Thread: J-Nat club

Originally Posted by alx

Well this is probably my rarest stone. Any pre-20th century dug Shinden kiita is exceeding difficult to locate. Shinden of course was closed early on and this stone was fitted up or precessed in the Meiji era or the late Edo period. Kiita are not all created softer, and this one is not, it is a fairly hard stone in the Lv5- range. The color of the wet stone in the photo is actual as you can judge by my netural background which I like to use as per Ansel Adams. Nakayama was famous for their kiita but the other nearby mines also had their share of kiita stone. I feel very fortunate to have found a rock from the early era. Some will say that "heck all these stone are old", this is geologically correct. But just as with the Coticules mines, the quality of stone in and of the early diggings was unique, and I doubt that anyone will dispute this. The same with the Honyama area. Alx

Nice looking stone Alex. I think that colour is actually not called kiita in Japan, but ikimurasaki.
It's close to kiita. I say this because I have seen that exact same colour on Maruoyama stones
and they were called ikimurasaki.

I have seen some stones in this topic that barely have any kiita in them, yet
were sold as kiita.

Sharpman

Sharpman
I would like to learn more about the iki marasakai, any links? Alx

Originally Posted by Disburden

Looks like mine, great stone.

i hope so i havent laped mine yet !

Originally Posted by alx

Sharpman
I would like to learn more about the iki marasakai, any links? Alx

Alex, I googled a bit and found that ''murasaki'' means purple in japanese. Not
sure what ''iki'' means, but since I read that ikimurasaki is the most desired colour
after kiita I am guessing that it's a combination of ''kiita''(yellow) with ''murasaki''(purple).

I found this for ikimurasaki:
http://www.japan-messer-shop.de/imag...s/dscf0828.jpg

That is from Maruoyama mountain I think.

Sharpman

Several weeks ago I spoke with Maruoyama hones, and the Name Ikimurasaki is just that. A name.

You are right that murasaki is purple, and the name they chose was to describe the colour of the rock more than anything else.

He also said that there were better hones for razors than the ikimurasaki. He said 大谷山 Otaniyama was better. (his opinion)

The ikimurasaki are expensive because they are less common.

Here is a pic from Totoriya (Maruoyama Hones) of a pre cut section of the ikimurasaki.

As fare as i know name Ikimurasaki is only used of Maruoyama.
Kiita can be orange or yellow, but its only appearance, name, nothing to do with performance, layer or what quarry stone come from.
It can effect price very bright Kiitas go for 100 000 yen and up. But you pay there most for the look and beauty of the stone then performance.

Varieties of Nakayama: many of which are considered 'Kiita' (These are all different 'types' of Nakayama hones.)

Mmm looks like berry sorbet. Lol

Originally Posted by ZethLent

Several weeks ago I spoke with Maruoyama hones, and the Name Ikimurasaki is just that. A name.

You are right that murasaki is purple, and the name they chose was to describe the colour of the rock more than anything else.

He also said that there were better hones for razors than the ikimurasaki. He said 大谷山 Otaniyama was better. (his opinion)

The ikimurasaki are expensive because they are less common.

Here is a pic from Totoriya (Maruoyama Hones) of a pre cut section of the ikimurasaki.

Originally Posted by SharpMan

Alex, I googled a bit and found that ''murasaki'' means purple in japanese. Not
sure what ''iki'' means, but since I read that ikimurasaki is the most desired colour
after kiita I am guessing that it's a combination of ''kiita''(yellow) with ''murasaki''(purple).

I found this for ikimurasaki:
http://www.japan-messer-shop.de/imag...s/dscf0828.jpg



That is from Maruoyama mountain I think.

Sharpman

Sharpman

I also understand that "murasaki" means purple.

The work Iki is a very important word in Japan and it describes a life style. In the Edo period it was forbidden by law to openly display your families wealth in an ostentatious manner, and this was during a time when the merchant class was overshadowing the samuri class in their fortunes. Iki is a life style that shows plainness on the outside but vivid and gaudy material on the inside. This style can be seen in kimono and in the art and theater of the era but is best understood in the homes of the merchant class of the times. An iki style home may have the most simple and often very linear architecture facing the street, all plain and dull, but inside it is full of color and opulence. This way the merchants could enjoy their wealth in private but at the same time follow the law.

By the way, the Maruoyama is a western mine deep in the Tamba region just outside the town of Kameoka. The Ohira mine is also nearby. These Nishimono mines are not noted currently for their fine grit stones, but more for the speed like in the suita stones from the area but this is not to say that excellent and very fine stones have not come from these mines. As I have said before, each and every mine has at one time or another produced some surperb stones, it is just that over time the mines centered around Yamashiro have been very consistant in super quality and percentage of output in that ultra class of stones.

Maruoyama is one of the last old time owner operated mines that is active, 3 generation of the same family are involved, lovely and honest people who are very approachable and I see them at the kezuroukai. Alx

Here are some newer jnats. an Ozuku Kiita lv 4.5 hardness originally from Maksim with tomo nagura. and 2 koma naguras.
the othe picture is the skin at the back of the Ozuku. I don't know how to use the Ozuku yet.
mainaman was generous and gifted me a beautiful tomo nagura but I will add the picture of that later.