I was able to achieve very nice contrast and beautiful and even looking kasumi finishes on a wide variety of knives and steel types. Lvl 5+,;and sometimes fineness of the abrasive particles, eg, 9.5. All that said, if you’re interested in getting your hands dirty with natural stones, but don’t want to spend a ton, have stainless steel or shirogami knives, and like a 1-2k finish, then definitely consider an Igarashi. Funny enough, as mentioned earlier, the location and type of stone, etc can impact its price, and this Nakayama kiita example is one of the most sought after tennen toishi in the world, and can sell for thousands of dollars depending on its condition. Although the synthetic stones of today have made huge strides in consistency and efficacy, professional sharpeners and knife users around the world will never abandon their natural stones. If you want set bevels or leave very toothy edges, you are probably going to use ara-toishi, with most stones coming from strata within the Ai ishi naori; or if you want an very keen edge, you are probably going to use stones in the shiage-to grit range, with most of the stones originating from strata in the deeper Hon kuchi or Chu ishi naori groups, or if you want a ‘balanced’ edge, you might use stones in the naka-to range, with most of them coming from strata within the Hon kuchi naori. Other stones are softer and coarser and better suited to the early to mid-range work when honing razors. The edge has some teeth, but was a bit keener than a 1k finish, so I’d guess this is closer to 2k, which could also explain why I don’t think this particular stone is ideal for bevel setting. The color of the finish is really nice too. The goal is to develop mud, so keeping the surface very wet is prohibitive to mud development. This particular awasedo from the Oouchi was recommended to us by one of our natural stone dealers. The breakdown is as follows: stones are defined by the location or quarry where they were mined, eg. This softness on top of the firm stone makes for an unusual feedback that I like to go back to every now and then when I want to experience something different feedback-wise. kiita (stark yellow); pattern or aesthetic attribute, eg. Wow, isn’t that a mouthful? This particular awasedo from the Hideriyama was recommended to us by one of our natural stone dealers. As cheesy as it is to say, using natural stones is like using some gem imbued with magical powers; there is nothing like it. The increase in abrasive particles provided more feedback to the hard steel on the Kagekiyo. It’s certainly approachable for the beginner in terms of sharpening experience, as is the affordability and availability. What may explain some interested parties in overlooking tennen toishi is the fact that they are likely the most complicated bunch of whetstones to understand; they no doubt confuse us at times. It fits in the 1000-2000 grit range, so there will be a visible scratch pattern, but it's not harsh. Typically specced at around 1-2k grit, it yields a fairly toothy finish. Within these strata there can be even dozens of ‘veins’ or ‘seams’ running through each strata that are subtly different from each other, typically in appearance but also possibly sharpening characteristics such as hardness and fineness, and further define the stones’ names. You can expect about an 8k finish for the most part. Japanese knives offer simple, yet sophisticated beauty and quality to their users. We have been looking for new types of stones to add to our lineup, as our inventory of takashima awasedo dwindles down. This regions' natural stones all have about the same fineness of grit to being with (around 6-8k) and the potential finish can go up from there, depending on the stone hardness, the pressure you use during sharpening, water, etc. Here you will find Natural Japanese Stones (tennen toishi) from my extensive whetstone collection. Strata are organized into 3 larger “Naori” (montain geology) groups (Naori are sometimes called the strata, while what we call strata, the layers within the naori, are sometimes called (from coarsest to finest): “Ai ishi naori”; “Hon kuchi naori”; and “Chu ishi naori,” although these larger classes are rarely mentioned. Since they are a top layer stone, they are quite porous, very muddy, and efficient, as well as easy to excavate and thus cheap and easily accessible to buyers. are honed exclusively on special Japanese … As an added pleasure, this stone releases a strong and pleasant fragrance when used. So here we have a yellow stone with a ring pattern on it, no small holes despite it being from a suita strata, that was mined in Nakayama, that has been tested and marked as being a prime stone, that is very hard, and has very fine abrasive particles. They are a bit more porous than the Takashima Awasedo. The results are similar to what I have come to expect from the natural stones I like for kitchen knives. Depending on the intended use of the blade, such as butchery or vegetables, some users may even stop sharpening on some of the 'higher' grit ara-toishi and be fully satisfied. It finishes somewhere around 8k for the most part, which still provides a bit of bite despite the higher grit rating. In testing, I actually found these stones to be more enjoyable than the takashima awasedo I have become so used to. This particular awasedo from the Oouchi was recommended to us by one of our natural stone dealers. Stone Session coming soon... Kouzaki Blue Aoto. It is not just the quality of Japanese tools that excite craftsmen but also the quality of the sharpening. Aiiwatani Asagi Koppa Amukasa Binsui. This stone should be used like a splash and go stone... add just enough water to lubricate the surface, but not too much. This is a large and heavy monzento. While considering options to replace our dwindling stock of Takashima awasedo, we decided to introduce these as well. Its chalk white appearance mimics its texture, it’s firm, but not hard, airy but also dense at the same time. Stone Session coming soon... Igarashi. Want us to take care of initial sharpening? The terranes sat ontop of the Pacific tectonic plate for millions and millions of years, building up more sediment, and undergoing metamorphism under pressure, heat, and other natural elements. The mountain, or mine, along with the strata, and the subtle differences exhibited by different veins within those strata, are typically where the stones get their names. Just ask. Like the new Hideriyama we have introduced, these are similar to our Takashima Awasedo. That being said, after all the exhaustingly slow dancing was over, the edge was decent; sharper than the stainless, but not as keen as the shirogami, as is usually the story, but lacked the bite that I expect at this grit range. Stone Session coming soon... Blue Aizu. I have found them to leave a slightly smoother looking finish, and a bit more contrast on kasumi finishes. It is a bit porous and soaks in a decent bit of water, but should still be used as a splash and go stone. I constantly had to watch my water management, and often whip up a slurry to make it more aggressive. Working up a slurry with a diamond plate helps, but it too can dry out, which is why I like to saturate it before use and then whip up a slurry with a plate. I was able to get past the inefficiency my second time around by soaking the stone as I mentioned previously, thus loosening up the matrix and making the stone a bit softer, and more efficient. Natural stones from this region are rich in silica, which acts as a main abrasive. After the Pacific plate hit, and started moving under the Asian plate, the terranes were essentially scraped off the Pacific plate, and moved over the solid bedrock which was forming into the mountains and valleys that are now present day Honshu, and settling around present day Kyoto. Naka-toishi, or medium grit stones, represent a wide range of stratas, typically within the Hon kuchi naori usually from the Tenjyou suita - Tomae. The steel was much more responsive to the stone, and I presoaked before use. What makes Igarashis so special is the dramatic color change when wet. It develops mud very easily and leaves a nice kasumi finish with well defined and deep contrast. Nowadays they are sourced from several different places still around Sanjo, but have lost a little luster in users’ eyes. It cuts as fast as … Thankfully the Igarashi is a very approachable stone, so the extra time I spent on the stone was easy enough, and I wasn’t worried about making any mistakes.