Thread: Nakayama Maruichi Honyama Asagi

Thats why i like them so much, there is so big variety in them in hardnes and fines you get unik stone every time, it makes them pretty special, and they are much more accessible then thuri or charnley
I like my Nakayamas a lot, they make less scratchy stones then Ozuku and Shoubu that makes them best fineshers for Kamisoris and laminated blades

Originally Posted by maxim207

I like my Nakayamas a lot, they make less scratchy stones then Ozuku and Shoubu that makes them best fineshers for Kamisoris and laminated blades

Hi Maxim
I will have to gently disagree about your above blanket statement. There were great stones brought to light from all of the 4-5 main mines including Shobu & Ozuku. Each mine in the Shobudani area shared the same general geology and at different times ran into the same basic strata. Naurtaki was also one of those mines that had wonderful stones but unfortuneatly mined them all out and a closed before any of use were born by decades. The really best stones from any of the Kyo Yamashita area were dug out and used for swords between 1380 to somewhere in the Edo period, probably about 1750-1825. These were from the purest strata found at the higher elevations of the mountain from each of the different mines. So I contend that even the Nakayama stones most of us are exposed to are, well, I'll leave that up to you. alx

Originally Posted by alx

Hi Maxim
I will have to gently disagree about your above blanket statement. There were great stones brought to light from all of the 4-5 main mines including Shobu & Ozuku. Each mine in the Shobudani area shared the same general geology and at different times ran into the same basic strata. Naurtaki was also one of those mines that had wonderful stones but unfortuneatly mined them all out and a closed before any of use were born by decades. The really best stones from any of the Kyo Yamashita area were dug out and used for swords between 1380 to somewhere in the Edo period, probably about 1750-1825. These were from the purest strata found at the higher elevations of the mountain from each of the different mines. So I contend that even the Nakayama stones most of us are exposed to are, well, I'll leave that up to you. alx

Hi Alex

I think you misudestand me, you are right !

But I was talking about stones avelleble now for razors, sword polishers use some "soft stones" comperd to ones we use for razors !! And they use them on much softer steel, tamahagene sword are made from much softer steel then any of us think And for that steel softer stones is much better and give more contrast to the hamon and makes that sandblasted finish. I did some polish on mine Tamahagene knife with softer stones and hard stones, harder will only make skraches more viceble.
Now what stones they used before and what we use now its hole another story ! I will not say that they was better
Scrachy stones can be super pure too but they will only skrach "soft" steel like on sword or laminated blade. On western razor it will feel much more smoother.
It is nothing to do with if its pure or not just hardnes of the stone and the steel you use it for.

Sword polishers they go just for softer stones that is super pure and some of this stones is now almost imposseble to find and will cost a fortune but its another story and nothing to do with western razor hones

Originally Posted by Disburden

I lapped the stone flat and then used 1000grit sandpaper to polish the surface as well as nagura stones to polish more. The stone is very hard and slow, I actually tried to make slurry on it using my extremely hard (lv5 according to Maxim) Oozuku Agasi stone. It took forever to build slurry.I tried to use the edge of the Oozuku nagura to make things faster and it then chipped pieces off the Oozuku Nagura without making much slurry (I got a very little bit).

Very nice hard stone.

I think you know it already but soaking these very hard stones 2 or 3 days in water will help to lap it easier and to make slurry.

Originally Posted by maxim207

you cant realy compare these stones unfortionetly next one may be different. Even in Ozukus lv 5 they are all different !

But it looks for sure like very good stone, you can get some good and cheap hones from Takeshi just need to know what to look for.

Conrgats !!!

Maxim, what does one look for?

Originally Posted by pinklather

Maxim, what does one look for?

You have to handle hundreds of stones to learn that. If the pictures posted are not quality it is easy to not see what you need to make educated guess about a stone.

Originally Posted by DrNaka

Very nice hard stone.

I think you know it already but soaking these very hard stones 2 or 3 days in water will help to lap it easier and to make slurry.

I actually had no idea you could soak a japanese stone. I thought it would make the stone fragile?

Originally Posted by Disburden

I actually had no idea you could soak a japanese stone. I thought it would make the stone fragile?

No nothing happens to the stone.
They can split if they were left out to freeze after they were used.

Originally Posted by Disburden

I actually had no idea you could soak a japanese stone. I thought it would make the stone fragile?

You should know that these Kyoto Stones have been millions of years in or under water.
So 2 or 3 days or permanent soaking in water itself will not hurt them.

There are 3 things I would care.

1. As mainaman said do not freeze (use ambient temperature water)
2. Do not dry under direct sunshine, in hot oven or near a fireplace.
3. Do not drop it on the floor (chances that the stone got broken will be a bit higher)

Originally Posted by DrNaka

3. Do not drop it on the floor (chances that the stone got broken will be a bit higher)

If you are working over hard flooring without a work mats, think about getting one or plan on having a broken heart.