Show us your Japanese naturals

[superbleu]

With all the great Japanese natural stones that are coming out, lets see what you have!!!

[SliceOfLife]

Ok:

Clockwise from top left:

330mate random Razor stone. Karasu with Su. Almost as fine a finish as a China Nat or Swaty. Fast enough to start at 1k with slurry and go to finishing in a few minutes.

330mate Okudo Orange Suita. No Su. Quite fine, but still testing. Very soft for the fineness.

MetalMasterJP Nakayama Karasu. Hardest stone I've ever felt. Very, very, very fine.

Honyama Razor stone from Dicks. Decent stone. Smooth, average hardness, easy to use. Finish on par with a China Nat, maybe slightly better.

Karasu rubbing stone from Maxim.

Center left: Mejiro Nagura from Maxim.

Center right: Nakayama Honyama Asagi Tomo Nagura from aframestokyo.com

[wdwrx]

I've only got the one, a drab old thing, an Okudo Aisa. Very hard as rocks in general go, how it compares to other J-nats, I have no idea. Seems to leave an edge well into the "too sharp" range for my tastes.
I've done no more than a handful of razors with it.

[life2short1971]

Top is my Nakayama Asagi that I received from JNS. The bottom I bought off Ebay(330Mate) and was listed only as Toishi. I have very little money in relatively speaking. It leaves a nice edge but it has some lines to be aware of when honing.

[BRuhling]

Happy to share my very humble collection. First up is an Oozuku Assagi:



And I also have an Oozuku Suita (No Su):





Third, I have my Iwasaki Select Nakayama:



Then there is my Nakayama Kiita:



And my unindentified "mid-range" JNat:



Finally, I have my nagura:

[duderdo]

I just received this one from Maxim, it's a green Shoubudani.

I was a bit skeptical as I couldn't find much information on them, but I decided to go with it and I'm glad I did.



For my first attempt I only made a slurry, finished with water, and shaved. It wasn't bad, but I wanted something smoother for sure.

Today I started back on my 6k shapton with a slurry, went to the 8k shapton, Jnat with a slurry, Jnat water only, and did a technique I read about on SRP called "wet to dry" where you finish the razor with a *barely* wet stone, and hone until the stone is completely dry.

This worked beautifully. The resulting shave is just as close as after my 8K and finishing with a borrowed shapton 16k glass, but much, much less harsh. Almost zero irritation, which I really did not think was possible.

[professorchaos]

Pictures tomorrow.

[Muscles]

Tomae Hinyama from near Kyoto - From Carter


Nakayama Umegahata - From Takeshi


Oozuku Asagi - From Maksim


Nagura - Plain from Takeshit, Stamped from Maksim

[Luc]

What I have? Maruichi Japanese finishing stone and I use an Atoma 1.2k to lap it.
SANY4210.JPG

[Woodash]

Here's mine:
330mate 'grab bag' ~$50.00 special (hard, fine, smooth, good cutter, very respectable mid-range+ finisher):


Nakayama Maruichi Nashiji Kiita (v. hard, v. fine, v. smooth; I will be recycling this one...):


Iwasaki Select Nakayama (very high quality 'journeyman' stone; easy to work with; great feedback):


Oozuko No. 1 (going to the grave with me...):


Oozuko Sunashi Suita - No. 2 (boat anchor; barely lapped & tested - extremely hard and fine finisher; this one will be very intersting, I think...):


Oozuko No. 2 back (sorry, too nice not to include again):


Mejiro (left) and Koma (right) nagura (fun to play with, but for now, I tend to concentrate my practicing on refining my finishing right off the hone):


Thx.

[professorchaos]

A few of mine.

This one I know little about - it is comparatively soft and I haven't used it much.

This is believed to be a Nakayama Iromono. What every it is, it is moderately hard finishes razors quite well.

Maruichi Maruka Nakayama (Nihon Kamisori). Very, very hard, very slow and one you have to learn to use. Takes some time to get a razor shaving sharp and it is well worth the effort.

Lastly is a Nakayama Umegahata by Iwasaki Choice. A little softer than the Maruichi a little faster and easier to use too. As this is my newest hone, I have less experience using it. Initial impressions are that it produces a sharp smooth edge.

More pictures later :)

[bassguy]

Here's my humble set up:


Nakayama Asagi with lower Nagura as well as Koma and tomonagura, in a Japanese Urushi Cake box. I've been getting such good results I want to run to the hill tops and scream with delight.

[Disburden]

My only Jnat a Nakayama Kiita from Takeshi's site, hard stone doesn't scratch if I tried.

[professorchaos]

Here's my humble set up:


Nakayama Asagi with lower Nagura as well as Koma and tomonagura, in a Japanese Urushi Cake box. I've been getting such good results I want to run to the hill tops and scream with delight.

That is what it is all about!

[SliceOfLife]

Here's my humble set up:


Nakayama Asagi with lower Nagura as well as Koma and tomonagura, in a Japanese Urushi Cake box. I've been getting such good results I want to run to the hill tops and scream with delight.

Love that little setup. So compact and neat.

[wdwrx]

yes I do too.
It looks very Japanese.

[maxim207]

My most used Oozuku Karasu

[Woodash]

My most used Oozuku Karasu

If you are from Denmark, I think you are a troublemaker!
Steve

[heirkb]

Oooh...how I want that Ozuko Karasu!

[DavyRay]

Please comment. There is a slightly rough red area on one side. I am considering cutting this stone down to remove that area.