| NAKAYAMA
#7 AWASEDO
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CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Grit Test for NAKAYAMA #7
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NAKAYAMA #7 MARUKA IRO AWASADO 203mm x 73mm x 33mm These salmon color stones are a bit softer then the kiita or asagi but the are still very fine in grit structure and easier to use especially on hard steels and super blue steels. Reads on the stone top from the upper right down, JUN SHOSHIN HONYAMA (pure specially chosen original mountain) which is a registered trade name, And 27 (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). This Nakayama Maruka awasedo toishi stone is NEW/OLD stock from a closed store in Japan. It has not been used other than to test the quality at one edge of the stone as you can see in the photos. 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 variety 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, they are just not available. This is a medium hard stone and it requires good sharpening skills to use but it is not as hard as some of the other Nakayama stone like the asagi. These stones are more easily used if a diamond nagura (DN) plate is used before hand to build up a slurry but this stone can be used without DN as it will build its own paste.
*In usage when you encircle a kanji word as in this case KA, it becomes MARU (circle) KA or MARUKA. **DN-Diamond Nagura |
