Since Alex is providing so much info I am going to ask about this koma. Comparing the stamps with Gamma's website it's sword grade. Shouldn't the Asano stamp be red?
I will be thrilled if mine is true. Not really in the mood to lap something brutal.
So I have no issues with the stone it is definitely one of my favorite finishers, but after learning more about this sellers ebay habits I would steer clear of his ebay listings. He also seems to have no reference to Hatanaka on his web site, but sells stones with the same stamps as Hatanaka stamped on his ebay listings. What that means about his Maruka stamped stones as that is what the original op question was, I don't know. From what I am seeing I would not pay the extra for one of his maruka stamps. Unless of course you just like the stone and are fine with the price. This is just my opinion of course. The stone is the tool not the stamp. My stamps are almost gone already.
Alex you had a few pics that didn't seem to come through when you were talking about the maruka stamps.
Tom
Sorry that i fell off the wagon here, the photos I was trying to add were of the same grouping. Again, I am not seeing any Hatanaka stamps anywhere here, these maruka stamps are just attributions at best but more like suggestions that fall into the marketing realm. I don't follow e-bay but no one told me about actual Hatanaka stones on e-bay. I understand that there have been some sold but I haven't seen them myself. I guess that you know that Hatanaka-san died, if has beeb about 3 years ago now, and his family is out of the business, closed the shop, but I am dumb as to what has happened with their stock and I hesitate to speculate beyond that. Here is the photo I tired to add the other day. This seller used to ink stamp the stones and I don't remember his wrapping everything in plastic before. The only Maruka stamps are the orange paper ones. I think that for a while that some fellows were assuming that the Maruichi stamp was associated with the Nakayama mine, that was not true.
Alex
SORRY BUT FOR SOME REASON MY PHOTOS SHOW UP IN THE COMPOSITION BUT NOT AT THE PUBLISHING STAGE.
Alx