(Maruka) Shou-hon-yama is the best grade stone from Nakayama sold by the sole miner of this mountain, Hatanaka Natural Sharpening Stones Stone Industry. Any (well basically, but there are many that are not so good, so we have to test all of them before selling) Nakayama stone that has this stamp (unless it's a fake) is guaranteed of its highest quality. Maruichi Maruka stones were quarried before the mining was taken over by Hatanaka family, when the owner of the mine was Kato family. Rarest and best Nakayama stones. Maruka's (= circled "Ka") "Ka" is Kato's first character "Ka".

Especailly if this is your first Japanese natural stone, whichever stone you choose from this page, it will probably be the finest stone you've ever experienced, whether for razors, knives or tools.

===

Symbols

The symbols highlighted in red means it can be used if the user is skilled and experienced with J natural stones.

R: Mid finisher used prior to the finest finisher for razors.

R+: Final finisher for razors.

T: Perfect for woodworking tools.

T+: Can be used for tools, but will finish very very fine so only for finishing kanna blades and slicks used for intricate joinery. Too fine to hone tools for reuglar tasks. BUT, having said that, even for the coarse planes and strike chisels, it will make the edge extremely long lasting if you will put on a hairline second bevel of about 30~45 degree from the front side, 0~5 deg from the back (make sure that the stone is polishing the ABSOLUTE EDGE, so if your back is not COMPLETELY FLAT to the micron level, I suggest to raise a bit to ensure the back side edge to touch the stone), at the very end of your sharpening using this stone. This is due to the refined edge serration, which is more resistant to micro chipping (cause of dulling.)

K: Suitable for "aesthetic polishing (Kasumi) " for the knives. These are rare, so I always have tough time finding these ones for the knife polishers. As you can see out of 34, I only have two that are especially suitable. Others are good too, but not as good as these two. But pls make sure to use with Atoma #1200 for aesthetic knife polishing, whichever stone you choose.

K+: Good for refining the edge to ultra keeness. Suitable for J knives like Yanagiba, Takohiki, Usuba, which is better as keen as possible. Way too fine for other knives. Good for high quality western style knives with no second bevel, but way too fine for regular western style knives with thick second bevel (for those, synthetic stones of about #6000~10000 is most suitable. I recommend King #6000, #8000, or Sigma #8000, #10000.)

===

1. I stro~~~~~~~ngly recommend Atoma #1200 for lapping and slurry starting instead of Naguras apart from few exceptions, no matter how high quality it may be.

Iwasaki-san and Mizuochi-san themselves no longer use Naguras to start the slurry, but use Atoma #1200 instead. You have to remember "Hamono no Mikata" was published more than 50 years ago, many of the recommended technique are outdated. As matter of a fact Mizuochi-san doesn't even use his Nakayama to finish anymore, but Shapton GS #30000 and strongly recommending them even. But as you all hardcore razor fans know, when it comes to the razor finishing, natural stones are still surperior to the finest synthetic stones, making the edge not only super sharp (this, the Shapton does as well) but smooth/mild as well due to the rounder cutting particle shape.

So my current conclusion is no Naguras, but natural finisher + Atoma #1200.

2. For razor users, I recommend Shapton Glass Stone series #1000, #2000, #6000 used prior to the natural finisher.

3. For woodworkers, I recommend Sigma #1000, #2000, natural medium finisher (optional), used prior to the natural finisher.

4. For knife polishers, I recommend King #1000, #6000 (or Miyagawa Aoto), Sigma #10000 (optional) used prior to the natural finisher.

====

10% discount from the total for two or more stones combined (including Atoma diamond plate and any synthetic stones.)

I will send an invoice thru PayPal in JPY for the payment once total has been calculated. I have to ask the buyers to cover the 4% Paypal international payment receiving fee, but this should still be the cheapest payment method. People from Australia can make direct bank tansfer.

- EMS shipping (3 days, insured, tracking service) for one stone: 1500JPY
- Economy SAL shipping (2 weeks, uninsured, no tracking) for one stone: 750JPY (add 500JPY and it can be insured with tracking as well.)
- I will let you know the shipping for combined shipment.

Thank you very much everyone~~~!!!!(^^)

===

Kamisori-do

From top left to bottom right

#1 Nakayama, Namito, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R+, T+, K/K+
164x58x15mm, 364g
21900JPY SOLD

#2 Nakayama, Namito, Kiita, Maruichi, Maruka, Med hard/Fine, R+, T+, K/K+
162x59x20mm, 461g
32300JPY SOLD

#3 Nakayama, Mizu Asagi, Maruichi, Maruka, Very hard/ Very fine, R++, T++
155x54x24mm, 517g
33700JPY SOLD

#4 Nakayama, Namito, Kiita, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R+, T+
162x60x16mm, 358g
19700JPY Pending

#5 Nakayama, Namito, Kiita, Maruichi, Med hard/fine, R+, T+, K/K+
160x52x16mm, 315g
20500JPY SOLD

#6 Nakayama, Namito, Kiita, Maruichi, Hard/Fine, R+, T+, K/K+
160x57x18mm, 340g
22100JPY SOLD

---

Razor-do Batch 1

From top left to bottom right

#1 Nakayama, Asagi, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R+, T++
148x85x20mm, 596g
23900JPY SOLD

#2 Nakayama, Namito, with Goma, Maruichi, Maruka, Med hard/Fine, R+, T+
144x85x17mm, 476g
19100JPY

#3 Nakayama, Namito, Maruichi, Maruka, Very hard/Fine,R+, T+, K/K+
145x85x23mm, 725g
29000JPY SOLD

#4 Nakayama, Namito, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R+, T+
136x85x17mm, 458g
18400JPY

#5 Nakayama, Namito, Habutae, Maruichi, Maruka, Med hard/fine, R+, T+, K/K+
148x83x19mm, 568g
22800JPY

#6 Nakayama, Namito, Habutae, Maruichi, Maruka, Med hard/Fine, R+, T+, K/K+
149x81x28mm, 795g
31800JPY Pending

---

Razor-do Batch 2

From top left to bottom right

#1 Nakayama, Asagi, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R+, T++
144x78x18mm, 560g
33600JPY SOLD

#2 Nakayama, Habutae, Maruichi, Maruka, Med hard/Med fine, R, T(suitable)/T+, K/K+(suitable)
138x88x18mm, 546g
19200JPY

#3 Nakayama, Iromono/Suita, Maruichi, Maruka, Med soft/Fine, T, K(especially suitable)
138x73x24mm, 620g
24800JPY SOLD

#4 Nakayama, Namito, Habutae, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R, T(suitable), K/K+
151x90x24mm, 814g
24500JPY

#5 Nakayama, Namito, Maruichi, Maruka, Med hard/Fine, T/T+, K(especially suitable)/K+
142x81x25mm, 670g
33500JPY SOLD

#6 Nakayama, Namito, Habutae, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R+, T+, K+
149x85x21mm, 581g
23300JPY

---

Razor-do Batch 3

#1 Nakayama, Kiita, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R+, T++
140x90x20mm, 530g
SOLD

#2 Nakayama, Habutae with Yake and very fine Goma (a beautiful stone, suitable for collection), Maruichi, Maruka, Med hard/Med fine, R, T/T+, K/K+
128x97x15mm, 400g
18000JPYSOLD

#3 Nakayama, Namito, Maruichi, Maruka, Hard/Fine, R+ ,T+ , K+
147x85x18mm, 519g
20800JPY Pending

#4 Nakayama, Namito, Habutae, Maruichi, Hard/Fine, R, T(suitable)
140x80x21mm, 540g
21600JPY

#5 Nakayama, Asagi with Yake (interesting appearance, suitable for collection. The yake part does not scratch), Maruichi, Very hard/Fine, Lacquered, R+, T/T+
140x84x28mm, 750g
30000JPY SOLD

---

Razor-do Batch 4

#1 Okudo, Suita (old stock. Newer stocks are a bit less expensive), Hard/Fine, R, T/T+ (My most recommended stone for tools!!!!)
135x73x20mm, 537g
SOLD

#2 Shoubudani, Asagi with a bit of Yake, Med hard/Fine, R, T(suitable), K(suitable)
130x80x30mm, 826g
16600JPY

#3 Shoubudani, Namito with Kan (circular woodgrain like yake), Med hard/Fine, R ,T/T+ , K/K+
137x80x25mm, 753g
22600JPY SOLD

---

Razor-do Batch 5

#1 Ohzuku, Namito, Kiita with Goma, very hard/very fine, Lacquered, R+, T+
150x86x23mm, 636g
31800JPY SOLD

#2 Ohzuku, Namito, Kan, Hard/Fine, R/R+, T/T+, K+
142x86x20mm, 526g
21100JPY

#3 Ohzuku, Asagi, Very hard/Fine, R+ ,T+
142x89x19mm, 590g
SOLD

#4 Ohzuku, Namito, Habutae with Goma, Hard/Fine, R+, T++
142x87x21mm, 607g
24300JPY

#5 Ohzuku, Namito, Hard/Fine, R+, T+
145x87x21mm, 629g
25200JPY

#6 Ohzuku, Shiro Sunashi Suita, Med hard/Fine, R(suitable), T(suitable), K
142x86x17mm, 504g
20200JPY

#7 Ohzuku, Namito, Hard/Fine, R+, T+
143x83x20mm, 464g
20900JPY