Thread: J-Nat club

My experience has been a little bit different from Stefan's, but with a lot of similarities. My very best razor finishers have not been stamped with the exception of three, two with generic Nakayama stamps and one Hatahoshi. But many more have been unstamped and much cheaper.

The Maruka/Hatanaka stamps will usually guarantee you a fine quality stone as far as physical defects go. The best ones are usually free of problematic lines, cracks, and other defects. I suspect that Kato-San also understood when he was in a good layer and the stamps indicate that. However, buying a stamped stone expecting it to be superlative for your particular needs without trying it first is a bad strategy. Your super-expensive Maruka may be the king of tool hones but maybe not what you wanted for razors. Or visa versa.

The best and really only viable strategy for someone looking for a single stone for razors (or knives and tools for that matter) is to buy from a reputable person who can describe what the stone is like and answer your questions about what you should buy. And offer to take the stone back after a reasonable trial period.

Cheers, Steve