Thread: Has Anyone Tried the Asagi Stone That ChefKnivestoGo sells?

Chefknivestogo sells a very large asagi, but there isn't a lot to grab on to when you read the description. It says that it's 8x3x2 or thereabouts, and "very fine" and I think it might mention on that one that it's also very hard.

Doesn't say what mine.

There are some testimonials at the bottom where folks say they're happy about how it is for shaving (postive testimonials).

I'm jonesing a little bit for a good hard hone, and I have a small nakayama (though big for a razor, small for tools about 70x180) that's very hard and raises no slurry, but i've never been too excited about it as I can't tell that it's any better than using a 10k chosera. It's definitely not sharper, better is debatable. It is too slow for tools, so I have been tinkering on it with razors. It was a fujibato stone for about $125, and not a cheap $30 grab bag stone, but not on par with a stone that alex would sell, either.

Just wondering if a little luck might reveal that the commenters on that page are SRP readers and can comment on the stones fineness vs. other naturals or synthetics (i have used just about every synthetic stone available in the US and some not available here, so that's a good reference point).

Any thoughts?

The stones CKTG carries are knife stones, and prepolishers for razors.
You can get lucky and get a stone that can be very good on razor but you have to try them, may be if you ask Mark he will let you try before you decide to buy.

I figured as much. Definitely something I'd ask about before ordering. I have plenty of stones that are chosera 10k sharpness or so in natural stones, but no really fine finishers (way different finish, obviously, but similar in sharpness). Not a need, just a jones that i'll look elsehwere to satisfy.

Well what are you going to do with it and why aren´t you satisfied with your Chosera 10k?

Are you looking for a natural to sharpen/finish your tools or are you in for a ultra finisher for your razors that makes shaves smoother than from your Chosera 10k?

The Chosera 10k is a very nice stone for tools, especially. It is hard and very fine. And it cuts very quickly
wich is a good thing for tools with wider bevels. But for razors (that´s my personal opinion) it is a bit harsh.
It takes either a nice polishing paste on a strop or a nicer finishing stone.

Finishing stones for razor (ultra finishing stones that is) are usually very hard and very slow.
Too slow for tools with wider bevels and hardly adequate. I never finish any of my tools and kitchen knives
on anything finer than my Naniwa Superstone 10.000. Only if I need real smoothness (like in my face) I grab my ultra nice
Nakayama, Shoubudani or Shapton 30.000 (<- all unnecessary ultra finishers).

A nice stone for finishing your tools would be an Ohira or a mid-fine range stone.
Maksim over at JNS carries nice prepolishers.

He also carries some very good ultra finishers for your razors, like razor sized Ozukus that would fall into your budget

Your statement is correct, the chosera and shapton 15k stones are what I use as finishing stones on my western woodworking tools. I'm looking for something that's finer and leaves an edge a little softer for shaving.

I have several japanese finishers for woodworking tools, which I would call "good enough" for razor use, they are similar to the chosera and shapton 15k.

I'm looking for a stone that you shave straight off of comfortably, it's not really a need, obviously. I could play with my finest tool finisher (a fairly slow cutting very hard nakayama) and get it to behave like a razor finisher, it's too slow cutting to be practical for tool use.

While I love large uniform and very fine stones like everyone else, I don't need a 220mm long 3 kg stone for razors as I'll be stepping to the "ultra finisher" from a woodworking finishing stone, and the razor stone will not need to do much work. So a stone that is very hard and fine can be slow cutting and not that large and still do well. I would prefer wide and short over long and narrow. I'll talk to a couple of the dealers to make sure I get a stone that's not going to be similar to my very hard nakayama stone.

I have 2 nakayama stones, one very hard and fine, one slightly less fine and very large, and a big suita that I got from alex, and then a shoubu and hiderayama pre-finishing stones for woodworking tools, which I guess makes them two steps from finish for razors.

I have a Chosera 10K which can be used for finishing a razor, but I agree that it can be harsh. So normally I will use the Naniwa SS 12K. With both, I find that using .5 diamond spray on felt or chromium oxide for 10 light strokes does the trick to get to the edge I like for shaving. That said, I have 2 Asagi's from Maxim that work very well for finishing. Both the Shoobey Doobey and Ohzuku do the trick virtually every time.

Have fun,

Lynn

I had a SS 12k until a few months ago. Never occurred to me to use it for a razor (too many stones around, I guess, hadn't gotten to it). I sold it because it wasn't as good for tools as the chosera - it didn't cut as fast and struggled a little with some high alloy tool steels (and for tooling purposes was otherwise not up to par with the cho and a shapton 15k pro).

The thing I like about using a stone as far up to the end as possible is that you really have a lot of control over the edge geometry, and the chosera has me doing a little more loaded strop work than I'd like to soften the edge. If i'm not careful with the softness of the edge, I have razor burn that peaks then... bad.... two days later, regardless of the shave soap or cream.

Originally Posted by Lynn

I have a Chosera 10K which can be used for finishing a razor, but I agree that it can be harsh. So normally I will use the Naniwa SS 12K. With both, I find that using .5 diamond spray on felt or chromium oxide for 10 light strokes does the trick to get to the edge I like for shaving. That said, I have 2 Asagi's from Maxim that work very well for finishing. Both the Shoobey Doobey and Ohzuku do the trick virtually every time.

Have fun,

Lynn

Lynn, how would you rate the Oozuku from Maxim? Better than the nani 12k, worse, or just different? I am about to buy one, just looking for a few opinions

u cant compare a synthetic stone with a natural one i think. i use to shave right off my oozukus and get the smoothest shaves. i done that one time with a synthetic stone, i belive it was the naniwa ss 10000, and would never do this again.

Agreed, it is difficult to compare naturals (especially with synthetics).
But I tend to believe that I do get better shaves from the Shoubudani (and recently the Ozuk, both from Maksim) than from the Shapton 16k, for example.

If I had to chose I would always pick the Shoubu or Ozuku.
But be warned, those are very fine and need a very good pre-finishing-work.
A good 8.000 finish (one that you can shave off comoftably enough) is the minimum.

I always go up to Naniwa Super 10.000, or Shapton Pro 12.000 befor I hit the Shoubu (or Ozuku)

I think I can safely say this:
I have never (!) had a better shave than from my Shoubudani.
Are there other ways to get there? Certainly. But this one works every single time.
So far I can say the same for the Ozuku (only had it since this morning)