Japanese stone grit levels: Suita, Narutaki, Nakayama

[Russel Baldridge]

I found some pics at www.thejapanblade.com of some REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY (really) nice japanese stones, along with some pics of the grit scratches for each type of stone compared to the others as well as man-made hones.

If you'll look at the scratch pattern differences between the 15k hone, 30k hone and Nakayama stone, the largest improvement is obviously (to me anyway) between 30k and the Nakayama, which suggests a grit rating of 45k or more. The website's author rates most of them between 40k and 44k, but to my eye, it looks much finer.

The second to last pic (nakayama #8) is rated, by the author, as the finest stone in his collection

The last pic is of an Asagi(nakayama #20), while the other Nakayama tests were Kiita stones.

It's interesting that one of his Suita stones looke every bit as fine as the Nakayamas, I thought they were generally lower in grit.

Check 'em out, discuss your take on 'em, etc.