We can imagine what it would be like to find an untouched stock of antique razor hones. This dream became a reality for one lucky person.
A Delaware reseller named George found a bunch of old sharpening stones. They were recovered from the basement of the closed-down American Barber Tool Co in Philadelphia, PA. The stones appear to be unused, and many retain their original labels. The seller estimated the stones were left behind around 1900.
The load contained around 30 Belgian Coticules. The labels were nearly gone on 1 or 2 examples but remained intact for the others. “Genuine Old Rock Co” brand labels appeared on 26 of the stones. While the stones seem to be unused, the paper labels have seen better days. They’re dirty, have shelf wear, and appear to have been exposed to water and sunlight.
When he finished selling the stones, 15 new coticules were shipped to my door. 12 of the 15 have Genuine Old Rock brand labels.
Jacques & Co
The Old Rock labels feature the Jacques & Co signature. The Jacques family owned the Old Rock mine and brand from approximately 1874 to 1914. Hones with the Jacques signature are from before World War I. These are truly antique stones.
Today, it is unclear what factors were used for the selection process of higher-quality stones. We just know the stones with labels were supposed to be better examples than stones without. They say not every stone they sold was shipped with labels. The labels were supposed to be reserved for the best stock.
Label transcribed:
Genuine old Rock
This Hone is superior to all others for sharpening Razors and other fine instruments. It possess a very fine satin grit and is preferred to any other Hone by all the Leading cutlers and Razor manufacturers throughout the world.
Jacques & Co (red signature)
Unlabeled stones:
It is difficult to confirm the branding with certainty for the 3 unlabeled stones in this collection. While the natural combos look to be from the same batch, there is no remaining proof of provenance attached. A close examination suggests the outline of a label existed on the stones at some time, but there isn’t enough evidence to say for sure. Like an old bottle of wine without a label.
Characteristics
Most of the surfaces have manganese lines or spots. Only 2 of the 15 stones are glued combos. One of the glued combos is a natural combo with blue added for thickness.
The 7″ x 1.5″ glued combo appears to have been repaired at the workshop. What looks almost like a manganese inclusion at first is actually a hairline crack filled with resin. After some thorough testing, the repair job by the miners has held strong. This stone is still useful for razors and knives thanks to the repair. The blue side of this one appears more red and purple than the natural combos.
The stones that have been tested so far are extra-fine, hard, and glassy variants.
Summary
We’ll occasionally see labeled Old Rock coticule on the market, but not in these quantities. The Jacques & Co label indicates these stones were left behind over 100 years ago. We’re unlikely to see another load of Old Rock coticules on the market again. Given the opportunity, don’t miss out on owning some ancient honing history.
More information on Old Rock coticules can be found here: https://razorhoning.wordpress.com/2022/03/03/guide-to-buying-belgian-coticules/#antique-stones
© Copyright 2022 Ryan Mahoney
Razor Honing 
Extraordinary find! I’d like to bid on one of the better ones for my study collection. info@theperfectedge.com.
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