Thread: Maruichi question

Good day!

I was honing with a Nakayama Maurichi Asagi at home last night and was wondering what the Maurichi stamp meant? Was it a era of the Nakayama stones from a particular time period and that is all? I noticed all the stones OLD_SCHOOL used to sell were Maruichi Nakayama stones after seeing the website again.

I tried to search for information on the Maurichi name/type but could not find anything.


What is the Difference between Nakayama stones and Nakayama Maurichi stones?
Thanks!

The Maruichi ink stamps were the copyrighted signature used by Kato-san the owner of the Nakayama mine up into the 1970s. He had a partner who is was the grandfather of Hatanaka-san. Upon Kato-san's retirement the last mine tunnel was bulldozed and sealed by Ishihara-san the owner of the Ohira mine. Kato-san gave up his rights to the mine to Hatanaka-san lock, stock and ink stamps. In theory Hatanaka-san if he wanted to could begin again using those same Maruka and Maruichi stamps.


Some people here might dispute it, but there is a difference between stone stock for razors and tools and it is mostly about fineness and only some about hardness. The finest grit stones from the mine were segregated as razor hone material and set aside at the mine while the other slightly coarser stone was left for tool use. As the raw stone worked its way down the mountain (often on the backs of women and children) to the milling shop on the flatlands it was sorted and cut and slabbed and then offered for sale to wholesalers.

I believe, and Jim Rion might be able to clairfy this that the first Maruichi stamps for razors called Nihon Kamisori Toishi were created at the request of Iwasaki-san as designated stones to be used by professional barbers which would make these stones a sub-class of their own. Alx

Great information,that is what I was looking for Alex!

It's funny, I was wondering about this lately. I have two of the Old School stones, Both Maruichi, and one has a Maruka stamp, Rare I'm told.
I'd like to know who else has one of these wood mounted hones, and how your using it. I know I probably posted these before, but what the heck. The bottom pic has the Maruka stamp on the end of the hone.
I could be wrong, but I believe one of these stamps is Nihon Kamisori, or at least I was told the hones were.

In Japan ink stamps have always been used to sign legal documents. If you go to a bank to make a withdrawl you sign with an ink stamp, not a hand signature. So all of these ink stamps on the stones were registered with the Kyoto Toishi Union by either the miner or the wholesaler, and it was forbidden to use anothers stamps without premission. Here are a few pages from a much larger bookform registry. Alx
p.s. don't tell anyone I have these photocopies, they were a gift from a miner, but frowned upon for copying.

Rich,

My stone looks just like yours,stamps and all. It is extremely hard, takes a lot of honzon rubbing to get slurry to form.

Originally Posted by zib

It's funny, I was wondering about this lately. I have two of the Old School stones, Both Maruichi, and one has a Maruka stamp, Rare I'mr told.
I'd like to know who else has one of these wood mounted hones, and how your using it. I know I probably posted these before, but what the heck. The bottom pic has the Maruka stamp on the end of the hone.
I could be wrong, but I believe one of these stamps is Nihon Kamisori, or at least I was told the hones were.

In answer to Zib:

I got this Maruichi from Old_School about 4 years ago. I use it following the Ozuku Sunashi Suiita which is a pre-polisher at around 15k and the Nakayama is estimated to be in the 30k to 40k range.

These are not my estimates. One of the honemeisters who tried my Nakayama recommended that I never sell this stone. The stamps that you see in this photo have long been lapped away. Only the photo survives.

Originally Posted by mrsell63

In answer to Zib:

I got this Maruichi from Old_School about 4 years ago. I use it following the Ozuku Sunashi Suiita which is a pre-polisher at around 15k and the Nakayama is estimated to be in the 30k to 40k range.

These are not my estimates. One of the honemeisters who tried my Nakayama recommended that I never sell this stone. The stamps that you see in this photo have long been lapped away. Only the photo survives.

My stones twin. Lol

Originally Posted by Disburden

My stones twin. Lol

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Nick

I was going to include that fact in my post but I got called away on an important mission. Mission accomplished..... back to the sharpatorium.

Jerry
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