I felt the need to write this little piece that it might even help one person better understand the experiences of another so that they could have a better grasp on the general situation of starting a Jnat collection, or simply wanting to make the transition away from other natural whetstones or away from synthetics altogether. I won't go on and on but here are a few things those making the transition or thinking about it might keep in mind.
(1) Having been a part of a few discussions with folks in the position I just described, I have noticed that they tend to misunderstand the factors that drive the costs of Japanese natural whetstones. At least in part, I truly think that someone used to price points derived from the average 3000-8000k synthetic, or even those buying Arkansas black, or Belgium coticles, tend to expect their money to stretch as far with Jnats regarding weight and shape. This is why, I believe, so many people end up buying poor quality Jnats to begin with and possibly being turned off to them altogether because of the bad experience.
To explain this idea further, I tend to think of buying a car, though an altogether unpleasant experience in the eyes of many, it is rather familiar to just about everyone, and serves as a good example for what you can expect when buying Jnats. How?
"Fully loaded." Ever heard someone refer to a car they just bought as "fully loaded?" Sure. You know, all the optional extras, the sun roof, AWD, GPS, superior sound system, etc. In a sense, that Coticule or synthetic stone that's a nearly perfect rectangle you take for granted and have become accustomed to in your non-Jnat world is actually not a standard feature you can expect at the price point you are used to with the cheaper natural stones and and synthetics. This expectation with new Jnat sends them crashing into a **** load of crappy stones some fraudster or fellow unfortunate is willing to unload on them, in part because they expect that $100 to buy that perfect rectangular stone. By rectangle I mean the typical 8" x 3" by 1" synthetic or 8" x 2" Coti's.
In the Jnat world this shape of stone, especially with no chips, dents, defects, or other deviations from near perfection will significantly increase the cost of a decent stone. By significant I mean it could be a difference of several hundred and in some cases thousands of dollars.
(2) Another expectation that people new to Jnats tend to have, and this is a mistake I believe, is that they only hunt for the finest grained, allegedly Awasedo, finishing stones believing every other finishing stone or Shiageto (Shiage-to?) to not be worthwhile. Many people have a strange idea that they ought to overlook Suita altogether, or that a level 4 hardness is not worthwhile but they should only acquire the hardest Nakayama stone they can find and that is that.
First, its been said by many very experienced people who use these stones regularly and have extensive experience with them or make their career out of the stones in some way, that the harder the stone the more difficult it is to use and that hard stones ought to be left until you have mastered using softer stones, which, I might add, are perfectly appropriate for honing razors. Shobu's, Mizukihara, Ohira, Ai Iwatani, Wakasa and many other mine's regions, and just damn good stones on the recommendation of a reputable seller willing to accept a return are in many cases absolutely killer stones not to be easily overlooked. I admit my favorite stone I own is an Ozuku, but that stone is exception and not typical in many ways. However, before I owned that stone, I preferred a giant green iris plate Shobudani that is considerably softer, level 4 (the Ozuku I referred to is off the chart, ridiculously hard, "katakuchi").
Second, not every hone is going to turn every razor into that magical edge. If you buy vintage razors or own more than 20 some odd razors, chances are you are likely to have a few different types of steel with different hardnesses and makeup. Some razors are a blend of several metals even, not even all carbon steel types. Armed with this fact, you might consider trying different kinds of stones, based on their finesse of grit, cutting power and other factors. A level 4 Shinden suita may simply pair better with a Sheffield that's made of silver steel than they would a typical Soligen razor, or vice versa.
(3) Those new to Jnats tend to think in practical terms, (getting from A to B as fast as possible instead of enjoying the process of honing itself).
When I was using synthetics I only thought of honing in a linear way. I was straight forward about it and considered it merely a means to an end...that end being a sharp razor that produced a fine quality shave. If this is you, go ahead and stop reading. No harm no foul. For those of us who consider the very act of honing to be an end in itself, and you are making this transition, consider that Jnats are not simply an A to B proposition, but can be much, much more complex, interesting and fun.
I tend to think of driving to the grocery store in a station wagon as the straight forward back and forth honing on a 8000K Sharp Pebble combo. Whereas honing on a Jnat is more akin to taking the Corvette out of the garage and laying some tire. In the case of the Jnat it isn't THAT we get to the grocery store, that's for those folks I asked to stop reading (I'm sure they haven't stopped), it isn't that we get there, but how we get there that gains considerable importance. If I did not care how I got there I would not need to drop the massive change on a fine chunk of Japanese mountain. For those denying this point, what's your hidden agenda? Be honest with yourself.
I say that facetiously. But in all truth, spending $500-$1000 on a heavyweight Ozuku stone is hardly practical or frugal for that matter. Why do it if not for the thrill of the joy ride in the Corvette? Of course part of the decision is practical. After all, the quality of Jnats is simply unsurpassed and without parallel. But those new or thinking about it, someone on the fence perhaps, should consider that part of the fun of Jnats is experimenting in different ways with different tomo/toishi combinations, or simply trying new stones, something different. If I wanted to be incredibly practical and all I cared about shaving better, and nothing else, I could drop all this straight razor nonsense and start buying Gillette cartridges again. I mean, after all, if how you get to B from A wasn't important but it was merely that you got to B from A, then why bother using a considerably slower process to shave in the first place? After all, that's why you are here, because you don't like being conventional, and you like to take your time, enjoy the process and smell the roses. That's Jnats with some practical mixed in.
Anyway, thanks for reading. If you got this far, I would love to hear your comments. But please realize that I am sure someone has an exception to something I said and they are dying to respond and try to "prove me wrong," but this discussion and the exchange of intelligent views shouldn't be a "gotcha game" about who's the smartest guy in the room. It should be a team effort where we all leave better than we came in because of a mutual interest in knowledge and fellowship. Why else are you here? Ya know? Cheers!
(1) Having been a part of a few discussions with folks in the position I just described, I have noticed that they tend to misunderstand the factors that drive the costs of Japanese natural whetstones. At least in part, I truly think that someone used to price points derived from the average 3000-8000k synthetic, or even those buying Arkansas black, or Belgium coticles, tend to expect their money to stretch as far with Jnats regarding weight and shape. This is why, I believe, so many people end up buying poor quality Jnats to begin with and possibly being turned off to them altogether because of the bad experience.
To explain this idea further, I tend to think of buying a car, though an altogether unpleasant experience in the eyes of many, it is rather familiar to just about everyone, and serves as a good example for what you can expect when buying Jnats. How?
"Fully loaded." Ever heard someone refer to a car they just bought as "fully loaded?" Sure. You know, all the optional extras, the sun roof, AWD, GPS, superior sound system, etc. In a sense, that Coticule or synthetic stone that's a nearly perfect rectangle you take for granted and have become accustomed to in your non-Jnat world is actually not a standard feature you can expect at the price point you are used to with the cheaper natural stones and and synthetics. This expectation with new Jnat sends them crashing into a **** load of crappy stones some fraudster or fellow unfortunate is willing to unload on them, in part because they expect that $100 to buy that perfect rectangular stone. By rectangle I mean the typical 8" x 3" by 1" synthetic or 8" x 2" Coti's.
In the Jnat world this shape of stone, especially with no chips, dents, defects, or other deviations from near perfection will significantly increase the cost of a decent stone. By significant I mean it could be a difference of several hundred and in some cases thousands of dollars.
(2) Another expectation that people new to Jnats tend to have, and this is a mistake I believe, is that they only hunt for the finest grained, allegedly Awasedo, finishing stones believing every other finishing stone or Shiageto (Shiage-to?) to not be worthwhile. Many people have a strange idea that they ought to overlook Suita altogether, or that a level 4 hardness is not worthwhile but they should only acquire the hardest Nakayama stone they can find and that is that.
First, its been said by many very experienced people who use these stones regularly and have extensive experience with them or make their career out of the stones in some way, that the harder the stone the more difficult it is to use and that hard stones ought to be left until you have mastered using softer stones, which, I might add, are perfectly appropriate for honing razors. Shobu's, Mizukihara, Ohira, Ai Iwatani, Wakasa and many other mine's regions, and just damn good stones on the recommendation of a reputable seller willing to accept a return are in many cases absolutely killer stones not to be easily overlooked. I admit my favorite stone I own is an Ozuku, but that stone is exception and not typical in many ways. However, before I owned that stone, I preferred a giant green iris plate Shobudani that is considerably softer, level 4 (the Ozuku I referred to is off the chart, ridiculously hard, "katakuchi").
Second, not every hone is going to turn every razor into that magical edge. If you buy vintage razors or own more than 20 some odd razors, chances are you are likely to have a few different types of steel with different hardnesses and makeup. Some razors are a blend of several metals even, not even all carbon steel types. Armed with this fact, you might consider trying different kinds of stones, based on their finesse of grit, cutting power and other factors. A level 4 Shinden suita may simply pair better with a Sheffield that's made of silver steel than they would a typical Soligen razor, or vice versa.
(3) Those new to Jnats tend to think in practical terms, (getting from A to B as fast as possible instead of enjoying the process of honing itself).
When I was using synthetics I only thought of honing in a linear way. I was straight forward about it and considered it merely a means to an end...that end being a sharp razor that produced a fine quality shave. If this is you, go ahead and stop reading. No harm no foul. For those of us who consider the very act of honing to be an end in itself, and you are making this transition, consider that Jnats are not simply an A to B proposition, but can be much, much more complex, interesting and fun.
I tend to think of driving to the grocery store in a station wagon as the straight forward back and forth honing on a 8000K Sharp Pebble combo. Whereas honing on a Jnat is more akin to taking the Corvette out of the garage and laying some tire. In the case of the Jnat it isn't THAT we get to the grocery store, that's for those folks I asked to stop reading (I'm sure they haven't stopped), it isn't that we get there, but how we get there that gains considerable importance. If I did not care how I got there I would not need to drop the massive change on a fine chunk of Japanese mountain. For those denying this point, what's your hidden agenda? Be honest with yourself.
I say that facetiously. But in all truth, spending $500-$1000 on a heavyweight Ozuku stone is hardly practical or frugal for that matter. Why do it if not for the thrill of the joy ride in the Corvette? Of course part of the decision is practical. After all, the quality of Jnats is simply unsurpassed and without parallel. But those new or thinking about it, someone on the fence perhaps, should consider that part of the fun of Jnats is experimenting in different ways with different tomo/toishi combinations, or simply trying new stones, something different. If I wanted to be incredibly practical and all I cared about shaving better, and nothing else, I could drop all this straight razor nonsense and start buying Gillette cartridges again. I mean, after all, if how you get to B from A wasn't important but it was merely that you got to B from A, then why bother using a considerably slower process to shave in the first place? After all, that's why you are here, because you don't like being conventional, and you like to take your time, enjoy the process and smell the roses. That's Jnats with some practical mixed in. Anyway, thanks for reading. If you got this far, I would love to hear your comments. But please realize that I am sure someone has an exception to something I said and they are dying to respond and try to "prove me wrong," but this discussion and the exchange of intelligent views shouldn't be a "gotcha game" about who's the smartest guy in the room. It should be a team effort where we all leave better than we came in because of a mutual interest in knowledge and fellowship. Why else are you here? Ya know?
Cheers!
