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Maruichi Narutaki Kan Mokume Koppa (likely nakayama)
Another relic from my collection, pictures speak by themselves, but i must say, this is an outstanding mokume koppa. The wood grain and rings pattern is simply amazing, the orange kawa on the back really pops up and it has not even been coated with cashew laquer yet. All in this stone sream nakayama, and it has a very high chance of being so, as it was sold by Maruichi, whom as far as I understand, used to sell nakayamas under the narutaki and maruichi stamp. Size 14 x 7.6 x 3 cm.
Stone stamps reference **:
(市) 印特選 = Maruichi shirushi tokusen = Maruichi special selection (Nakayama)
請合 純正本山 = Ukea junsei honyama, Genuine/guaranteed real Honyama (whetstone mountains of Kyoto, or even Nakayama)
優良仕上砥 = Yūryō shiageto(ishi) = Excellent/superior finishing (whet)stone
レザー用 = Rezā-yō = (Use) For razor
Price: $350 shipped to the US (ask me for other countries pls).
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Here's some additional information about Narutaki: The Narutaki stamp has the old kanji 鳴滝 or 鳴瀧 (from before 1946) = Narutaki, since the promulgation of the “Tōyō Kanji List” in 1946, different kanji were simplified (“new character form” or Shinjitai) ⇒ 鳴瀧 became 鳴滝 鳴瀧 = “old” kanji for Narutaki became 鳴滝 = “new” kanji for Narutaki, A stone with a 鳴瀧 kanji woulf be a stone “produced” BEFORE the second World War. Although there is always a posibility that old stamps were used after 1946 [...] The name “Narutaki” can refer to the mine, or the region where the “Higashi Mono” (Eastern Mines) are located. From Meiji (1868) to early Showa (1920~1940) Narutaki produced an abundance of high quality large sized stones. In the area around Kyoto city, on the northern edge, in the area called “Narutaki,” is a mountain called “Atagoyama”. Clustered around this mountain, spreading to the east, are a number of smaller mountains riddled with rock mines and quarries: these are the source of all of the most popular finishing whetstones, and those most often used to sharpen razors here in Japan. The most famous source of fine Japanese stones is a place called “Nakayama” **
** Source: Fikira's awesome blog (thanks Fikira!)]
