[Natural Stone Quarries]

[About Japanese Natural Finishing Stones (Awasedo)]

Many people have contacted me and told me that all these natural stones make them feel dizzy, scared, perplexed, etc. (oh, have I heard so many expressions!) that there are so many quarries and stratum, and the magical matching between the stone and the steel, etc.

Japanese natural stones are my speciality. Feel absolutely free to ask me for assistance if you want to try these magnificent gifts from the nature. I probably know much much more about the stones than about the tools. It is basically impossible for anyone to learn about these creatures through books, let alone books written in English. There are scarcely any books on natural stones even in Japanese. My knowledge comes from my father, and his vast collection of now over 40,000 stones, and decades of experience. He is an insane man when it comes to stones and tools.... I don't know, maybe he's just plane insane (hahaha),

My first advice for novice sharpeners, who are curious of what a natural stone is like, is to get a couple (not just one) less expensive stones that I list on ebay from time to time, and get used to the feeling of natural stones, how different they are from synthetic stones. Any stone that I list on ebay is finer than #8000 synthetic stone. It will create the renowned Kasumi (hazy) finish, and make the blade last longer.

Using natural stones will enable you to plane thinner (more sheen on the surface of the wood) and at the same time it will make the edge last longer. This has a good reason. The sharpening particles of the synthetic stones are even in their sizes, whereas the natural one's are not. Therefore blade sharpened by synthetic stone will have even height of serrated teeth, so once those teeth gets dull it stops cutting altogether, but... when the height is different... I think you see my point. It's like the shark's teeth. They don't break all at once.

Also, the natural stone sharpening has a hardening effect on the tip of the blade. This has been proven scientifically by the HRC testing machine, experiment done by renowned plane blacksmith Usui Kengo. The hardness was actually harder after being polished by a fine Nakayama stone. So you see, it's not just about the sharpness you are getting from natural stones. Once you use natural stones, it will be unthinkable not to finish with them.

Try one and I'm sure you'll get hooked. Connoisseur's toy.

But I must warn you. These are highly addictive. View at your own risk..... (grin)