Nakayama Maruichi

Well, I finally broke down and pulled the trigger on the Nakayama Maruichi from O_S. It not only met my expectations, it surpassed them. I had a problem blade that I was debating whether or not to reset the bevel on it.
It seems no matter what I did, it still didn't shave great. It shaved OK.
BBS was impossible with this Wade and Butcher...I set it aside, for a rainy day project. The Nakayama came the other day, I thought this would be perfect. This hone is considered a slow cutter, I couldn't imagine what a "fast cutter is" It's gives great feedback, Looks ten times better in person, and mounted on a hand carved Japanese Cypress base.

I did aprox 25 + strokes and the blade is just unbelievably sharp, Really.

I was a bit skeptical at first when I heard all the stories about the Japanese naturals. I've heard things before that were exagerrated, Well, let me tell you. It's all good when it comes to these hones. It's a total experience when you use one. While I hone, it gives off this wonderful aroma of Japanese Cypress, it's awesome...it's a total sensory thing going on. I know that they're pricey, on the high end, but well worth every penny. If you have the means, I highly recommend these hones.

O_S was extremely helpful, running tests for me, putting up with me, and just going the extra mile...a true Gentleman...Domo Arigato...O_S

P.S. Sorry about the pic, I always have trouble and need a new camera...

One of those is on my list of to gets.

Where would you put this in your series of hones.

GreatWhite was kind enough to send me some 1 mic and .5 mic pasted balsas that really did the trick for me on some tough blades, but one of these would set me right.

Man, just when I'm starting to get my RAD under control... I feel a new sickness coming on

already succumbed. Waiting for the Paypal invoice.:nj

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Originally Posted by zib

...I was a bit skeptical at first when I heard all the stories about the Japanese naturals. I've heard things before that were exagerrated...

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Here's a secret, all the exaggerated stories ARE TRUE. I have one also, and it's worth every penny I paid for it.

I want one that you just lay pointing east and wave the blade over it a few times and it's sharp. :) That is really nice Rich. I'm happy for you and thinking if I ever get the $ to spare I will follow your lead. :rock:

Congratulations! That looks like a real beauty, and sounds like one too! In all honesty, if you can afford one, they are worth the money IMO.

James.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I want one that you just lay pointing east and wave the blade over it a few times and it's sharp. :) That is really nice Rich. I'm happy for you and thinking if I ever get the $ to spare I will follow your lead. :rock:

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That's how mine works Jimmy, but I ain't sellin' it!!

:rofl2:

Lynn

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Originally Posted by Lynn

That's how mine works Jimmy, but I ain't sellin' it!!

:rofl2:

Lynn

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:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao

nice hone rich

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Originally Posted by zib

It's all good when it comes to these hones.

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yeah i think that OLD_SCHOOL being able to test them with razors and actually knowing how to hone goes a long way to ensuring we get good rocks.

and my understanding is that the same is true with so and everybody who has gotten a hone from him has been happy. buying from ebay sellers otoh is where it gets dicey.

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Originally Posted by singlewedge

One of those is on my list of to gets.

Where would you put this in your series of hones.

GreatWhite was kind enough to send me some 1 mic and .5 mic pasted balsas that really did the trick for me on some tough blades, but one of these would set me right.

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To be honest, right now, it's at the top of my finisher's. I have Escher, Coticule, Shapton, Naniwa, etc... This hone is tops....I haven't run it through a full series of razors...Lynn would be better suited to make that judgement, but from what i heard from everyone else, it's the best...

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Originally Posted by gugi

nice hone rich

yeah i think that OLD_SCHOOL being able to test them with razors and actually knowing how to hone goes a long way to ensuring we get good rocks.

and my understanding is that the same is true with so and everybody who has gotten a hone from him has been happy. buying from ebay sellers otoh is where it gets dicey.

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O_S is easy to deal with, like most of our members here. I dropped So an email, Bruno tells me it'll be a while before I hear from him. Oz from Oz on the forum here is supposed to nudge him for me....

Beautiful Rich! I'm glad you're happy with it! I told you it would be more beautiful in person :rock:

Sounds like a great hone. 25x is fast! Let us know how the shave turns out :rock:

Rich, the only responsible and decent thing to do is to send me both the Naniwa 12 and the Shapton 16 as I am looking at both. While you are at it, and eshcer would be great as well. As you have the pinacle of stones with this one, the others are going to obviously go unused. I'll expect delivery promptly!:)

Truthfully, very nice looking stone, glad it's giving you a good edge.

Joe

Oh great Rich, I thought I had tough choices to make after my thread about Naniwa vs Shapton, then I read this! You really don't make this easy, do you? ;)

You're killing me....I JUST ordered another coticule from Howard, and I thought that would satisfy the hone gods for a little while. But now??? I've always had the little demon in the back of my mind egging me on for a nice japanese natural.....But now? That demon just got a LOT bigger and a LOT louder! I'm finding myself justifying money and trying to rationalize it....oooohhh.......Why is this so hard??? :chop:

You guys sound surprised that you are hot and heavy after another hone.........:rofl2: Look at the pictures from any get together.....see the big piles of hones? Guess how that happens:rofl2::roflmao

Sorry, just kidding around I might have one or two more than I need, too.

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

Oh great Rich, I thought I had tough choices to make after my thread about Naniwa vs Shapton, then I read this! You really don't make this easy, do you? ;)

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Sorry Ryan,,,,but I have to do what I have to do...I've almost reached
"Shavana"

Great hone Zib. Use it in good health.

I also have a Nakayama Maruichi and although it is a very fine hone and it has provided me with some of the best edges I have ever experienced I want to also say that there are also other natural Japanese hones out there that do the job too.

Oohira is one. You can see them for sale at rasurpur.

Arashiyama is another. There are also the Yamashiro Meito that have the HGAL rating to make things easier to understand.

I also recently got two new Japanese naturals from a local dealer and from the results of honing 6 razors: one of the new hones - if no both - are higher grit than the Nakayama Maruichi that I have had for about 6 months (note my Nakayama was not one of O_S's hones but had the same stamps that you see on his hones.). I will have to upload some pics to show all of you, but one is a mix of kiita, akasasu (red), and nashiji and the other hone is a water colour asagi (very light blue, almost grey). The asagi is very very fine and is higher grit than the Maruichi. Both hones were comapritively cheap and have proved to be great hones for razors.

There are other Japanese naturals out there that don't cost an arm and a leg to get.

For the honing I did on those six razors, after some experimentation I used all three in order 1. maruichi, 2. mixed one, and finally 3. asagi, and have smoothness mixed with keeness that I haven't had anywhere else. I expect to add a coticle or two into the mix of things just to see what is what.

I never though I would have HAD but I guess it happens to the best of us. :rock:

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Originally Posted by Lynn

That's how mine works Jimmy, but I ain't sellin' it!!

:rofl2:

Lynn

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LOL! Now I know how you get them so sharp. :D

Congrats! It is quite a thrill to have a good and new nat(s)
the best thing is you like them more and more as time passes.

To me it is like having a treasure.

Sweet stone, Rich! You'll enjoy that for your lifetime.

Although slow (I was in no hurry) to respond, So Yama****.a (the profanity filter is lame sometimes) provided me with simply superb service. I sent him back the first Nakayama Asagi because I wasn't completely satisfied; he sent me TWO other Asagis to test and pick which one I wanted as a replacement. Trust that went above and beyond which I appreciated.

It is good that we have a few like O_S and So looking out for us when the J Nat bug bites.

Chris L

It's like the old song, "How ya gonna keep them down on the farm after they've seen Paree ?" :) I can see it now, I'll go for a Nakayama and then I won't even want to touch a lowly piece of junk like a natural coticule or a Yellow/Green Escher let alone a Norton or a Shapton. :gaah:

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Originally Posted by ZethLent

Great hone Zib. Use it in good health.

I also have a Nakayama Maruichi and although it is a very fine hone and it has provided me with some of the best edges I have ever experienced I want to also say that there are also other natural Japanese hones out there that do the job too.

Oohira is one. You can see them for sale at rasurpur.

Arashiyama is another. There are also the Yamashiro Meito that have the HGAL rating to make things easier to understand.

I also recently got two new Japanese naturals from a local dealer and from the results of honing 6 razors: one of the new hones - if no both - are higher grit than the Nakayama Maruichi that I have had for about 6 months (note my Nakayama was not one of O_S's hones but had the same stamps that you see on his hones.). I will have to upload some pics to show all of you, but one is a mix of kiita, akasasu (red), and nashiji and the other hone is a water colour asagi (very light blue, almost grey). The asagi is very very fine and is higher grit than the Maruichi. Both hones were comapritively cheap and have proved to be great hones for razors.

There are other Japanese naturals out there that don't cost an arm and a leg to get.

For the honing I did on those six razors, after some experimentation I used all three in order 1. maruichi, 2. mixed one, and finally 3. asagi, and have smoothness mixed with keeness that I haven't had anywhere else. I expect to add a coticle or two into the mix of things just to see what is what.

I never though I would have HAD but I guess it happens to the best of us. :rock:

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Seth,

What is HGAL rating? Can we have some pictures? I guess there are a lot of hones out there in Japan that do the job just as well and fuel our HAD. Nakayame seems to be the hype at the moment. I love mine BTW and Telly is gonna get me another one.:)

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Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

You're killing me....I JUST ordered another coticule from Howard, and I thought that would satisfy the hone gods for a little while. But now??? I've always had the little demon in the back of my mind egging me on for a nice japanese natural.....But now? That demon just got a LOT bigger and a LOT louder! I'm finding myself justifying money and trying to rationalize it....oooohhh.......Why is this so hard??? :chop:

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I just sent the money to O_S for one of his stones:

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/PICT0027.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/PICT0026.jpg

After much difficulty in making a decision. The wait is going to be harder.

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Originally Posted by Kees

Seth,

What is HGAL rating? Can we have some pictures? I guess there are a lot of hones out there in Japan that do the job just as well and fuel our HAD. Nakayame seems to be the hype at the moment. I love mine BTW and Telly is gonna get me another one.:)

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Kees, I'll get some pics up later tonight.

The HGAL rating is the method one vendor has classified his stones. 'H' hardness of the hone, 'G' grit size, 'A' abrasive/cutting speed, 'L' is ..... I can't remember exacly right now but is how the metal feels on the hone (i.e buttery smooth... rough... etc.). It amkes choosing a hone a little less complicated for over the internet sales. (IMO)

The water blue asagi I have was rated very hard and very fine grit with a somewhat fast cutting speed and a very smooth feel when honing.

I have to concur.


Pics to come...

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Originally Posted by Pyment

I just sent the money to O_S for one of his stones:

After much difficulty in making a decision. The wait is going to be harder.

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Does that stone have a crack all the way through it?

So as not to jumble things up I posted about my hones here. :)

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Does that stone have a crack all the way through it?

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It does have a crack, but I am told it doesn't affect honing and isn't unstable. Even though I think it is unlikely to get any worse. I am trying to think of a way to make a base that would tend to stabilize it.

I purchased some of the Japanese lacquer with the stone and intend to coat the sides and base with the lacquer and allow that to cure.

I could put some fine sand into a container and embed the stone in that. (simple, reversible if I don't like it, could be made to drain away water). I probably will do this for a while before any more permanent solution

I was thinking of embedding the stone into a resin (System 3 has a product called SculpWood).

come up with a suitable container (or mold?). Mix the epoxy to the consistency of putty. Press the stone into the putty. Allow it to cure.

Then I think you would have a a support system that would protect the stone from any stress that might cause the crack to progress.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pyment

I just sent the money to O_S for one of his stones:

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/PICT0027.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/PICT0026.jpg

After much difficulty in making a decision. The wait is going to be harder.

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THANKYOU !!!! I have been poking my eyes out so I can't see this stone, a beauty to be sure. Now I can save up the $$ without agonizing over this one :p

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Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

THANKYOU !!!! I have been poking my eyes out so I can't see this stone, a beauty to be sure. Now I can save up the $$ without agonizing over this one :p

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I will be sending you a list of things I am finding tempting and you can return the favor. I mean - fair's fair right?

here's the first one:

http://www.usroastercorp.com/images/...UREyellow2.jpg

I mean anyone can use a US Roaster Corp 3Kg coffee roaster right?


AAAARRR! why did I DO that?! Take it awayyy!!

You guys are kinda hijacking my thread, but no worries.....

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Originally Posted by zib

You guys are kinda hijacking my thread, but no worries.....

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Glad you don't mind Rich :rock:

That would be acceptable Jimmy !

Sorry if I got a bit crazy there :p I'm just a bit of a data minor (read as, dyslexic) and very focused on japanese hones at the moment. Any post with them gets me going :D

I've even considered trying to sell off some items I generally wouldn't consider selling to get a really nice finnishing hone. Just to get it over with and start using it :p So far so good and I haven't sold anything I would regret later on :)

And no, I didn't expect you to buy be a coffee roaster.

A digital camera would be ok, as well.