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NAKAYAMA #5 MARUKA  ASAGI AWASADO 

202mm x 75mm x 27mm

This stone has been used at this stage and the top markings are mostly worn off although the MARUKA stamps are still clear and bold just as you see them in the photo here.

The top of the stone originally read from the upper right down, JUN SHOSHIN HONYAMA (pure specially chosen original mountain) which is a registered trade name,

And 26 (an inventory or grading number)

And at the middle SAIKOKYUHIN (very best quality)

Marked faintly on the end of the stone in a rectangle KA SHO HON YAMA (Maruka correct true original mountain). 

You may find other references to the Maruka Nakayama mines on the internet. This mine was known throughout its history to produce the finest awasedo finishing stones in Japan and probably in the world. The Maruka stamp on the end, the registered stamp on the top of this stone and the single toothed fine saw marks help to date the stone to before WW2. 

This is an actual Maruka Nakayama awasedo, it is not a fake. Stones of this color and varity have not been mined from Nakayama for well over half a century and they never will be mined again as these rare deposits are depleted. The mine was closed in the 1960s, and I will not be able to replace or offer these stones again.

This is a very hard stone and it requires advanced sharpening skills to use. The change in color indicates it is from the edge of the strata. These very hard stones are more easily used if a diamond nagura (DN) plate is used before hand to build up a slurry, once a paste or slurry is developed the stone cuts very fast and is extremely fine producing a bright mirror to the hard steel hagane and a hazy by soft mirror to the jigane. The hardness of the stone provides the flattest honing surface possible in any stone available. 

The grit on this stone exceeds the 40,000 level and appears to be from my photos to be in well into the low 40,000's.

*In usage when you encircle a kanji word as in this case KA, it becomes  MARU (circle) KA or MARUKA.

**DN-Diamond Nagura