My Jnat Journey

[Steve56]

Is it advisable to paint the Kanji graphics on the work surface (to preserve them) as well?

No, you can’t put lacquer on the honing surface. You’ll lose the stamps the first time that you laap the stone, but that’s just part of it.

 

[Acmemfg]

Kind of thought that but figured it would do no harm to ask.

 

[Tomo]

Kind of thought that but figured it would do no harm to ask.

A spray on enamel may be more durable than nail varnish.

 

[Tomo]

Nagura inbound!

 

[Tomo]

It seems that there is a kanji for my username. I didn’t even know that Jnats existed when I registered that name. That’s cool.


TOMO:

 

[Acmemfg]

Now I get to try and figure out how to use it. Methinks this ain’t no coticule or Arkansas stone

 

[rhgg2]

It seems that there is a kanji for my username. I didn’t even know that Jnats existed when I registered that name. That’s cool.


TOMO:
View attachment 1922864

Fun fact, the mapping of kanji to sounds is super weird in Japanese, so there are many kanji for your name. A quick dictionary search throws up:

供, 伴, 友, 朋, 侶
which all mean "companion" or "friend" and all have "tomo" as one of their pronunciations. The last two are a bit obscure. If you really want to plumb the depths into obscure stuff, there is also 艫 which is the stern of a ship, and 鞆 which is ... an archer's left wrist protector.

共 as a prefix means "together with" or "same". But in many compound words it is pronounced "kyou" rather than "tomo"!

 

[Tomo]

供, 伴, 友, 朋, 侶
which all mean "companion" or "friend" and all have "tomo" as one of their pronunciations.

I’ll go with that! I didn’t realize I had picked such a cool name.

 

[Tomo]

The general advise with Nagura seems to boil down to the following: Use high quality, razor grade, rock. The stones should be grit rich with fine particles. The stones should be in the same ballpark of hardness and fineness as the base stone. Get a selection and experiment with different combinations to see what works.

With that in mind I’ve got a few things coming from my new favourite store in Japan, Japan Avenue. This should keep me busy for a while. I’m starting to view Jnats as more of an art form than a science. It’s not about finding the one perfect combination and sticking to it. It’s more about enjoying the process seeing what’s possible with the endless combinations of stone and steel.

 

[Tomo]

Still getting some light base stone scratches from the Nagura. I’m wondering if there is any point in continuing to lap these out. It seems like a waste of stone. I lap the stones lightly before each use to ensure it is flat. In time the scratches will wear away. They should not really hurt anything being below the honing surface.

 

[Acmemfg]

First session with the Narutaki. Not bad. HHT 3 or thereabouts.
More to learn indeed.

 

[Tomo]

46 hours from Osaka to Melbourne. How do they do it? DHL are amazing.

I’m really impressed with the service from Japan Avenue. The website is well laid out, lots of information about the stones, fast and efficient processing, always happy to combine shipping and everything is always well packed. Time will tell but the stones appear to be the real deal.

 

[Tomo]

I think I have enough Nagura now!

 

[JPO]

I think I have enough Nagura now!

View attachment 1925014

Now I understand your avatar name
Nice tomo collection @Tomo.

 

[Steve56]

I think I have enough Nagura now!

You’re just getting started!

 

[jimm262]

46 hours from Osaka to Melbourne. How do they do it? DHL are amazing.

On Sunday I ordered a stone from Japan Avenue and another from Griffiths in Rhode Island (on the east coast of the US), and the one from Japan made it to Texas first.

 

[Tomo]

Testing out some new stones.

Nakayama with Atoma Slurry > Nakayama with Nakayama Nagura Slurry > Plain Water > 20 TM Linen > 60 TM Horse Hide

This was a nice combo. The Nagura built a slow and steady slurry with little effort. The edge is tree topping like a laser beam.