Day 1
There is a number of fine knife shops here in downtown Tokyo, many within walking distance of my workplace. I have been eyeing some new arrival hones at one of the shops and decided to pick one up the other day.
What I got is labeled "Mikawa Toishi". It is a hone sized peice of 'Nagura'. The stock that the store had wasn't labeled as to which 'type' of nagura they are, and one or two of them looked to have some flaws if you looked really close.
I got the largest one without any appearant flaws and here is a few pics of it brand new.
A beautiful stone with a beautiful patterning. The top right kanji read Mikawa Toishi. The lower left ones read Chuujima (internal stripes). And the number 80 is the size designation of the hone.
The bottom was quite flat, so I decided to lap it instead of the stamped side. After some quick preliminary testing (I'm not sure yet) I think it may be in the #5000+ range. I will have to do a couple of more tests than what I did the other night, but the shave off of it only pulled a little. I will investigate further.
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Day 2
I had my hones out the other night for a honing session and decided to also take a picture of my current line up of natural hones. I have this Mikawa Toishi, a Belgian Coticule, a 'Thuringian' (Escher-type), and a Renge Suita. All beautiful hones in their own right. The only hone with a wet surface is the Mikawa.
I really love the look of the Mikawa and am excited to test it further. I hope it finds a place in my honing regime. Lastly a couple of shots of my new Kitchen with my honing set up taking over the sink area after the kids are in bed for the night.
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Day 3
I had some time last night and decided to hone up a razor that had yet to be honed. In doing so I thought I would test the Mikawa Hone and see what kind of scratch pattern it leaves and eliminates. It should also be known that I am honing a Robert Williams HCS razor.
***I should also mention that these Mikawa hones are supposed to be used after the Naka-to and directly before the shiage-to, to make the final polishing of the shiage an easier task.***
I was pretty sure the Mikawa wass at least a #5000 (JIS) grit and set out to see if that was so. (Of course my observations are only based on scratch pattern, arm hair test and TPT.)
After the #3000 Chosera I tried the Mikawa without a slurry. There was very little changed (if anything) in the scratch pattern that the #3000 left. So I worked up a slurry with my DMT and did about 50 laps. The #3000 scratches were nearly completely gone and what was left was a consistant cloudy/hazy look over the entire bevel. The TPT and arm hair test told me it was keener than what it had been off of the #3000. So I stepped it up to the #5000 Chosera.
On the #5000 I went ahead and did about 50 laps to eliminate the Mikawa results (which it did), and retest the arm hair test and TPT. The arm hair test told me it had lost a little of its keeness and the scratch pattern of the Chosera had reappeared although finer than the #3000.
After the #5000 I tried the slurried 50 laps on the Mikawa as I did after the #3000 and the hazy bevel reappeared. At this stage it was very keen and going through arm hairs like no tomorrow.
At this point I debated doing a test shave and ended up deciding to keep honing. (I will do a shave test with it in another test at a later date.) I have that beautiful La Petite Blanche coticule (pictured above) that is a finisher and final polisher in its own right. I decided to see what it would do the the hazy cloudy bevel that the Mikawa left. I used clean water and did about 50 laps. The coticule did distupt the hazy bevel a little. But not as completely as the #5000 Chosera did. I also felt that there was a slight decrease in keeness as the arm hair test wasn't what it had been moments before.
I tried the thuringian (Escher-type) with a slurry to see if it would change what the coticule did to the hazy bevel. Minimal change with respoect to scratch pattern. I found at this stage that a shave test was needed and did a quick one. The edge was really good. Not exceptional but really good. So what I decided to to at this point was to finish it off on my Renge Suita top finisher and leave the full shave test for the morning.
The morning shave was very nice but not as smooth as I thought it would be. I am going to try decreasing the number of hones and go from the Mikawa directly to the Suita and see how it feels. I would also like to to do a test shave straight off of the Mikawa and compare it to one off of the #5000 and the Coticule. Three back to back to see if there is a difference.
I have to say though that this little Mikawa, besides from being a very unique and beautiful hone, is a fabulous hone to use. It is hard and fast cutting (with a slurry). The size is not too small and not too large. And the feedback in use is great! It sounds and smells great too.
I am suspect that it is a big piece of Mejiro Naguara but I don't think I will ever be able to confirm or refute that suspision.
Happy honing people and I will post after I have done a few more tests for those of you following this hone and thread.
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Day 4
So I did two more tests on it.
The first was on a Boker that hadn't ever been honed. I set a bevel on my DMT 1200 and then went straight to the Mikawa. I worked up a slurry. Did about 50 laps, but diluted the slurry over the last 20 and finished on clean water. I really think though that this hone has minimal cutting power without a slurry.
I stropped and did a shave test.
The shave test was fine. Not great and not poor. It felt like there was a little pull but not much at all. I think I could have stropped it in to a better shave though.
The second test was adding the Renge suita that I have directly after the Mikawa. This was done right after the shave test mentioned in the first test.
I did my usual number of laps. The same number I would have done if it was coming off on either a coticule or a thuringian.
I stropped and did another quick shave test. Much better. As slick as butter. As the shave test was only a single swipe I did a full shave shave test the following evening and it was wisker wacking and snicker snacking the beard to oblivion.
I was very happy with the shave after the inclusion of a final polisher.
Again, from what I have read, this Mikawa Toishi is supposed to make the final polishing step an easier one. And being able to go from a DMT1200 directly to this Mikawa and then to the final polisher I have, makes quick work of any honing job.
I will re-test this second test with the three hones on another razor in a week or so and will see how it compares.
So far a very worthwhile purchase.
There is a number of fine knife shops here in downtown Tokyo, many within walking distance of my workplace. I have been eyeing some new arrival hones at one of the shops and decided to pick one up the other day.
What I got is labeled "Mikawa Toishi". It is a hone sized peice of 'Nagura'. The stock that the store had wasn't labeled as to which 'type' of nagura they are, and one or two of them looked to have some flaws if you looked really close.
I got the largest one without any appearant flaws and here is a few pics of it brand new.
A beautiful stone with a beautiful patterning. The top right kanji read Mikawa Toishi. The lower left ones read Chuujima (internal stripes). And the number 80 is the size designation of the hone.
The bottom was quite flat, so I decided to lap it instead of the stamped side. After some quick preliminary testing (I'm not sure yet) I think it may be in the #5000+ range. I will have to do a couple of more tests than what I did the other night, but the shave off of it only pulled a little. I will investigate further.
*********************************
Day 2
I had my hones out the other night for a honing session and decided to also take a picture of my current line up of natural hones. I have this Mikawa Toishi, a Belgian Coticule, a 'Thuringian' (Escher-type), and a Renge Suita. All beautiful hones in their own right. The only hone with a wet surface is the Mikawa.
I really love the look of the Mikawa and am excited to test it further. I hope it finds a place in my honing regime. Lastly a couple of shots of my new Kitchen with my honing set up taking over the sink area after the kids are in bed for the night.
***********************************************
Day 3
I had some time last night and decided to hone up a razor that had yet to be honed. In doing so I thought I would test the Mikawa Hone and see what kind of scratch pattern it leaves and eliminates. It should also be known that I am honing a Robert Williams HCS razor.
***I should also mention that these Mikawa hones are supposed to be used after the Naka-to and directly before the shiage-to, to make the final polishing of the shiage an easier task.***
I was pretty sure the Mikawa wass at least a #5000 (JIS) grit and set out to see if that was so. (Of course my observations are only based on scratch pattern, arm hair test and TPT.)
After the #3000 Chosera I tried the Mikawa without a slurry. There was very little changed (if anything) in the scratch pattern that the #3000 left. So I worked up a slurry with my DMT and did about 50 laps. The #3000 scratches were nearly completely gone and what was left was a consistant cloudy/hazy look over the entire bevel. The TPT and arm hair test told me it was keener than what it had been off of the #3000. So I stepped it up to the #5000 Chosera.
On the #5000 I went ahead and did about 50 laps to eliminate the Mikawa results (which it did), and retest the arm hair test and TPT. The arm hair test told me it had lost a little of its keeness and the scratch pattern of the Chosera had reappeared although finer than the #3000.
After the #5000 I tried the slurried 50 laps on the Mikawa as I did after the #3000 and the hazy bevel reappeared. At this stage it was very keen and going through arm hairs like no tomorrow.
At this point I debated doing a test shave and ended up deciding to keep honing. (I will do a shave test with it in another test at a later date.) I have that beautiful La Petite Blanche coticule (pictured above) that is a finisher and final polisher in its own right. I decided to see what it would do the the hazy cloudy bevel that the Mikawa left. I used clean water and did about 50 laps. The coticule did distupt the hazy bevel a little. But not as completely as the #5000 Chosera did. I also felt that there was a slight decrease in keeness as the arm hair test wasn't what it had been moments before.
I tried the thuringian (Escher-type) with a slurry to see if it would change what the coticule did to the hazy bevel. Minimal change with respoect to scratch pattern. I found at this stage that a shave test was needed and did a quick one. The edge was really good. Not exceptional but really good. So what I decided to to at this point was to finish it off on my Renge Suita top finisher and leave the full shave test for the morning.
The morning shave was very nice but not as smooth as I thought it would be. I am going to try decreasing the number of hones and go from the Mikawa directly to the Suita and see how it feels. I would also like to to do a test shave straight off of the Mikawa and compare it to one off of the #5000 and the Coticule. Three back to back to see if there is a difference.
I have to say though that this little Mikawa, besides from being a very unique and beautiful hone, is a fabulous hone to use. It is hard and fast cutting (with a slurry). The size is not too small and not too large. And the feedback in use is great! It sounds and smells great too.
I am suspect that it is a big piece of Mejiro Naguara but I don't think I will ever be able to confirm or refute that suspision.
Happy honing people and I will post after I have done a few more tests for those of you following this hone and thread.
*********************************
Day 4
So I did two more tests on it.
The first was on a Boker that hadn't ever been honed. I set a bevel on my DMT 1200 and then went straight to the Mikawa. I worked up a slurry. Did about 50 laps, but diluted the slurry over the last 20 and finished on clean water. I really think though that this hone has minimal cutting power without a slurry.
I stropped and did a shave test.
The shave test was fine. Not great and not poor. It felt like there was a little pull but not much at all. I think I could have stropped it in to a better shave though.
The second test was adding the Renge suita that I have directly after the Mikawa. This was done right after the shave test mentioned in the first test.
I did my usual number of laps. The same number I would have done if it was coming off on either a coticule or a thuringian.
I stropped and did another quick shave test. Much better. As slick as butter. As the shave test was only a single swipe I did a full shave shave test the following evening and it was wisker wacking and snicker snacking the beard to oblivion.
I was very happy with the shave after the inclusion of a final polisher.
Again, from what I have read, this Mikawa Toishi is supposed to make the final polishing step an easier one. And being able to go from a DMT1200 directly to this Mikawa and then to the final polisher I have, makes quick work of any honing job.
I will re-test this second test with the three hones on another razor in a week or so and will see how it compares.
So far a very worthwhile purchase.
(Not sure if you have tried before.) I've got a couple cotis, the same "Escher-type", and a vintage Thuringian from Kees. PM me if you're interested. I've got a couple Arkansas stones, but given that you like diamonds so much it'll feel like you're waving your razor in the air.
