Thread: Just got a JNat today - any feedback or info?

Originally Posted by zib

Buying Natural stones is a crap shoot IMO. Labeled Escher is the exception to that rule. It's the only consistent natural I'm aware of, perhaps the Zulu...

In my experience coticules are also consistent too, if you define "consistent" as "can be used to get a razor shave-ready". I've used around 8 different ones and, even though you needed to find out how to best use them, they all delivered shave-ready edges.

But back to my JNat. Here are two pictures of the freshly lapped stone:

dry:


wet:


I've used it today with slurry (fine diamondplate) and it delivered a nice edge. Not mirror-polished but rather a very finely matted finish, quite similar to my Oozuku. Good HHT after leather-stropping as well.

Cheers
Jörg

P.S. I'm still interested in what the kanji on the stamp means - does anyone know?

Nice looking stone brother! Good job lapping her too!

What I find interesting about the whole 330mate/Nakaoka-san thing is that with all the bad press and commentary he has a 99.2 positive feedback rating in 7913 transactions. Every seller has issues, everyone of them, the language barrier together with his lack of patience dealing with the uninitiated have given him a bad reputation IMO. If you want Iyoto, he is the only person you can get it from. I have no affiliation with 330mate and have paid for any and all stones I've purchased from him. The cool thing is that there are others options available, bashing for the sake of bashing helps no one.

Coticules have too many variations for me to consider them consistent by my definition. I understand what you mean when you say they can get a blade shave ready. I've come across a few bad ones. I was a vendor for Ardennes and handled hundreds of them. Some are easier to use than others, some are better cutters, some are better finishers. It usually takes someone a while to figure out their Coticule. About 5 years ago, they were sold only as Kosher, Selected and Standard.

Then, just a few years ago, they were sold by vein names with the quarry charging a premium for certain veins. The more popular ones, like La petite blance were considered better quality, and you paid for that. This topic has been brought up many times on the forum. Dressante, La petite blance, La Grise, etc....There are even variances within the same vein as well.

To steal a line from a movie, Coticules are like a box of Chocolates, you never know what your gonna get. (until you use it)

Bayamontate;

I agree with you!
I have friends who got stones from 330mate without any hassle, I've tried some of his stones and they were ok.

A friend of mine got some Jnats from another source and he thought they were crap until I showed him how to use them, now he loves them.
It seems like a lot of people buy stones way out of their comfort zone in honing.
Luckily some of them get sold on for a nice price!

I guess it's a cheap shot hitting on 330mate, he's not around to defend himself.
Complaining on some of the other stone sellers will on some forums get you banned!
I'm not really sure about SRP but I like to believe this is a better place.

Originally Posted by Bayamontate

What I find interesting about the whole 330mate/Nakaoka-san thing is that with all the bad press and commentary he has a 99.2 positive feedback rating in 7913 transactions. Every seller has issues, everyone of them, the language barrier together with his lack of patience dealing with the uninitiated have given him a bad reputation IMO. If you want Iyoto, he is the only person you can get it from. I have no affiliation with 330mate and have paid for any and all stones I've purchased from him. The cool thing is that there are others options available, bashing for the sake of bashing helps no one.

Good point. We don't tolerate vendor bashing on this site. It's not fair to the vendor. As I said in my earlier post, I got two stones from a member here, that bought them off 330mate, and they were fine. No problems. So....YMMV.

It's like anything else, educate yourself, know what your getting, use paypal, and understand the vendors return policy. You'd be surprised how many stones are returned that are actually good. It's just the person using it doesn't know how, or just isn't satisfied.

I think Jnats are the most counterfited stones out there (especially the Kanji), so you do need to be careful.

Alex recently posted in his blog at the Japan Blade that the Ozuku mine was closed in 1920 ...strange there are many Ozuku stones around now with new kanji.

I am not hinting towards anything but it was interesting to read.

Originally Posted by Disburden

Alex recently posted in his blog at the Japan Blade that the Ozuku mine was closed in 1920 ...strange there are many Ozuku stones around now with new kanji.

I am not hinting towards anything but it was interesting to read.

If that was logical then we'd question the authenticity of any number of razors coming from manufacturers that are no longer in production. Think about how many Wade and butchers breaching the 1 inch mark that are seemingly always available and new ones populating the market every day.

We've all heard stories, and that's all they are, of how and where people/vendors find their product.

You'd really be surprised at what goes on. Like I said earlier, Jnats are the most counterfitted stones.
Buyer Beware.....

Originally Posted by zib

You'd really be surprised at what goes on. Like I said earlier, Jnats are the most counterfitted stones.
Buyer Beware.....

Tell us then....