Thread: NASHIJI KITA SUITA TOISHI $1100 !!!

Jimbo, I have a couple of JNats and one of them is a very nice finisher no argument there at all:-) I just have to question those that are thousands of dollars being that much better than several hundred dollar ones. Maybe I'd have to try one of the high end ones to really know.

A good point...I have a few J nats myself. A vendor showed my a Nakayama Maruichi Asagi for 1200.00. I had the very same stone, Almost Identical in size, markings, coloring etc...I paid 400.00 for mine. I asked him what the difference was, He had no explanation...

I've seen Nakayama's go for 1000's of dollars

Well, I can't say anything about that rock, but as for the whole "vintage is better", I can think of one argument that might be valid.

Basically, back in the day, the mines were still open. They were getting new rock, lots of it apparently, and they could pick and choose. They had chunks with few inclusions and promising coloration so they could cut where and how much they wanted.

Now, the major mines have been closed for years, though there are some minor ones still open, and they have less and less to work with. Stones are smaller, less regular, with more impurities and less of the really vibrant color variation on the whole.

That's not to say there aren't any really super quality new stones, but the averages are falling.

That being said, basing the price simply on age isn't quite right, unless you're a collector and not going to use it. Basing it on size, purity and coloration IS, however, going to find you with some very very expensive hones.

Also, please remember, these aren't necessarily razor stones-the guys buying the really expensive rocks are probably either expert woodworkers, working on temples and such, or sword polishers. Either of those two jobs, if you use anything less thanthee absolute best, you're putting your reputation at risk.

Also, that stone is not marked suita, it's likely a tomae.
It's really thin and irregular, and these stamps are very...new...looking.


I think someone may have misled the seller, because he generally seems to be aware of the goods. Of course, his use of the HGAL scale is a little suspicious...

Sorry to ask but could someone enlighten me about the aforementioned stone. I see no pic and no hyperlink.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally Posted by riooso

Sorry to ask but could someone enlighten me about the aforementioned stone. I see no pic and no hyperlink.

Thanks,
Richard

260642313096

Thanks!

Richard

Here is the complete link to it. Notice how new the labels appear and yet they say pre WWII???
JAPANESE NATURAL VINTAGE NASHIJI KITA SUITA TOISHI - eBay (item 260642313096 end time Aug-27-10 08:27:01 PDT)

This listing confuses me as there's no such thing as a Kiita Suita . It's one or the other
Its either from Namito strata making it a Kiita or its from Suita strata making it a Suita.
Oh, I just realised he spelled it Kita. Is that a different meaning to what I'm thinking ???

Originally Posted by onimaru55

This listing confuses me as there's no such thing as a Kiita Suita . It's one or the other
Its either from Namito strata making it a Kiita or its from Suita strata making it a Suita.
Oh, I just realised he spelled it Kita. Is that a different meaning to what I'm thinking ???

Yeah a bunch of fancy sounding Japanse words that are tailored together to mask the fact that the stone is of unknown origin. If the stone works great, but who will spare such $$$ to find out???