Thread: Stone hardness & decription questions

So first off. This was sold as a Narutaki Akane Tomae 4+. I am confused on the hardness of this stone first off. Initial feel and water tests say this is more of a 5 or more in hardness. Water sits on it forever. No self slurry with knifes or razors, but produces a good bit of swarf so it has good speed. Once I use a tomo though it produces slurry very easily and also with atoma lapping plate. So on water only it seems like a 5 to 5+, but when slurrying it seems like a 4 or 4+. Never had a stone like this before how would one gauge the hardness better?

Next I still have only seen very few stones listed as Akane or Akane iromono and seem to feel this would still just be an Iromono Tomae, but is there a difference?

Finally in the pics you may be able to see small purple dots that cover the stone. Are these Nashiji, goma or renge? Nashiji I thought was mostly on Kiita stones, Goma I thought are usually black and renge is usually on Suita stones. This is a red stone with purple spots.