Nakayama Asagi on eBay

I'll be putting a Nakayama Asagi stone on eBay. It's the middle stone from this thread. It'll be a 3-day listing starting tonight. Here is the eBay link.

For the sake of full disclosure, the stone cost me $65 USD shipped from Japan. I spoke to So and the previous owner about it and they said there's a very good chance it is very valuable. However, So couldn't be sure without actually using it and the previous owner was unaware of current prices to give a monetary value. I'd like to get some other shaving related stuff so I'm selling the stone on eBay to get the most back for it.

I have a couple of questions. First the sides don't look lacquered to me, are you sure they are?
More importantly though, from what I understand from Mr. Yamash.ita and OLD_SCHOOL, there could be a rather wide range of quality and suitability for razors. Cheapish stones are good, but since all people who sell japanese stones seem to put quite a bit of a stress that they have to be tested and verified, I am hesitant to spend $100+ on a stone which can turn out to be mediocre.

In any case you mention that it needs flattening - aren't they flattened enough at the mine before they get stamped? The reports from people who bought stamped stones from OLD_SCHOOL and Mr. Yamash.ita are that even if not absolutely flat their stamped stones were perfectly good for use.

I am thinking that the only two people who have seen the stone in person are the previous owner and you. You don't seem to have the expertise to commit to a valuation, and we don't know anything about the previous owner and his valuation apart that he was willing to sell it to you for $50... Some more information may be helpful, as 'potentially very valuable' won't cut it for me.

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Originally Posted by gugi

I have a couple of questions. First the sides don't look lacquered to me, are you sure they are?

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According to what the previous owner told me, the sides are definitely lacquered. I have no idea what substance was used but the slick texture and the noticeable glaze on the sides compared to the top would indicate some kind of treatment. If the sides of these stones are always like that, then I'd obviously amend my declaration.

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More importantly though, from what I understand from Mr. Yamash.ita and OLD_SCHOOL, there could be a rather wide range of quality and suitability for razors. Cheapish stones are good, but since all people who sell japanese stones seem to put quite a bit of a stress that they have to be tested and verified, I am hesitant to spend $100+ on a stone which can turn out to be mediocre.

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I fully understand your point. However, I have seen truly valuable Asagi stones cost $250+, on the low side. At $100+, it would be a steal. It's up to the buyer to decide if it's a chance worth taking. I chose $100 because if it sells and it's a great stone, I won't feel bad because of the money. If it doesn't sell, then I'll just keep it and try it out for myself.

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In any case you mention that it needs flattening - aren't they flattened enough at the mine before they get stamped? The reports from people who bought stamped stones from OLD_SCHOOL and Mr. Yamash.ita are that even if not absolutely flat their stamped stones were perfectly good for use.

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Since I didn't use the stone, I thought it was better to say it needed flattening than to assume it was flat or to say nothing at all.

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I am thinking that the only two people who have seen the stone in person are the previous owner and you. You don't seem to have the expertise to commit to a valuation, and we don't know anything about the previous owner and his valuation apart that he was willing to sell it to you for $50... Some more information may be helpful, as 'potentially very valuable' won't cut it for me.

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With all due respect, your thinking would be wrong. I don't want to go into complete detail because So told me some things in confidence but since you're persisting, I'll carefully elaborate.

I had no expectations of buying this stone. I spoke to So about it and I had decided not to get it. However, at the last moment, my seller offered me some other things I had wanted at a great price, only if I would buy this stone along with them. He needed to get rid of it. I had no real interest in the stone. That's why I haven't even used it. I don't know what credentials you'd need from the previous owner to believe him. Maybe the cheap price is because it's a cheap stone, maybe it's because we've done a lot of business together and he gave me a deal, or maybe because he didn't know what he had so he just threw out a figure. I won't speak for him since he didn't say.

This stone (and the other two from the linked thread for that matter) was purchased by So's father in Japan. In fact, the markings on the upper left in pencil were written by So's father. He purchased some stones and these were in the lot. He then resold some stones and one my sources happened to be the buyer for a few of them. So never actually tested or verified the three stones before they were sold. Since So spoke to his father about them, he did give me some pertinent info but not everything. So told me all this himself. If you need them, I have the emails to prove it.

With that being said, the information that So and the previous owner (mostly, the previous owner) told me is what I put in the eBay listing. I didn't start this thread to serve as advertisement. I started it so I could give members a heads up on the background of the stone, as best as I could. As evidenced from my recent razor auction, it's very possible that someone would've commented on it anyway.

I agree with your thinking and your description seems fair and honest enough. The real value is what a willing buyer and willing seller agree on at that moment. Heck, people pay $300 for Eschers on e-Bay. I say Go for it and good luck. God, I love free-market economies.

Well, different people have different tolerance for risk. I am just trying to get as much information about the quality of the stone as possible. As far as qualifications of the previous owner go - what I am looking for is that they actually have experience honing razors - them not having an idea of what the hone is worth doesn't give me too much confidence. The handwriting of So's father is encouraging, except that I don't know what it means and even with the handwriting it appears that So (and I presume his father) wouldn't commit to a valuation without actually trying the stone again.

In any case as far asagi stones go and their values, not so long time ago OLD_SCHOOL sold a similar sized one for less than your opening bid. All I am saying is that not having experience with these stones I am trying to figure out how much of a gamble this may be. In any case it looks like your stone is already sold and it's only a matter how much higher it may go. I think I'll sit this one out.

Well, I purchased the stone and am very pleased with it. Telly is a very reputable seller and has some outstanding contacts in Japan. This is a beautiful stone that I have already used to polish up one of my rotation. Of course, I had to shave with it and it was one of my best shaves. In the interest of full disclosure, the razor was not dull but was simply one of my favorites that I thought I would put an additional polish on to see how it would perform. That final polish made a very pleasant difference.
Long story short, thanks to all who did not bid on the stone. I love it.