Nakayama Tomae Asagi Namazu Japanese Finishing Whetstone

This exceptional Japanese whetstone was selected by us and imported directly from Japan, thoroughly tested and sealed on sides and back to protect the stone for long term use. 

It measures 135 mm (5.31 inches) long × 80 mm (3.15 inches) wide × 20 mm (0.79 inches) tall, and weighs 545 g (19.22 oz / 1.20 lbs).

Hardness: 4.8
This koppa is a clear combination layer stone from Nakayama. The surface is classic yellow Kiita with a clear Aisa/Karasu layer lying beneath. The stone will surely change appearance as it's worn down. It could also change in performance characteristics . The backside is pure Aisa Karasu leading us to the assumption that this a combined layer stone containing Hon/Shiki Tomae and Aisa. Upon using the stone, those assumptions are further reinforced by the stones performance characteristics. The stone is very hard and dense with super fine particles yet it has a smooth, consistent feel for its high hardness. This combination of character traits makes the stone good for many levels of skill and experience. The stone has a line/hairline crack on the surface which is not toxic and doesn't appear to contain anything toxic. Perfect for razor finishing either standalone or with Mikawa Nagura. Hard enough and fine enough to slow down the cutting speed but upon forcing slurry, the stones abrasive content is high but releasing the abrasive particles is difficult to its hardness and density. This means that the stone is capable of varying levels of finish/polish depending on how it's used. This is an older Nakayama stone which was used by the Craftsman for many years. It's on the edge of being too hard for knives but forcing slurry provides conditions which allow for polishing if lighter pressure is used. The polish is bright, detailed and mirror like. Super hard and ultra fine Nakayama stone!

A photo of the stone's polishing ability on a high quality Japanese kitchen knife is shown.