I was asked to get a less expensive tool for novice sharpeners to practice with. These truned out to be, I really don't know why, but quite hard (= good).... It is definitely much harder than Oouchi chisels I have (more expensive).

I am having a hard time figuring out the steel. It feels like White Steel #1, VE~~~~RY well made White Steel #2, or Blue Steel #2??? Although the lamination line looks like carbon steel, I am guessing Blue Steel #2. These are over 30 years old stock, so the age hardening effect might have hardened it to this level.

I've been lucky lately with less expensive chisels(^^)

Top one is fully adjusted and sharpened (polished by one of the Oohira Suita from my web site). The handle is oiled and French poished, so the sticker is off.

The unsharpened one is sharpened by machine, so it is sharp but it is not flat both on the bevel and the back, so next time you sharpen you'll have to go through all the work.

Beautifully made nimai-ura (double back hollow) for more accurate cut.

Uraoshi is done for the top one.

The lowered hoop. You'd need a certain tool to lower the hoop for this particular chisel. If you don't have it, you can take off the hoop and carve the handle a bit, so that it'll go down easier. At the moment it is really tight.