Thread: Jnat

Hey guys,

I keep hearing about these jnats but I have zero knowledge of how they work, where to get them, or how much they cost...

I currently use a coticule with the dilution and unicot method...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

JF

There's a few good sources out there on the internet, few from the top of my head:

JapaneseNaturalstones.com

and Aframestokyo.com

Some guys use them differently but I use the different Nagura stones to change "grit" on the Nakayama stone I have and then finish with a "mud"/slurry of a TomoNagura stone which is the same type of stone as the hone you're using but in a slurry stone form.

If you visit coticule.be you will see JimR's tutorial on them in the sharpening academy section on the top of the site.

Enjoy!

I have an Asagi that my GF got for me from Old_School (He hasn't updated his website in a long time, as far as I can tell, so maybe he's stopped dealing with the hones). I use exclusively as a finisher after my Naniwa 8k with water only. Leaves a really really nice edge.

I don't think Old_School sells them anymore. Last time I checked all he stuff was sold on ebay, razors and all..

I have a Nakayama Maruichi that I snagged in the classifieds here (its currently residing in Norway with Birnando actually. My hones have done more travelling than me this year! ) and I use that as a finisher as well, starting out with slurry and diluting to water.

They're great stones but not the cheapest out there. Mine was over $300 and there are some that go for literally thousands!

I heard that with the really good ones you bow to the four directions, point the stone to the east and lay your razor on it and it is immediately honed to perfection.

Originally Posted by Disburden

There's a few good sources out there on the internet, few from the top of my head:

JapaneseNaturalstones.com

and Aframestokyo.com

Big +1 to "japanesenaturalstones.com"

I just made a purchase from Maksim and he was very helpful through every step of the process. He is very informative and responded to every question I asked him in a timely manner.

In addition, he shaves with a straight and tests all of his stones prior to sale on a razor or knife, depending on the stone.

I highly recommend dealing with him.

I just received my Ozuku from Maksim today.





I haven't tried it out yet, but he tested it and assures me it is a very fine finisher. Plus, he's been very good to deal with! He was very responsive and helpful in my process of purchasing the particular stone.

I have an Asagi, Kiita and Ohzuku and all have worked better than the coticule for me utilizing any of the one hone methods. These are really nice stones with the Asagi and Ohzuku being my favorites of all the Japanese stones I have tried to date. I hope the guys over there keep finding more great stones. I am amazed by all the shapes and sizes.

Not to diminish the Coticule here as it remains a respectable stone in my arsenal.

Have fun,

Lynn

I haven't gotten into the j-nats ...... yet. I was intimidated by the learning curve of figuring out what is what. When you go for a synthetic, a coticule or an Escher you more or less know what it is. The j-nats require a bit of study. For some I am sure that is a plus rather than a minus.

They are remarkably beautiful stones and I could imagine myself going for them to the point of bankruptcy .... another reason why I've avoided opening that door even a crack.