Thread: Nakayama Maruka

You're kind of right ...

Most people when they begin the JNat journey are under the impression that quality drives price. It does, but apparently not as much as size, regularity, and color.

I have $70-$90 stones that perform as well as anything as far as the edge goes. But they are for the most part, small, irregular, thin, and not a desirable color. If these stones were 205x75x25mm, a perfect rectangle, and a desirable kiita yellow, they'd be $2,000 and up. That's just how the pricing goes.

All of the Nakayama and most of the other mines are closed and what we're all buying is warehoused stock that's becoming increasingly picked over. So small, irregular, and ugly stones are atill somewhat common and reasonably priced even if the quality is top notch. Likewise, large, good and regular stones are increasingly rare and desirable.

It is fun to hone a razor on a large, beautiful and regular JNat that feels like honing on velvet or greased ice and puts a wonderful feeling edge on the razor. I'll pay for that, but you don't really have to.

One thing that's rarely mentioned is that the Japanese will pay more for fine stones than westerners will. We rarely see a stone over $2k in English-speaking markets, but large fine suitas and razor/tool finishers are pretty common at $4-6k in Japanese markets, and a large fine piece of uchigumori for sword polishing, I think the sky is the limit.

These hones are the tools of journeymen craftsmen in Japan, and the best stones will bring as much as the best bandsaw or tablesaw, drill press here.

However you decide to do it, there's a good JNat for you at almost any price point, the only question is what you sacrifice, and what you give up may or may not be important to you.

Cheers, Steve

I somewhat agree, after all it is quite akin to getting from point A to Point B, you can get there driving a 10K vehicle as well as one in tens of thousands. Understand that pricing is relative however I feel that the features that drives the price is after all a part of quality.

Originally Posted by Steve56

You're kind of right ...
It is fun to hone a razor on a large, beautiful and regular JNat that feels like honing on velvet or greased ice and puts a wonderful feeling edge on the razor. I'll pay for that, but you don't really have to.

Thanks for that sentence Steve, these words describe it the best also in my mind...

...its nice to have such a stone, its great to work on it and the feeling is, (i can guess) awesome! If you want to own it and you have the money, you should have it. You should enjoy it and be the lucky one owning such a stone.......but its not needed....

Here again in case some missed it in the past is what I would consider a Grade A Japanese natural stone. Beyond the reach of most of us in the $30,000 range. This link is to The Hatanaka Toisi Co. Kyoto and you can use Google Translate on this page.

http://www.shinise.ne.jp/receive/highgrade/hatanaka/

Alex

A 30 K stone is worth looking at. Must be one of the rarest and I can see the homogeneity, size and color.

I would add the following, i can agree on the idea or theory that in many cases the higher prized stones are better, cleaner, more homogenious, etc...

But i also mentioned it several times, for me the more interesting question is if the difference in price brings you such a big gap which can be filled from the higher prized stone....

I mean why should i buy a stamped Nakayama stone for 2000€ when i get any other japanese Stone working nearly the same way or only a little bit beyond, if the difference is 1900€ because the other one is unstamped and not as good looking and the shaving result is nearly on par, i will always skip the 2000€ Nakayama...

The same is with Thuris, why a barbers delight with Label, when a 100€ Thuri works as good...only when youre into collecting, a labelled one might be interesting...

Just to make an extreme example here....

Originally Posted by doorsch

I would add the following, i can agree on the idea or theory that in many cases the higher prized stones are better, cleaner, more homogenious, etc...

But i also mentioned it several times, for me the more interesting question is if the difference in price brings you such a big gap which can be filled from the higher prized stone....

I mean why should i buy a stamped Nakayama stone for 2000€ when i get any other japanese Stone working nearly the same way or only a little bit beyond, if the difference is 1900€ because the other one is unstamped and not as good looking and the shaving result is nearly on par, i will always skip the 2000€ Nakayama...

The same is with Thuris, why a barbers delight with Label, when a 100€ Thuri works as good...only when youre into collecting, a labelled one might be interesting...

Just to make an extreme example here....

Very true, and prudent. Except if you are a tea room/temple restorer in Japan with 120mm kanna blades instead of straight razors! These are the people driving the prices, not razor people.

5,000€ is a lot of money for a razor hobbyist, but not a lot for a journeyman craftsman's tool by which he makes his living.

Cheers, Steve

Originally Posted by Steve56

Very true, and prudent. Except if you are a tea room/temple restorer in Japan with 120mm kanna blades instead of straight razors! These are the people driving the prices, not razor people.

5,000€ is a lot of money for a razor hobbyist, but not a lot for a journeyman craftsman's tool by which he makes his living.

Cheers, Steve

That's true for all the stones. An inch stone thick (if not too soft) will last more than a few lifetimes for a barber, if they know how to use it. The same stone will last 4 months for a professional woodworker. If there were only razors, there would be at least 3x stones around. But... we wouldn't have furniture, doors or houses.

Well said!, I totally agree, for these type of people and I understand there may not be many, only the very best will suffice. The same goes for any trade that requires nothing but the very best.

I would like to know if this is a Nakayama? Thanks in advance.