Thread: Looking into Jnat stones

But I'm kinda confused about them.
I mainly just don't know what kind to get between them all.
Thanks for any advice.

I think you have to be way more precisely.
What do you want to do, what is it you expect?

J-Nats come in uncountable variations from proper to unusable,
from 30bucks to 30.000 USD.

The most recommended finisher to get is a high quality Nakayama from oldschoolshaving.net or Japan Tool - Natural Sharpening Stones (<- unfortunately closed at the moment)

These are the two most repetutive sellers wich is the most important thing to look for when buying:
good recommendation. You have to rely perfectly on the advice and choice of the seller,
otherwise you will buy a very expensive brick, or an 8.000 hone at best.

Otherwise I recommend you to start reading and absorb everything you find out about japanese stones

+1 on that!

There are so many different types out there, and so many variations of each type that you really do need to do some research to get a good stone.

I lucked out totally on mine and nabbed a Nakayama Maruichi from the classifieds here which was originally sold by O_S, and thats a really great stone. I absolutely love the edges off that stone, and I've also got a DD Goldedge that Dylan finished on an Asagi which is also an amazing edge.

Something to be aware of is there are different grades of stone, so you could well find an Asagi for $200 and think "DEAL!", and then find out that its a lower grade of stone which works well for knives but isnt so good for razors.

You want to get one that is meant for razors and surgical scalpels as these will be very hard and a very high grit.

You also have to learn how to use your particular stone to get the best result. Some work best with slurry (and dont forget working out the optimum slurry thickness and dilution approach), others do not, some of them give slurry that breaks down, others do not, some stones require lots of strokes to get the best result and again others dont. Each stone is different and the only way to get the best out of yours will be to hone lots of razors on it..!

I definately agree with LessLemming about going to either O_S or So for your stone. Those guys know what they're talking about and will help you find the best one.

Good luck and keep us posted!

+2 to the above

Only thing id ad is to state the obvious

Jnats can range from 200 grit to 80 000 grit, as in real rough and real smooth. So if its a finisher or high end polisher you want then you will need to pursue that. But the term Japanese natural stone does not equal finishing/polishing stone.

And of course all the above statements:
- Reputable seller
- Every one behaves different so use it till you know it
- ...

although i got mine of ebay and lucked in

+1 to everything above, but I have to recommend Alex Gilmore here too at www.thejapanblade.com. His stones are expensive, yes, but part of what you are "buying" is Alex's time and expertise in helping to get you the stone that you are expecting. He's the exact polar opposite of what you read about some of the "nightmare" eBay vendors -- all of his stones are returnable, all of his stones are evaluated objectively, and you can reach Alex by email and pepper him with questions any time. No, he's not my brother-in-law or anything, but I bought one excellent stone from him once and wish I was in a position to buy some more from him (although one is all that anyone ever needs for a lifetime to use).

Good luck, and give Alex a try too. --Jeff

Can you guys who have purchased give some guideline prices for finishing stones? An actual kamisori grade.

Wow, I had no idea they went up that high in price so quickly.

Hi Petr unfortunately the answer is no.

Japanese Naturals are graded by the seller only.
So it is totally up to him, how much he thinks it is worth.
There is no recommended price area, there is plenty room for a price to go high.
Who is to tell if a stone is worth 300 or 700 bucks?

Main criteria for defining a j-nats price is looks, shape, weight, hardness and eventually fineness.
These are hardly objective criteria.

You J-Nat-maties out there will have to contact repetutive sellers and talk to them.
Explain your needs and what you can offer.
J-Nats are expensive and need a lot of knowledge,
or you may very likely buy junk