Holy Crap! Local Stones!

**JimR** · 12-01-2009, 12:56 PM

Thnaks for the encouragement, guys! The wife is already resigned to her fate.

Well , things are progressing nicely! I've gotten in touch with the blog writer, he's apparently a housebuilder/carpenter in Iwakuni, where the mine is. He seems really friendly...perhaps a guide?

He uses a full range of local stones for his planes and such, apparently, from rough to fine. There is even an aoto mine around here, he says!

Also, from that same blog, I have met a total honing-geek. He has his own blog all about honing kamisori, knives, axes, anything with an edge. I am taking notes...but according to him, the Iwakuni hones might be a little soft and rough for kamisori; they are finishers, though, above 10K. Just not in that special Japanese natural range of 30K or so. However, softer stones might be fine for razors, as you use less pressure than kamisori, right?

This is one HECK of an awesome rabbit hole! And I shall keep on down.

**hoglahoo** · 12-01-2009, 02:27 PM

Congrats, Jim!

You must be a pretty happy cat. Or a pretty, happy cat

I hope the mine turns out to yield some nice razor hones

**IanS** · 12-01-2009, 05:07 PM

Just think, if it does, you will soon have the pleasure of having a forum of shavieboo's nagging you to get them a deal on and handpick for them a stone fitting to their exacting specifications. And when you start pulling your hair out, there's even a nice deep cave you can run to and hide from them all.

Hope you have a blast learning about this mine though, seriously.

**detroyt** · 12-01-2009, 06:06 PM

That is so cool. It reminds me that I need to take a drive up to grindstone. and pick up some stones. A few people here were interested.

**DwarvenChef** · 12-04-2009, 07:08 AM

Outstanding, talk about some special stones

**ursus** · 12-04-2009, 08:47 AM

No fair... You get all the good stuff =). Seems Japan has a lot of these gems still hidden away, laying undiscovered.

Originally Posted by JimR

Thanks for the encouragement, guys! The wife is already resigned to her fate.

I see a pattern here... Didn't your wife start politely requesting ridiculously expensive leather thingies about the same time you discovered those japanese strops? Just start preparing that you may soon be politely asked for those ridiculously expensive, sparkly rocks too =D.

**Kees** · 12-04-2009, 01:23 PM

Makes you wanna live in Japan!

**JimR** · 12-04-2009, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by ursus

No fair... You get all the good stuff =). Seems Japan has a lot of these gems still hidden away, laying undiscovered.

I see a pattern here... Didn't your wife start politely requesting ridiculously expensive leather thingies about the same time you discovered those japanese strops? Just start preparing that you may soon be politely asked for those ridiculously expensive, sparkly rocks too =D.

Oh...Oh no. Don't say that...I have to pay off my razor first!!!

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