Jnat eBay hone inc.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Na...e-/281795853447?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Most of you probably saw this. It was ending today as a BIN. Got the seller to knock $17 off the price for me, and picked it up. Drawer looks like it's for a Kami to me, so I figure good chance it's razor grade. For the price and size I think I got a good to fair deal, but I love these old Japanese stones on wooden stands, and the little Kami box makes it extra cool (though I'll probably just stick a western straight in there, I'm not a big fan of Kami shaves). A gift to myself to celebrate my new job.

Also thinking maybe for a quill and ink? Drawer for quill, that little divot to hold an inkpot? Not sure. Suspect the stone's far too big to be designed for that function though.

Cool stone and stand.
Congrats on the new job

Pretty sure it's for a razor - Takeshi-San had one like it and I've seen some others.

Cheers, Steve

I can't think of what else that drawer would have been used for other than a razor.
I wonder if the dish could be an indicator of what it was used for? A lot of razor size coticules and Thuris I get are flat for the first inch on either side then the dish starts. Some of the tool stones I get have a nice even dish from end to end.
Just a thought...

I would say the rubbing stone would sit in that spot and the razor in the drawer

Nice score - I've seen a number of pen/quill/ink/stone stand-things that weren't too dissimilar, could be for a razor - or whatever you wanted it to be for.
Whatever it's original purpose was, it's cool.

Seen this one...thought several times buying it ;-) good look and lets know more details on performance!!

I've dealt him with that seller a few times for razors so I'd imagine that's what they focus on.

So, I'm pretty sure it's for kami's now. The dishing was exactly what I'd expect from someone trying to do heavier work on a Kami than the stone probably should have been used for (wasted a good 2-3mm of stone to lapping the dish out). Threw my kami in there so you could see the fit. Shave was good. Definitely a capable razor finisher. Quite a bit softer than most of my other Jnat finishers. Very similar texture to my larger vintage green Jnat, but definitely finer grit. Really nice stone. Shave was almost as close as off my Karasu. Noticeably closer than Thuri shaves.

Ian
I am loving that historic stone and base. The hardness or lack of is typical of stones before 1920. Did you try and hone a razor before you flattened it?

Alex

Thanks. To answer your question, I didn't. I don't really use my Kami, and the dish would have made honing a full length (western) razor very awkward. It didn't go the full width of the stone, it was arc'ed out, like a Kami had been honed heel-heavy. A western straight couldn't really have followed the dish. Why do you ask?

Pre-1920's is definitely possible. The nails in the case look hand-forged.

Now I need to get a tiny little nagura to put in the little slot.

Ian
I am curious and asked you because I often test out my antique stones "as is" and "as found" just to get a feel and see what another man might had felt a hundred years or so ago. We usually can't test another persons razor from that era as found because they are dull, but like in your case you could have had the next best thing by honing one of your kamisori to shave ready on his hone. I have to suspect though that my pleasure might not be that of others here in this forum. For me I get a thrill out of using an old Sheffield wedge too, it is sort of the same simple pleasure.

Alx

I hear you. No, I've never gotten a shave I liked from my Kami, so I didn't really even consider trying to finish it on this stone before resurfacing it to use it with my straights.