Thread: The Sides of a Japanese Natural: Raw v. Smooth

OK, I'm having a difficult time searching older threads for the keywords to my question, so please forgive me if this is now asked once too often...

I've got a couple of Japanese Naturals on the way. These will be my first J-nats, and I'm looking forward to learning them. (I'll post photos this weekend.) However, most of the videos and photos I've seen of the barber-sized, hand-held stones show the sides lapped smooth. I imagine this would feel better on the hand. Is there any reason I should'nt do this to my 5"x3" (-ish, irregular-shaped) naturals that have the raw, rough sides? (I'd probably keep the bottom raw, but I'd prefer the sides to be smooth.)

Thanks,
Christopher

How are you going to lap or cut it? A lot of the stones that are finished on the sides and bottom are just more modern stones that are machine cut.

If you get a very vintage barber's stone, it might still have a chiseled back. I have a vintage barber stone, but not one that old that I'm aware (but perhaps). It's too thin for me to tell if the side was cut with a circular saw or if it was cut by hand.

I have regular shaped and irregular shaped (on the bottom and sides) stones, and I haven't really noticed much difference. The real issue for me has been whether or not a stone is too heavy, not necessarily its shape.

I'd simply lap the sides flat, straight, and smooth with an 8" DMT 220. I'm pretty sure it's just an aesthetic preference, a YMMV sort of thing, but I want to make sure before I do something I can't undo. For example, I've read that some stone enthusiasts check the bottom skin as evidence that a stone was quarried from a certain mountain. ("Yes, that definitely looks like Nakayama skin to me!") I plan to keep the bottom skin in its natural state, but I do want to check about the importance of the raw sides. That's all.

Thanks,
Christopher

IME there is no difference as far as performance whether you keep the sides as they are or lapped.

Originally Posted by CJBianco

I'd simply lap the sides flat, straight, and smooth with an 8" DMT 220. I'm pretty sure it's just an aesthetic preference, a YMMV sort of thing, but I want to make sure before I do something I can't undo. For example, I've read that some stone enthusiasts check the bottom skin as evidence that a stone was quarried from a certain mountain. ("Yes, that definitely looks like Nakayama skin to me!") I plan to keep the bottom skin in its natural state, but I do want to check about the importance of the raw sides. That's all.

Thanks,
Christopher

Unless these are valuable stones, I wouldn't worry about the skin showing on the back. The color of the back is to confirm or describe where valuable stones came from.

But there is no reason to lap the back. I would seal the sides while I was at it, and probably the back, too, with lacquer.

I used to lap the sides of stones as well. It seemed to increase the aesthetic appeal. But after about the fourth one, I decided it was the only thing about the stone that had any character or individuality. So, I stopped doing it. The sides of your stone don't match any other stone out there. If you lap them flat, then they're gonna look like every other stone out there. JMHO.

Originally Posted by regularjoe

I used to lap the sides of stones as well. It seemed to increase the aesthetic appeal. But after about the fourth one, I decided it was the only thing about the stone that had any character or individuality. So, I stopped doing it. The sides of your stone don't match any other stone out there. If you lap them flat, then they're gonna look like every other stone out there. JMHO.

That's a really good point. The two stones (which my wife says arrived today and are waiting for me when I get home from work) were selected not so much for their high finishing capabilities, but for the aesthetic appeal of their honing surfaces. I really wanted something interesting, something I'd never tire of staring at. And truth be told, I'm glad I went that route. (Thanks, JimR. I believe I read that advice on one of your blog articles.) I've watched a lot of J-nat honing videos this week, and almost all are of small 5x3, perfectly rectangle, plain gray colored stones with smooth sides. Those stones may be exciting to use, but they sure look boring to me, so I totally get your point. However, the two stones I bought are interesting enough on their surfaces, and the shapes are each five-sided, so they may remain interesting even after smoothing the sides. I'll have to take a look in person (tonight, tonight, tonight) to be sure.

Thanks,
Christopher =)

Rocks may have differing raw finishes on them thanks to mother nature but one thing they don't have is skin. It's either a weathered or unweathered surface. Someone interested in what the thing is and what comprises it would be interested in the unweathered surface.

I like the look of the 'weathered' sides and back. When they are lapped smooth all the way round it looks like 'just another synthetic' to my untrained eye.

I would just leave it as it is & enjoy it for what it is. Natural stones are usually not perfectly symmetrical, which is one reason they look so nice. The saw marks & the skin add character & make your stone unique. A good Jnat can leave very nice edges, but so can many other things--for me it's as much about the aesthetics & the experience as it is the shave.