Just ordered naguras... can't wait!

From a reputable online retailer. Three asano nagura plus a tomo and a small Shuobudani with nagura (I guess that's a tomo as well).

Very excited, even though this a bit of a poor man's purchase!

I also acknowledge that each task has a tool that's best suited, and vice versa. In other words, my big O1 wedge may be perfectly happy being sharpened by diamond film.

Last night a coticule with thin slurry and hours of circles wouldn't get it sharp (but did polish the bevel). Nevertheless, I'm very interested to see how the Jnat progression goes with the new nagura and honzan.

Attachment 180071

Attachment 180072

Attachment 180073

Attachment 180074

Attachment 180075

Attachment 180076

A small Shuobudani awasedo, what I believe are botan, mejiro and tenjyou nagura, and two awesome tomo nagura!

First attempt may not have made the mark today but I will try a shave on it and see. This W&B is warped or otherwise tricky to reach the heel. I may try another, straighter razor for learning.

Thanks, Maksim!

Presume that's one of the bunch of shoubus going around right now that are described as "shoubu damascus asagis"?

Nice looking bunch of rocks. I got one of the super hard shoubu damascus stones early on (from takeshi kuroda), and it's probably got the nicest action of any hard stone that I've ever used.

I'm not sure. I'm new to Jnats. The small shoubudani does have some neat boiling/damascus look to it. The larger Oohira does too in a way, and it's even harder from what I have experienced so far. Now I need some more time with the stones to get to know them all!

The Shuobu seems to have metallic pinprick spots across its surface. I've searched a bit and they don't seem toxic, but I can feel them sometimes. Does anyone know if that's conclusively good or bad?

Also, I may be able to get the back side of the Shuobudani lapped, which might be nice. I've worn off most of the stamp anyway, but it seems to me it can't hurt to have two sides available.

I'd leave the back of the stone unfinished. I think you will enjoy the front enough that you want to preserve what the back looks like and allow it to be subject to dirt, etc, that the top will not (I also don't think you'd want to turn a good side under and subject it to the same).

The dots/pinpricks are no problem if the edge is smooth and uniform and the shave good. As you described, the small stone is the one I was looking at when guessing a shoubu asagi (damascus is what kuroda uses to describe them). It's funny how the various things seem to come all at once from different places online, I guess that's what the miners (or agents if there are any involved) are releasing. It's nice when they release a bunch at a time because it makes things that were otherwise unaffordable less so. Last year, there was all at once a bunch of white fast cutting okudo suita on the market, which is something that I've been drooling over for tools for a long time, but couldn't bite the bullet and spend upwards of 4 figures for another tool stone. I got a giant piece from takeshi aoki for about $225 figuring that for the price, the quality probably would be suspect, but it is the fastest cutting suita stone I have ever used and with very smooth action.

You will like the stones, I think. If you are used to a powder/paste type superfine edge and you're not quite where you want to be, keep using the stone. I cannot tell much difference these days between an edge that I get off of a stone and an edge that's been subjected to chromium oxide, but I'm working with my stones much differently than I did when I first got them and just placed the razor back and forth on them and went right to a shave. I don't have any use for pastes and such now and prefer the edge off of the stone (drawing the sharpness line as when I get too many weepers on a fresh edge - something I used to be able to do only with pastes and powders)

Attachment 180085

Attachment 180086

Mine doesn't have anything that significant, if I can remember, I'll take a picture of it tonight. My stamps never last long, either, btw. I've never gotten a stone that I didn't use.

Still, I don't worry much about dots or flecks on a stone if they are not toxic. I've got some ugly ones that do great work, and that stone is far from ugly.

passed the first shave test today, but not particularly owing to my honing prowess.

First pass skipped over the stubble so I went back (with lather on my face) and did a quick run through with the yellow nagura (Nakayama kiita?) with way heel-leading x strokes, and had a pretty darn good shave. Will be better as I get the hang of them though. I did strop on bridle leather part way through, and that helped as well.

I can't wait to get better with these stones!

Btw, can anyone help me with the names so I can write them down?

The metallic flecks:
Attachment 180126

Attachment 180127

Attachment 180128

And the edge, with the brown tomo nagura (I can feel the metallic flecks but can't see any obvious scratches).
Attachment 180131

Attachment 180132

Attachment 180133

I think my pressure is still much too high, but it's hard not to when guiding this wonky edge into contact with the stone.

And on my big wedgy O1 blade:
Attachment 180137

Attachment 180138

These stones somehow are not what I expected in terms of feel and the polish they leave (not worse, just different), but I can see why people get so absorbed by them. It's such an organic experience. It's also a commitment; you need to work through each batch of slurry to break it down enough to achieve the fineness.

Great images.
The commitment is still a learning process for me to know when the slurry is providing that fineness to really polish the edge.

Thanks for the details - Myron

Your edges look fine. Damage would look back at you, and sometimes even that is superficial in a shave, or strops off without materially thickening an edge. I've got a microscope that shines light directly at the scratches, and I've got no natural stone that doesn't leave some scratch looking on the edge, but after a trip to the linen (or two) these days, I can't tell much difference between keenness on the natural stones vs. chrome ox, despite chrome ox looking much more polished under the scope - that's a matter of what we can see on the bevel vs. what really is in the shave.

Attachment 180818

Just love the colours in this tomo nagura!