#2200 Nakayama Karasu. This one-of-a-kind stone was picked along with some other stones for me by Mr. Akira Kato, the owner of the Nakayama mine in the Narutaki district of Kyoto. My partner Emiko and I visited Mr. Kato on March 18th, 2017, and he took us up to 3 mine entrances on the Nakayama property; The Spring which is the lowest, the Sakura and the Kiita. This stone is from the Sakaura mine.
 
This stone weighs 15 lbs 2 ounces (6894gm) and is 11 1/2 long x 6 wide x 3 inches (290mm x 150mm x 75mm thick). The topside has been surfaced and flattened by myself to the highest standards.
 
The karasu feature (black crows flying against a gray sky) is the most dominant theme of the stone along, with infilled white namazu lines and bits of red renge.
 
The 4 sides of the stone all have rich ocher and burnt umber kawa (volcanic mineral skin surface). I have not altered these raw and rough surfaces. One side has portions of jet-black kawa that sparkle in the sun. The shape and irregularities represent the dimensions of the nook where the volcanic sediment collected as aeolian radiolarian dust.
 
Nakayama #2200 has a general hardness level of Mohs 3+. It is very easy to use and easily cuts all steels. I have hone kanna and nomi blades both Japanese and Western, all with ease and pleasure. The stone is really too big for the common tasks of razors and small chisels. My favorite kanna to hone on this stone is my 110mm wide Chyouzuru Nobukini kanna blade. 
 
A large slurry tomonagura stone will be included with the Nakayama base stone #2200. Shipping weight will be 20 lbs.