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 17 (an inventory or grading number, in the lower left SAIKOKYUHIN (very best quality).

It is a very easy stone to use if you begin with a light slurry made up with a diamond plate. You
can see where I have lapped the stone with a diamond plate and the color below is a light gray.
This stone has the remnant of a very thin oxidized skin that will wear off as you can see by the
first lapping. The grit is so fine that I can shave off this stone with total comfort and it would be
perfect for kanna blades used for finishing.

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.


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 three quarters of 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.

 

Hardness     Grit  Speed/Strength

    9          10       8

   

When used with a paste created by a diamond plate  9-10-9+

​