Thread: ToolsfromJapan website?

Stu is good to deal with and will let you know straight up if it's going to be a while. Have brought from him a couple of times and always helpful.

I've bought a few from him too. Always a please to deal with.

He's very upfront..

I ordered a Gokumyo 20K about 10 days ago. The site is not showing that it has shipped yet. Luckily, I've got other stones!

I wanted to buy a Gokumyo 20k last year before I visited Japan. I emailed him on two occasions and never got a response.

Originally Posted by Thug

I wanted to buy a Gokumyo 20k last year before I visited Japan. I emailed him on two occasions and never got a response.

Stu is a one-man shop, and he's inundated with long questions from tire kickers. If you order a stone, he will ship it. If you email, then he will respond if he has time to.

He also has a day job (at least the last time I talked to him, he did) teaching English and his wife works, too. That's probably one of the reasons his prices are as good as they are - if he dedicated full time to the shop, I think the prices would have to go up.

I've known him since long before he started selling things, he's an honest guy. Always has been, and started his shop because he was offended with what some of the US suppliers peddle to us (if you look at woodworking catalogs, stuff is often sold for a multiple of what stu sells - 2x as much in some cases for his very expensive items, like hand made tsunesaburo planes). We're also given a dose of BS stories in some of the catalogs here in the US, talking up things that are more or less machine made in japan.

So, if you want a stone from him, buy it. I think it's a better idea to ask questions of individual items on various forums for two reasons:
* you don't have to wonder whether a vendor is being objective
* it takes a bit of the load off of vendors going through emails and gives you more data points

Stu also has an inability to help people part way. He either answers you none or gives you a voluminous long and descriptive answer.

Originally Posted by Druid

He's very upfront..

I ordered a Gokumyo 20K about 10 days ago. The site is not showing that it has shipped yet. Luckily, I've got other stones!

It will probably arrive without an update. they are not very good with updates, but you will get it. They are not as impatient there with updates as we are here. They are for real so don't loose any sleep.

Originally Posted by coachmike

It will probably arrive without an update. they are not very good with updates, but you will get it. They are not as impatient there with updates as we are here. They are for real so don't loose any sleep.

This is how my G20 showed up. If I recall correctly, it took about 2 weeks. I was just starting to become concerned and it showed in my mailbox, still didn't show that it had shipped.

I ordered a couple of stones and an atoma plate from him a few years back. AFAIK at that time he was the sole source for the G-20k on this side of the pond. Anyway, seamless transaction. Did take 2 or 3 weeks to get to my door, but all good.

Got my 20k in two weeks, no shipping notice, but I can't hone on a shipping email. So order with confidence and if you want it quicker, lighten up, you may be the kind of guy who is way to impatient to hone anyway. Tc