What's new

Show us your Japanese Natural Whetstones

Had this one out fixing up a knife edge today.
6DCB6260-133C-4A13-9BF3-CD4F37417AA3.jpeg
 
Thanks Steve! Yes...between the Escher Barbers Gem, the Jaspers, and the JNATs I feel like I am on the money. I just need to try to continue to refine my processes, and add a stone here and there as opportunities present themselves!

Have a great weekend!

Vr

Matt

Speaking of an opportunity presenting itself! I am looking forward to its arrival.

According to seller: Aiiwadani Asagi.

Vr

Matt


C03BB706-61FB-4A69-8B7E-7ABDAD0D5EB1.jpeg
574F7B0E-4192-484C-8FB2-1FA3C89625F2.jpeg
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
This one is not exactly new (last fall), but it is newly lacquered with black cashew lacquer since I got some good weather for cashew drying. I a.ways thought that the shiro suita looked really nice with black lacquer on the sides. The smaller piece has been in use for a while.

B701A672-5101-4779-98EA-97498C4B95B0.jpeg
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Some odds and ends, I’ve been doing the lowballs looking for a bargain, and got them.

Up first is a fugly barber stone, large and chunky at 140x80x30. It was so homely that it went for $79 and change. It’s deep strata, smooth, and fine. The sparkling skin on the back means Nakayama. It has a couple of voids in it, but there’s nothing in them so maybe artifacts that were close to the skin? Anyway, nothing to worry about.

Second, a 190mm long stone that I bought for finishing warped and wonky razors like those modern ones that you see today. It’s not that hard, seller said 4.5 and that’s about right, maybe a bit harder. But it’s also quite fine for its hardness, and that agrees with the Nakayama stamp. I shaved off a God Dollar edge from it this morning and it was an excellent shave. It will make an excellent tomo nagura too. For $33, I’m quite happy.

88529692-1B02-4E6A-94E0-4152AF3E9E73.jpeg
995A49C8-A93E-4530-A7BF-42F34CB7AA39.jpeg
8CE73209-9876-4FFF-B68D-2104B0B5B0F2.jpeg
BDA3657E-4CBF-4DA4-8F43-B0CDC4ACE05E.jpeg
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Last up is the real jewel of the lot, a most likely Nakayama, extremely smooth, pure, fast and fine, and also a hard deep layer stone. The seller was selling his grandfather’s stone and his images were dark and not professional, so the stone did not bring anywhere near it’s worth. I was hoping for a chocolate color, but what I got was a beautiful light yellowish kiita with an asagi back.

The back was an uninspiring asagi, but that was because it was oxidized and dull. Fter lapping, I was rewarded with a beautiful mizu blue with kiita clouds For the Jnat lovers, that ring around the edge on the back is not yake, the harder iron-bering material, it’s kiita. I’m not quite done lapping the back yet.

33A78F91-9B61-48EE-9031-DE46327614CB.jpeg
5D11DC07-E340-48B4-9B34-31941CE4EC53.jpeg
D266CEED-0B33-46D2-B579-8987276A5C6A.jpeg
8DA22566-D307-42C0-81D8-52286CA91856.jpeg
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Here’s a really fugly Nakayama - as evidenced by the sparkling black skin on the back. The camera doesn’t capture specular highlights well, but there’s no doubt that this crusty black skin reflects light like a mirror.

It’s a great stone except that it’s not pretty. I even cashewed the sides to cover up some of the ugly, lol. But if it were all the yellow that’s on one end, it would be a knockout. Otherwise it’s pure, fine, and 30mm thick - a generational razor hone. And it is an excellent finisher.

2628E7EB-42AD-433C-8897-C94E6529829B.jpeg
21000156-1B62-4DF7-8B8D-63BDD24FC02A.jpeg
91E30337-F0FE-4962-9A0F-E693ACADB48B.jpeg
D97F940D-F985-4FED-983F-C52775A51EB2.jpeg
 
I’ve had this particular stone for a few years. It is lightning fast and leaves a smooth edge, but it is fairly ugly in its simplicity. It’s a bench size stone, 8x3x1.25ish. Nagura progression is possible, but the stone is so fast to finish on that Coti to tomo is a speedier way to get the job done if I’m in a rush. Ohira Asagi. I love this stone.

Don



C753852A-C0BB-4BB6-BF7C-B1060407B336.jpeg78B31B6F-99E8-4D46-BC12-7723618DA30E.jpeg
 
This stone is slower than molasses in January, but it is absolutely amazing to hone on...the slurry breaks down for days and just keeps polishing. The tomo that came with it was nearly as long as my femur. I cut three pieces the size of my palm and I have a few stones left over. Nakayama Maruichi Kamisori; pure finisher. 135x83x35. One pic with stamps and one without.
Don

962B6410-90E1-49D3-8564-429D25EFC2FF.jpeg14608296-48F9-49B5-A3C9-496280D8ADA6.jpeg6053CAA1-366A-41E9-9F92-36F099DD4A95.jpeg
 
I wasn't sure what to think at first, it looked so busy, but it's growing on me. Forest green, light green, yellow, orange, red, pink, light blue, dark blue.
 
Top Bottom