Need a Jnat expert.

[alex1921]

FOR GOD'S SAKE PEOPLE YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY MAAAAAAD!!! THIS IS WORSE THAN MATRIX ...

Indeed it is. The stuff that goes on is insane.
Why not warn others about it? If I didn't see it with my own eyes I wouldn't believe it either.
They have been pages and pages written. Should I add the fake reviews he(maybe you) writes for himself on eBay?
Honestly and I have said it before, if the time spent for deception was used to test and honestly promote the stones the results would have been much better. Maybe even more profits. Don't know since I am a buyer not a dealer.

 

[Steve56]

FOR GOD'S SAKE PEOPLE YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY MAAAAAAD!!! THIS IS WORSE THAN MATRIX ...

Anyone that pays over $100 for a bench stone with all 4 corners and 2 usable sides is in a way mad, lol. Hobbyists and demanding users in the west will pay more, sometimes a lot more, but they are demanding. Can’t have it both ways dude, if you want the money you have to put up with the people who have it.

 

[Toro Blanco]

Yes he is reading and evolving his tactics. It is not coincidence he changes something right after it is discussed here and other sites.
Faking stamps is not cool and should not be tolerated under any circustances. Even if the stones are of good quality.
One thing I can add to this is do not buy from a vendor if he does not allow returns. No return means no business from me, ever!

 

[Steve56]

There aren’t any fraudulent stones, or at least very few, they’re all jnats of some sort. There are fraudulent descriptions, stamps, reviews. No worse than Amazon reviews lol, everyone knows not to trust them!

I buy a lot of stones with no return privileges from auctions. I do this mostly for fun and to educate myself, and to source stones that are not easy to find in the west. Educations are expensive, and I can honestly say that I do not believe that I’ve saved any money over buying from Alex or Takeshi. Max may be a closer call because of shipping and his EU expenses, but still it’s been fun. I’ve rarely gotten a complete ‘dud’, but I have gotten stones that aren’t top notch razor or knife hones, stones with not a lot of grit in them, etc. There are a lot of stones that are just too hard to be a desirable knife hone and too coarse to be a desirable razor hone.

Would I buy a stone from Kossy, 330Mate, and the others mentioned? Sure, I might if I like what I see and the price is worth the gamble, they’re no different from anyone else in Japanese auctions with no return, little description, and suspect stamps. I’m buying by visual tells because many times there simply is no other description. That’s the expensive educational part, lol

I don’t buy stones stamped on the face that much anymore, you just lose too much value if you use the stone even if they are genuine.

 

[MO1]

FOR GOD'S SAKE PEOPLE YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY MAAAAAAD!!! THIS IS WORSE THAN MATRIX ...

If you want your business to do well. Start with trying to not rip people off. You don't have to rip people off to put "bread on the table". You have to draw a line somewhere because people are not as stupid as you think they are.
You can learn a thing or two from vendors like Tony Miller were he is completely open about his products, even if he finds something "wrong" with his products he posts that publicly and offer compensation. And gets our support by doing so.
That is a world of difference compared to first trying to rip someone off then offer compensation.
My advice, rethink your business plan.
Honestly what did you expect from a shaving forum in the honing section?

 

[kalwer]

If you want your business to do well. Start with trying to not rip people off. You don't have to rip people off to put "bread on the table". You have to draw a line somewhere because people are not as stupid as you think they are.
You can learn a thing or two from vendors like Tony Miller were he is completely open about his products, even if he finds something "wrong" with his products he posts that publicly and offer compensation. And gets our support by doing so.
That is a world of difference compared to first trying to rip someone off then offer compensation.
My advice, rethink your business plan.
Honestly what did you expect from a shaving forum in the honing section?

For God's SAKE. I am NOT running any business and I am NOT going to. All I am saying is that I dared to buy three honing stones from a guy who is being ripped apart on this forum and his stone branded as door stoppers and these stones turn out to be not bad at all, also in comparison to a jnat purchased from a reputable seller bought at nearly 400 quid!! so for that reason it was a good reference for me too!!
I don't praise methods this guy use, which I was completely unaware of when I purchased the stones. I know how to test stones and what I want to achieve working on them and I DID IT and I am happy with all of them. That's it. Simple as that! Can you just accept this simple fact that I am trying to get across???
Yes, I know....now I will be mentored by some self-proclaimed honing experts that I don't know what really good edge is and so on bla,bla,bla etc. But the fact is that after honing on that stones my razors just glide across my face, hot knife through butter style as I guess Tony Miller has put it once himself when I read his article many years ago when the language and people were way more polite on SR forums... plus HHT5 passed.
Can you just accept this one simple fact??? because this is ALL that I am saying here.

 

[MO1]

For God's SAKE. I am NOT running any business and I am NOT going to. All I am saying is that I dared to buy three honing stones from a guy who is being ripped apart on this forum and his stone branded as door stoppers and these stones turn out to be not bad at all, also in comparison to a jnat purchased from a reputable seller bought at nearly 400 quid!! so for that reason it was a good reference for me too!!
I don't praise methods this guy use, which I was completely unaware of when I purchased the stones. I know how to test stones and what I want to achieve working on them and I DID IT and I am happy with all of them. That's it. Simple as that! Can you just accept this simple fact that I am trying to get across???
Yes, I know....now I will be mentored by some self-proclaimed honing experts that I don't know what really good edge is and so on bla,bla,bla etc. But the fact is that after honing on that stones my razors just glide across my face, hot knife through butter style as I guess Tony Miller has put it once himself when I read his article many years ago when the language and people were way more polite on SR forums... plus HHT5 passed.
Can you just accept this one simple fact??? because this is ALL that I am saying here.

Alright I'm sorry if I jumped to conclusions, but it seemed suspicious that you were interested in this stone for no particular reason except to save the guys name.
I mean if you have 30 years experience with straight razor shaving, why do you think this particular stone will give you buttery smooth shaving edges? Taking in consideration that you have 30 years under your belt, how many other hones do you have? It just puzzles me that you want THIS stone.
Plus you only have a few posts, so you have to admit, looking it from another person's perspective, its fishy.

I didn't say that he sell door stops, I said that he may aswell do, because he's trying to rip people off in any way he can.
Got 3 hones from him which all give you buttery smooth edges? Well, no one can prove you wrong.
His stones are cheap, but compared to what?

This is for the most part a forum about sharing experiences, I don't think I have heard anyone proclaim that they are an expert on honing, abit of bragging sure, but bragging is needed when you can't really share an edge you just made.
I find people most people modest and honest.
If you are referring to me, it was an advice on a business model and not honing.

And I know how to test stones aswell, I get buttery smooth edges aswell, and hey it didn't take me 30 years. Can it get better? Maybe. I don't really know, but I get more comfort, closer shave and easier cutting than DE shaves, so I think I'm at a certain stage were I can call my edges buttery smooth though.

 

[alex1921]

Nobody ever said he is selling doorstops. What we say is that he is not ethical, he shills, he fake stamps.
Also as you can read above a long time respected member here got a stone from him, it didn't work and then he pulled his usual tricks trying not to accept the return. The guy is shady.
That's all we are stating here. Buying from him is a risk because the stones are not tested. He buys boatloads of rocks and then moves them.
You can spend your money however you like.
I chose not to give him my money. Some of his stones look good but it doesn't matter to me. I don't do business with scammers.
If somebody decides to bid on his rocks on eBay at least use snipe otherwise you are just playing his game and he runs the price up on you. He uses 2 extra accounts to accomplish that. If that's somebody you want to do business with be my guest.

 

[cugel]

It's never been about the quality of the stone, but rather the tactics used to sell them. I do note that the previous poster(s) neglect the tactics and focus on the rock. That isn't the issue here. Stick with the points being discussed: the allegedly fraudulent stamps, IDs etc.

I buy/sell guitars. This kind of stuff is super common. If somebody tries to sell a Fender or a Gibson that is a knock-off its fraud. Makes no difference how well it is constructed or how it plays. Its fraud when the intent is to pass something off as one thing when you know full well it ain't. I couldn't care less how you hone or how the stone performs. It works for you?? Then bravo.

 

[Pokeystotle]

yes yes yes what he/she is doing is far worse. And I must say its fishy that you have two posts in somewhat broken english to defend a fraudulent ebayer overseas. Maybe you have never used a truly great JNAT. Show us some of your collection.
I think the mods should step in.

Don't buy counterfeit hones fellow members please!
Dont feel the trolls.

Second this!

Way too many fraudulent vendors and it not only is annoying for Jnat vets but makes the market difficult for new buyers to navigate.

 

[kcb5150]

It's very helpful for people to post their experiences on here as ebay really doesn't allow for meaningful negative feedback. To be honest, regardless of who is selling the rocks I assume all stamps and mine claims to be fabrications at this point. I don't mean respected vendors disrespect by saying this, but more the jnat market has become so toxic with fake stamps and lies that I assume should I ever need to sell a rock people are going to disregard any stamp or mine data as well and I will have to take lumps as a result. I suppose you could save receipts and screen caps/pics, but still... The one thing any seller should be doing is test their stuff and be consistent with how they rate hardness, cut, and general fineness. Granted, everyone has a different mental scale for this sort of thing, but if you stick with a vendor and develop a rapport with their ratings, it is much easier if they are honest and consistent. Nothing worse than just throwing nonsense up without a serious test or the vendor is speaking in riddles when you just want some basic data.

 

[kalwer]

It's never been about the quality of the stone, but rather the tactics used to sell them. I do note that the previous poster(s) neglect the tactics and focus on the rock. That isn't the issue here. Stick with the points being discussed: the allegedly fraudulent stamps, IDs etc.

I buy/sell guitars. This kind of stuff is super common. If somebody tries to sell a Fender or a Gibson that is a knock-off its fraud. Makes no difference how well it is constructed or how it plays. Its fraud when the intent is to pass something off as one thing when you know full well it ain't. I couldn't care less how you hone or how the stone performs. It works for you?? Then bravo.

I get where you are coming from and totally agree. It's been 4 weeks since I started to test £465.00 nakayama stone bought from a reputable mainstream vendor and I decided to send it back.Reason:I get very similar results on cheapo ebay stone and can't find justification to pay fivefold for this stone other than a name on a label. Either I was lucky with these cheapos, or unlucky with rep vendor or the stone is just highly overpriced.Anyway for me the case is closed.Thank you all for your comments.

 

[alex1921]

The price of Jnats has nothing to do with how they hone razors. That's a common mistake that people do.
A 2k stone won't give you a 2k edge. Size, color, looks etc influence the price. Big block of yellow with real hatanaka stamps will drive the price through the roof.
That being said some vendors are way too expensive for what they sell even when taking all of the above into account.

 

[Paddynbutcher]

People like that **** me off.

I am seeing his stuff popping up a lot. Skiboy, and Kossi or something like that - he uses the same language, same fonts....I'm a word guy so little word subtleties stand out to me.

I exposed someone on eBay for selling "bonsai seeds." There are no such thing. I have been doing bonsai for 15 years, and all they are are the same species of trees and shrubs as the normal ones. So if someone sends you a packed of "bonsai seeds" they are sending you, say, a packet of "maple tree seeds" or "juniper seeds."

As far as the stamps go, I do go out of my way to try and know what each one is supposed to mean, realizing, of course, that they are easily faked. And I do know a little of Japanese culture, I studied Japanese law for a time, and lived in Kyoto. There are some things that strike me as odd in how that guy writes. Meaning, it doesn't seem like something a Japanese person would be likely to say. He boasts a lot in what he writes. That isn't very "Japanese." But again, its not a system that you could use...its just a 'feeling' I have when I read his descriptions.

I know this is an old thread but perhaps could you do me a kindness and point me in the

Ultimately a stone that is both beautiful and very high quality. Do Alex, Maxim or Takeshi have Etsy stores? eBay? Or their own websites?

I admit, I've found three very good sellers, but one of them, possibly just sheer luck, does not actually hone or use the stones they sell, but the two I've gotten from him have happened to be very good stones.

Hi I know this is an old thread but could you do me a kindness and point me in the direction of these sellers?
kind regards

 

[SliceOfLife]

Maksim is JapaneseNaturalStones.com I think Takeshi is aframestokyo (Can someone confirm?) Alex is Japanstones.com

 

[alex1921]

Maksim is JapaneseNaturalStones.com I think Takeshi is aframestokyo (Can someone confirm?) Alex is Japanstones.com

Correct

 

[Paddynbutcher]

Thanks folks I really appreciate it

 

[jason12768]

Careful with Maxim at JapaneseNaturalStones.com, more and more posts coming up about him doing shady business.
Buy from him at your own risk, I can't say I was happy with his service either when I bought from him.

 

[alex1921]

Interesting. I have seen both opinions, some people unhappy, an issue with a strop for example and others that are happy.
I have bought a stone and a knife from him, last purchase was a year or two ago and everything went fine. Zero issues.

 

[eKretz]

I bought a stone there once, no issues. That was quite some time ago however. As far as the other two mentioned, I have heard nothing but glowing reviews for Alex Gilmore, and my own experiences with him mirror those. I purchased a stone or two from Takeshi and those were good too.