A Combination of Two Natural Stones
The CotPyr Combination stone from Ardennes-Coticule combines two natural stones: A Pyrenees and a Belgian Blue Whetstone. The Pyrenees is a coarser, more aggressive stone suitable for creating edges and the Belgian Blue is a finer stone perfect for refining those edge to razor sharpness. Both the Pyrenees and the Belgian Blue stones are all natural, quarried stones and are affixed to each other with silicone for a permanent bond.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees stone is a deep gray color and has a gritty feel to the touch. Pyrenees stones are compared to water stones of about 1200 grit and are used to repair the edgel on a moderately dull tool or knife.
Belgian Blue
The Belgian Blue Whetstone, or BBW for short, has a blueish-purple color caused by the presence of iron in the stone. They are known for being of very uniform quality and working quickly. BBW's are compared to water stones of 4000-6000 grit and are used to refine the edge after initial sharpening with the Pyrenees.
Use With Water
CotPyr should only be used with water, never oil. There is no need to soak them prior to sharpening.