Thread: New stone Japanese natural, Ozuku Asagi

Originally Posted by bobski

Above is a photo from my USB 400x cheap scope, it is the final edge on a Dovo 6/8 Stainless blade, from the Ozuku Asagi. I took it from a 10k Naniwa Superstone, then fairly light strokes with slurry made from DN, I let the slurry dry out a fair bit as I lightened things right off to blade weight only. I stropped it up on the Kanayama and had a comfortable shave. (This photo is pre the stropping). It wasn't a spectacular shave, I still have some technique to smooth out, but more than acceptable. The photo is a little blurred but the best I can do on the USB device. Under my loupe it looks better than this fairly high magnification. Any comments or advice is welcome.
Bob

It's a nicely polished bevel. If you dilute the slurry as you go, even down to plain water for an experiment, the edge may well improve more.

Where you are now, adding 5-6 strokes, at a time, on the gok 20 may get the same results or better.
Test shave between groups of 5 not to push things over the edge, pun intended.

For some JNats I get a much more comfortable edge with tomo slurry. Before you attribute that "not quite there" comfort level to your lack of skill, try some work after that 10k with tomo slurries. The straight water or dilution is worth trying as well, but I never seem to have much luck with that on very hard JNats unless it is very few strokes.