A few J-nats pics

[mainaman]

Today I had my light box out so I figured I'd snap a few pics of some of my Japanese Natural stones, for those of you who like hone porn.

First Yaginoshima Suita, a very fast chalky feeling stone that brings an edge in the 6-8k range.

Oozuku Asagi, a fast buttery feeling stone with Yake (yellow streeks) and goma. This stone produces an edge similar to 8-10k range.

Shinden Sunashi Shiro Suita (white suita with no Su)

Buttery smooth stone, you almost feel like it does not hone at all but is actually very fast. It has light non scratchy karasu.

This stone is in the 15-20k range, and is great for use right before a finisher.

Iwasaki Select Nakayama Kiita.
It appears that Iwasaki has or had a barber supply business apart from razor making . Those stones were specifically selected by Iwasaki . This one is Olive green when whet unlike typical Kiita which are more yellow.

 

[mainaman]

Avery old Maruka Nayama Asagi, it has goma yake and also some karasu, it is pretty fast stone.

Nakayam Maruichi Maruka Habutae with Karasu.
This one is one of the really rare ones, Habutae means White. I could not catch the true color of the stone it is light yellow-green, a very fast and very fine stone.

Oozuku Namito the hardest and finest stone I have.
Nakayama are considered to be the top stone for razors, but not many people are aware that there are other stones that can be finer and harder.
This Oozuku is one of those stones.

Another full size Oozuku, again really fine but not as hard as the one above:

Mejiro and Koma nagura:

 

[petr]

I'm stunned. Wow.

Did you source them from the same buyer?

What general sizes are those?

Which do you use regularly?

 

[SliceOfLife]

Very nice stones. I especially like this fellow:


Shinden Sunashi Shiro Suita (white suita with no Su)

I currently just have the two Jnats:

First a lord knows what Karasu "Razor hone" from 330 that I upgraded the shipping on, so ~$30 stone. Finishes in the 10-11k range and about the fastest stone I've ever used for its grit rating. One day I'm going to try beveling on it just for a laugh. Sadly, all those veins and chips/gaps (if you can make them out) require a lot of care to hone with/around and they are throughout the stone (so can't really lap past them). So basically it's a Junky example of a real nice vein of rock. I have no idea what all the yellow green staining is. Some of it is veins but other stuff looks like it's smeared throughout the stone itself (not really gathered into veins)

Second is a "Nakayama" Karasu from a japanese metalworker on eBay. Insanely hard and smooth stone. Very fast. Tricky to use despite having an immaculate surface (except a small chalky yellow inclusion at one extreme (beyond where I hone to)) just a very peculiar stone.

 

[mainaman]

I'm stunned. Wow.

Did you source them from the same buyer?

What general sizes are those?

Which do you use regularly?

the first 3 are in order of use after bevel set, then the rest are finishers that I use depending on how I feel about a razor.
The small ones are generally in the 130-150mmx 75mmx 20mm range
the last one is 200mm x73.5mmx 33.8 mm
I got them from a few different places.

 

[natchez]

What a nice group of interesting stones. Thank you for sharing

 

[professorchaos]

Nice! Are we turning this into a J-Nat Porn thread?

 

[mainaman]

Nice! Are we turning this into a J-Nat Porn thread?

sure why not.
Here my big asagi I forgot to put in the original post, that thing is 2" thick. This one also has Yake and goma, very good stone.

 

[azmark]

Oh man, natural porn is so much better than synthetic

 

[highball]

I knew I shouldnt have looked at this thread

 

[Seraphim]

After visiting that store in Kyoto and taking a gander at the prices, I truly appreciate your guy's collections.


YOU GUYS ARE NUTS!!






I really do see the beauty and soul that hones such as these can impart, as opposed to the clinical effectiveness of my lapping films.

 

[Blue58]

I cant afford all this natural porn .... I can barely afford a one time synthetic fix but at least it will be a quality synthetic

 

[professorchaos]

sure why not.
Here my big asagi I forgot to put in the original post, that thing is 2" thick. This one also has Yake and goma, very good stone.

Cool. I see about getting some good shots of my later today. Not as impressive as yours (no Karasu, all Nakayama) but they do the job very, very well.

That is, by the way, a very cool rock.

 

[mbrossar]

Not sure if I like the stones or the lighting better. Can you include a shot of your light box? I love the even lighting and lack of shaddows.

 

[mainaman]

Not sure if I like the stones or the lighting better. Can you include a shot of your light box? I love the even lighting and lack of shaddows.

I'll take some pics later.
it's pretty much a card borad box with bed sheets on the sides and top.
My lightning is still not what I would like, it looks like a good color temperature is 5-6k K which I am not sure my lamps are capable of.

I used this tutorial
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent

 

[honed]

Those are some beautiful rocks!

Looking at them is just intoxicating, they almost speak to you...
About the wonderful , wonderful shaves that can be had!