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I see most going for atleast 3 times aTenjou or Mejiro. Trying to form this not in a "is this a good deal", is a Koma Nagura worth looking into over and Tenjou or Mejiro for finishing? Or can I do everything I need (sharpening traditional and kamisori razors) with the Tenjou or Mejiro?
Thanks!
Most razors can be finished on most Mejiro with excellent results going to Tomo afterward. IMO, Koma does add a marked level of refinement to most edges making them, again, IMO, worth the +/- $10g price, this is subjective, of course. I don't think you'd be looking at Koma over Mejiro or Tenyjou, they all bring something different to the table and have different functions.
I wouldn't care too much about getting a Koma, it sure would be fun to have but I don't feel it's necessary.
In my honing or straight razors and kamisoris on Jnats I want to remove all scratches from the previous step, ALL of them.
That done there isn't much a Koma could matter for my shaving since the last step with the tomo would have erased everything the Koma could have done.
It would fill the gap between the Mejiro and the Tomo, but that's a small gap anyway.
So pretty much tomo is really where you want to finish?
IMO, that would depend on the razor, it could be "there" at Mejiro or Koma and ready for stropping. I personally don't hone by numbers or set progressions, I let the razor guide me where to go or stop.
Asano Mikawa Nagura progression is just one way to get there.
Some like to use a Diamond Nagura, then they get a quite course slurry, way courser than Koma, and they let it break down.
You can also use a piece of almost any other Jnat as nagura, I like to use some soft Ohira, it's fast and nice.
Ok,
I am just learning to use my jnat for kamisori's. It is a Nakayama. It has the exact same marking as this FINAL PRICE DROP *RARE* Nakayama Maruichi Brand Asagi for razors with Kamisori Kanji - Straight Razor Place Classifieds
It did not come with a tomo nagura? Is it safe to assume it is in my best interest to get a nakayama tomo nagura? (coticules where so much easier lol)
Thanks!
Any tomo that works on your hone will be fine, doesn't have to be Nakayama at all, you can use many different tomos, they will all give you different results.Quote:
Originally Posted by suits123
In general no, they vary in quality as any other Jnat so you may have to go trough a few till you find one that you like. Therein lies the issue, they are rare (the Asano stamped ones) and expensive. Koma is so famous because it is used a lot in sword polishing and the reason for that is the speed it offers, nothing more. You can get the same results with Mejiro nagura.Quote:
Originally Posted by suits123
My experience with Japanese natural hones and Nagura stones is very limited, however I can't see needing anything in between a Mejiro and Tomo... at least for the razors that I've honed thus far.
So I'm about to find out if the Koma Nagura is worth the money, because I just bought one!! This is a "non-asano" Mikawa Koma that I just picked up. It cost me a small fortune, but I'm hoping that it's at least fun to play with if nothing else. I will be sure to post my findings once I have a chance to use it...
Attachment 125670
That is not certified Koma, it is stamped as such but not Asano stamped, it may or it may not work well. Authentic Koma are inspected for purity and Asano stamped.Quote:
Originally Posted by jpcwon
Gotcha. Yeah I figured it was a gamble as it's not actually Asano stamped, but we shall see I guess...I will let you know how it works once I have a chance to use it.Quote:
Originally Posted by mainaman
I also bought a non-asano-stamped Botan which I have already used and it seems to work just fine, so hopefully I'll have the same luck with this Koma!
Just out of curiosity; how will I know whether it's working well or not? Do I look at the scratch patterns, or will I be able to tell by observing the slurry?
All I have to add to this is that a: it's a heck of a lot of fun to use these things (no experience with koma myself but all other asano naguras) and b: you're talking to the right guy (Stefan). I myself was once in the dark when it came to JNAT related information. I still know only about 1% of what there is to know about them but i DO know how to use mine effectively and get superior results.
Just to throw it out there, it's a little off topic BUT the biggest difference with the JNATS I've seen is the keenness of the razor. I believe that they can achieve the same smoothness results as any thuringian stone or coticule but achieve a much higher level of sharpness.
For razors I've honed with my JNAT I have to use a much more shallow angle of attack when shaving or I run the risk of razor burn. With coticule or thuringian stones I've noticed I can increase the angle of attack while still getting smoothness out of them. When shaving with my JNAT finished stones I am almost laying the razor flat on my face for all 3 passes. I've been doing 3 pass shaves every day for 17 days now with either my ozuku or nakayama finished razors without any razor burn or irritation.
I almost miss the burn I got from my alcohol based aftershaves when I was shaving with razors finished on other stones. These edges work so well that I only feel localized burn from alcohol, usually around the knob of my chin.
Best of luck to you with your honing endeavors!
Thanks, brooksie!
Yeah I am just starting to jump down the JNAT rabbit hole, and have eveything to learn!! Do I need a Koma nagura? :shrug:Well that's up for debate, but I'll tell you I'm having a great time fooling around with these stones (and am getting some fantastic results along the way!!)
I'll be sure to share my results as I begin to use this little (expensive!) sucker....
I am new to Jnats too. So far the only thing I have been able to do is use plain water to get an iwasaki from almost shave ready to shave ready. I have had 0 success taking a kamisori from new to shave ready. But I'm working on it. Back at if for me....... :banghead:
you can make your life much easier by taking the kamisori to 8k (or 5k if really needs work) and then go to the Jnat.Quote:
Originally Posted by suits123
Yes I have. I set the bevel on a coticule. I followed gssixgun's video as best I could. I am hoping it is just the learning curve not a bad honing set.Quote:
Originally Posted by mainaman
