My New Narutaki Asagi from Alex

**PA23-250** · 01-28-2013, 11:04 PM

Some background: After experimenting w/ various submicron sprays for almost a year, I came to the conclusion that I greatly prefer the edge from a fine natural hone. I thought it was high time for another Jnat as a 5 year straight shaving anniversary/30th birthday/career-picking-up-speed present to myself.

After doing loads of research & having owned a few Jnats, I knew pretty well what I was looking for: ultra-fine, fast cutting (it's all too easy to dull an edge by being a bit careless when doing lots of circles), good feedback and not too hard (I hate that greasy, skipping feel you can get from a glazed stone surface).

I emailed Alex about stones in general & we started to talk. I eventually settled on a 5.75x3 Narutaki asagi (lvl 5 hardness; lvl 5+ in everything else such as fineness & speed). It was also very reasonably priced--quite a bit less than my previous stones, in fact. He even made a video of using that stone to hone a razor using the "Ax Method" & sent me that razor plus 1 more so I could compare the edges I was getting to the originals.

On Sat, the package arrived. The test shave on both razors was superb. Very effortless shave & very comfortable. I then started playing on my own razors. The results so far: I love this stone!

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About the stone: med hard, super fine, & ultra fast. As in stupid fast. As in: can completely wipe out all scratches from a DMT 1200 (if you've ever used one of these, you know how deep the scratches are...) in about 40 short strokes w/ a light-med slurry made w/ a diamond plate!!! So fast on water, I can overhone in as little as 20 strokes (have to be careful on water & in fact I probably will only do 5 strokes on pure water after thinning the slurry out). When I don't go quite so overboard on the water strokes, a good hard razor is DE sharp or better, but infinitely more comfortable on the skin.

Alex included a tomonagura as well, which I think I'll use when a razor is close & just needs a little extra as I love the speed of this thing when used w/ a diamond plate for slurry. No need for expensive naguras on this baby!

In short, Alex was great to deal with, even to the extent of making a YouTube video to show me how he got his results on this stone & of course sold me an amazing stone. I highly recommend him if you're looking for a good razor Jnat!

**Lemur** · 01-28-2013, 11:13 PM

Any link to the video?

**Disburden** · 01-29-2013, 02:18 AM

Alex is a jnat expert. I am happy you found a stone you will enjoy.

**onimaru55** · 01-29-2013, 02:55 AM

Medium hard, ultra fast stones are rarely superfine & rarely reasonably priced. If you've lucked out like that I'd buy a lotto ticket.

**sleekandsmooth** · 01-29-2013, 03:19 AM

although I dont care too much for them, that hone looks like it would work fabulous

thanks for sharing. I love pictures lol

**PA23-250** · 01-29-2013, 04:29 AM

kamisori479

Grit is 5+ out of 5+ and the shave test doesn't lie. What else can I say?

Maybe I should clarify & say hardness is closer to just plain "hard" (5 out of 5+). I described it as medium to distinguish it from the ultra hard rocks that are popular now in razordom. It doesn't give off any visible slurry when on plain water.

The video:

#479 kamisori toishi - YouTube

**Lemur** · 01-29-2013, 04:57 AM

First my jnat disclaimer, hehe!
"All jnats are different, so what I say might not apply to your hone!"

I listen to the sound when he's honing and that tells me it's not so fine.
On my finishers I use for razors there is no sound at all, other than the tick when you put the razor to the stone.
I know sometimes microphones pick up some sounds more than others but it's still a noisy stone.
That said, if used with a light touch you might still get e nice edge, as you said you got.
But I'm with Onimaru55, fast and fine don't go hand in hand.
If I want it? You bet!

Edit; He is using a diamond plate as nagura, that will get bigger particles in the slurry than if you would have used a tomo nagura.
That will also make for more noise.
I also compared the sound with his other videos, and even the Nakayama Asagi video is quite noisy but again, diamond nagura.
You really have to try this stone with a good tomo nagura and work it so the slurry breaks down to nothing.
One question, does it self slurry?

**onimaru55** · 01-29-2013, 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by Lemur

But I'm with Onimaru55, fast and fine don't go hand in hand.

I didn't say that. There are fast, fine hard stones but they aren't reasonably priced.

From the video it looks like a nice medium hard pre-polisher. I don't say that to be derogatory as you can get a great edge from that kind of stone , after all people even get great shaves from Norton 8k's, just that if it can remove DMT 1200 scratches quickly it is not as fine as a slower harder polisher.

**Lemur** · 01-29-2013, 05:34 AM

Well, then I got you wrong, sorry about that!

Then I stand by this alone, fast and fine don't go hand in hand, but that's a question on how one define "fast" and "fine".
In my book you have to choose or go down the middle!

I have never heard of a ultra fast superfine stone, but I would sure want one!

**onimaru55** · 01-29-2013, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by Lemur

I have never heard of a ultra fast superfine stone, but I would sure want one!

It's a relative expression. It just means there are polishers that cut fast for there fineness. They are still polishers & by definition still slow compared to coarser stones.

To use an analogy, a 1k Chocera is reputedly faster than a 1k King yet they are both bevel setters.

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