AtelierTennenToishi
Well-Known Member
Hello, everyone! Some of you may know me from my personal account @ethompson. What many of you have joked about with me has finally happened and I've opened my own small web-shop - Atelier Tennen Toishi.
Several years ago, I fell down the rabbit hole of Japanese natural whetstones (tennen toishi) and haven't seen the light of day sense. While I am neither the best polisher nor the most knowledgable about J-Nats, I do have a deep passion for these stones and have spent a lot of time, energy, and, yes, money, acquiring and trying almost everything under the sun. This site and the associated shop are a continuation of that journey.
The Store Itself
After buying stones from pretty much every source out there, I came to realize pretty quickly that buying stones that had been tested by a reliable source was the only way to get a consistent product. This isn't to say that other retailers don't have excellent products, but there is a certain comfort that comes from buying from a kitchen cutlery focused source who has individually tested the stones. In many ways, I want the shopping experience on the site to be close to what you'd get from a great BST post on here - vital stats, good pictures, subjective commentary, and polish results. While I'm still developing my photo skills and working my way through polish pictures for all 60+ stones I have on hand right now, in the longer term each and every one of our listings will include those. I've thrown in a smattering of high-end drool-worthy collector type stones for the initial offering, my real focus will be bringing a variety of interesting value-minded performers to the market. Once I have a better idea of volumes, the plan is to have stock updates monthly. My guiding philosophy is to make the site what I wish I had found when I first started with natural stones myself.
Beyond the Store
The store is only a small part of what I hope tennentoishi.com can become. I would love for it to become a comprehensive resource for natural stones and their use in polishing and sharpening. A lot of info is out there already, but frequently I find myself jumping from source to source trying to pull together a full picture. Over the coming months / years I'd like to compile as much information as possible into a wiki of sorts for natural stones (including those from outside Japan!). I'd also love for there to be instructional videos, blog posts, interviews with makers, etc. I don't plan to produce all of this content myself, but hope if becomes a collaborative effort over time!
The Future
For now, the selection is exclusively natural stones from Japan, but I think I've got some other exciting stuff coming sometime later this year - think fun blades to use your fancy new stones with. Overtime the offering (and even the name!) may involve, but we'll never forget the true purpose - bringing more people down the J-Nat rabbit hole!
Thanks for taking the time to read my intro! I'm definitely indebted to KKF and all the amazing members here who have helped me learn what I know and those who encouraged me to take this next step. I'm thrilled to be a sponsor here now as well. If you have any questions or comments about the site, certain products, etc. feel free to comment in this thread, message me on KKF, or email me at [email protected]!
-Edward
Instagram link
Several years ago, I fell down the rabbit hole of Japanese natural whetstones (tennen toishi) and haven't seen the light of day sense. While I am neither the best polisher nor the most knowledgable about J-Nats, I do have a deep passion for these stones and have spent a lot of time, energy, and, yes, money, acquiring and trying almost everything under the sun. This site and the associated shop are a continuation of that journey.
The Store Itself
After buying stones from pretty much every source out there, I came to realize pretty quickly that buying stones that had been tested by a reliable source was the only way to get a consistent product. This isn't to say that other retailers don't have excellent products, but there is a certain comfort that comes from buying from a kitchen cutlery focused source who has individually tested the stones. In many ways, I want the shopping experience on the site to be close to what you'd get from a great BST post on here - vital stats, good pictures, subjective commentary, and polish results. While I'm still developing my photo skills and working my way through polish pictures for all 60+ stones I have on hand right now, in the longer term each and every one of our listings will include those. I've thrown in a smattering of high-end drool-worthy collector type stones for the initial offering, my real focus will be bringing a variety of interesting value-minded performers to the market. Once I have a better idea of volumes, the plan is to have stock updates monthly. My guiding philosophy is to make the site what I wish I had found when I first started with natural stones myself.
- A note for my international friends - I'm almost done getting all the export stuff setup, so that will be ready to go soon. If you're interested in anything before that happens, shoot me a PM and I can take care of it for you, no need to wait.
Beyond the Store
The store is only a small part of what I hope tennentoishi.com can become. I would love for it to become a comprehensive resource for natural stones and their use in polishing and sharpening. A lot of info is out there already, but frequently I find myself jumping from source to source trying to pull together a full picture. Over the coming months / years I'd like to compile as much information as possible into a wiki of sorts for natural stones (including those from outside Japan!). I'd also love for there to be instructional videos, blog posts, interviews with makers, etc. I don't plan to produce all of this content myself, but hope if becomes a collaborative effort over time!
The Future
For now, the selection is exclusively natural stones from Japan, but I think I've got some other exciting stuff coming sometime later this year - think fun blades to use your fancy new stones with. Overtime the offering (and even the name!) may involve, but we'll never forget the true purpose - bringing more people down the J-Nat rabbit hole!
Thanks for taking the time to read my intro! I'm definitely indebted to KKF and all the amazing members here who have helped me learn what I know and those who encouraged me to take this next step. I'm thrilled to be a sponsor here now as well. If you have any questions or comments about the site, certain products, etc. feel free to comment in this thread, message me on KKF, or email me at [email protected]!
-Edward
Instagram link
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