Ozuku Tomae Mizu Asagi Japanese Natural Finishing Whetstone

Selected by us and imported directly from Japan, this Japanese whetstone has been sealed on the sides and back with clear lacquer for protection and extensively tested to assess its performance. Complete details of our testing results are provided below.

Hardness: 5
Quintessential razor finishing Ozuku Tomae. This stone is very hard and extremely fine. It's sole purpose is to hone and finish razors and it does the job exceedingly well. Water only honing the density and hardness are very evident yet it still has a very gentle feel. It doesn't have a slate like feel but instead, there's a hint of texture. May be hard to read for beginners with no/little frame of reference. Forcing slurry with diamond plate really adds a lot of texture to the experience. It's very very subtle but there is a hint of granularity that brings with it a beautiful, high pitched whispy feel and sound. The speed of cutting also is increased. The resulting edges are extremely keen and comfortable. Mikawa Ngaura progressions are wonderful as this stone is essentially a blank canvas for Mikawa Nagura Slurry. As you can imagine, the Nagura feedback is super clear and unadulterated. This also means that a bit of extra time on the stones is necessary for the finest finish possible. When the time is spent properly breaking down the slurry, the resulting edges are whisker windshield wiper smooth and keen. This stone is too hard and fine for most kitchen knife applications.