural Japanese" isnt necessarily a good thing, as they can be awkward to work with - the synthetic waterstones are easier.
The problem with these coticule stones is "wolf" grains - outsize grains that cause scratches. They're equal to a _very_ low quality Japanese stone.
For woodworking they're usable, but more trouble and slower cutting than a mid-price synthetic waterstone like a King. For sword polishing (why I was using them) they're just not reliable enough and there's too much risk of screwing up the work you've already done.
If you want a fine waterstone at a good price, I suggest a North Mountain rather than a King. Kings are a bit soft.
Roy Underhill had a stone he called a "Belgian Clay" with him when he visited Seattle a couple of years ago. He said he got it at a flea market and it had originally been used for sharpening straight razors. It must work, because his tools were certainly razor sharp.
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