Thread: Maruka & Nakayama Stamps 2013

Originally Posted by Nikolay

I think Jim is much happier now with his baby son than with stones and razors

https://twitter.com/EasternSmooth/st...258048/photo/1






This is so called MARUKA stamp.


But what is about MARUICHI ?
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Is there any info on how should it looks like and on it's history?


Time have no marcy to stamps... this is what have become on stamps with time:
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The ink of one of my Nakayamas (the big one on the pic below) has penetrated the stone and even after good lapping the stamps are still pretty visible. Never seen another like it, mine is very old stock.

Here is an example of a Maruka Stamp on my Nakayama Kiita that I got from Alex. It is very faded and part of it is on the broken piece, but I believe it to be original. AFAIK these stamps should only be found on the side of the stone, usually one of the ends....is that correct?

Originally Posted by jpcwon

Here is an example of a Maruka Stamp on my Nakayama Kiita that I got from Alex. It is very faded and part of it is on the broken piece, but I believe it to be original. AFAIK these stamps should only be found on the side of the stone, usually one of the ends....is that correct?

always on the narrow side

I agree with zib. I've always kind of been suspect of the stamps on the stone and they present two problems for me:

1) they can be forged, and if they are now, they will be more so the more value there is to the original stones. As a buyer, I have no credibility with any other individual as a dealer might. So stones are worth more from the dealer than they will be from me. That creates a value issue.
2) If you use the stone, you wear off a stamp. Even if you don't, the stamp may fade from handling or time. I like to use my stones. The stamps will be gone when I do that. the better the stone, the more I like to use it.

I like to ask dealers to find their best ugly stones for me (alex, you've done this nicely for me) and as there is always a market for the pretty stones, on the backside, there are those of us more than willing to allow a dealer to demonstrate their skill in picking a stone that doesn't have collectible value but has great value for honing.

My best razor stone is an ozaki stone that is kind of thin, but is wide hard and flat. I got it from alex, but that's not really the point, I could get something similar from any dealer who knows enough to be able to differentiate stones. It was $165 and would be a lifetime of honing for any experienced shaver (I hone only once every 3-6 months, and maintain with a vintage linen between - but the wear never gets greater than what the ozaki will refresh on a slurry-via-tomonagura then clear in 100 total strokes).

I'd never pay the price for a true collector stones, so if I'm paying non-collectible prices, personally, I'd rather have a great stone with a fake stamp than a marginal stone with a real stamp.

(I wouldn't buy a "vintage stratocaster", either, as the more valuable they get, the more there are available, if you know what I mean, and a widely known luthier friend of mine has had the top dealers in the world try to scam him on several fake vintage guitars, thinking they can get over on anyone)

I have had great experience with alex (both for razor and tool stones), a sort of get what you get experience with Tomonori (330mate, but that is his business model), great experience with Takeshi Kuroda and I can't remember the name of the guy who runs aframes tokyo - I've gotten several stones from him, and they are what they say they are.

Originally Posted by DaveW

I can't remember the name of the guy who runs aframes tokyo - I've gotten several stones from him, and they are what they say they are.

Takeshi Aoki....I have gotten several stones from him and they've all been very good. Takeshi is primarily a knife guy, but he has some very good razor stones too...

Yeah, Aoki. You have to read the descriptions of his stones and make sure you're getting a razor stone, or ask. But the stones that he says are sutable for razors are suitable for razors.

I got a large ozuku tool stone from Aoki a while ago, and it said that it was a tool and knife stone, and it definitely is not generally a razor stone. I thought it might do double duty (but I was looking explicitly for a tool stone, so if it was only good for tools, that was OK).

At this point, any stone that will hold it's grit, isn't scratchy, and is finer than a tanba aoto, I can get a good shaving edge off of. It's just easier with a finer stone.

I pulled a marginally priced Okudo suita off of Aoki's site and got it in the mail yesterday, and with no experience with it, have to say it is the fastest and most appropriate tool finishing stone that I have ever used. It fits my target, though, its color is a little on the gray side and it's got rough edges (which is no problem for tools).

Originally Posted by DaveW

I pulled a marginally priced Okudo suita off of Aoki's site and got it in the mail yesterday, and with no experience with it, have to say it is the fastest and most appropriate tool finishing stone that I have ever used. It fits my target, though, its color is a little on the gray side and it's got rough edges (which is no problem for tools).

Yeah, I just got an Okunomon Suita from him and it is a fantastic stone. Very hard for a Suita, it makes a great finisher...(sorry, not trying to derail the thread!!)

The suita that I purchased looks almost identical to the tomonagura in your picture (a very large version of it that weighs 3 1/2 pounds, that is). i could finish with it on clear water, but it's a tool stone and insanely insanely fast.

Anyway, back to the regularly scheduled program.