JNat Powder Recommendation

[Infidelity]

The kasumi that I’m getting from the Morihei Karasu 9k is quite nice already but I noticed that it still leave some silver streak if you push for a brighter hagane. Just wanna take it up a notch to even out the jigane and brighten up the hagane a little bit more.

Progression:
SG220>SG500>SG2000>SG4000>Morihei Karasu 9k

So here’s my dilemma.

I was looking at Ikkyu store and they have varieties of JNat Powder. Just not sure what to get from their offering. I could also order Uchigumori powder from Nanikawa.

So what would you recommend?

https://ikkyu-japanavenue.online/pr...an-avenue-original-f-s?variant=40510271586402
https://www.namikawa-ltd.com/phone/product/111

 

[jedy617]

I have bought that uchiko powder, and toshos kasumi powder. I like them both

 

[mrmoves92]

I’ve used the powder from Namikawa, and it works well. Have you tried collecting mud from the Morihei 9k on a piece of felt or cotton pad and using that to even out the polish? I have been doing that with my natural stone mud, and I bet that it would be helpful with the Morihei 9k mud. I also have one, so I can give it a try if you want me to.

 

[Infidelity]

I’ve used the powder from Namikawa, and it works well. Have you tried collecting mud from the Morihei 9k on a piece of felt or cotton pad and using that to even out the polish? I have been doing that with my natural stone mud, and I bet that it would be helpful with the Morihei 9k mud. I also have one, so I can give it a try if you want me to.

I’ll give the mud trick a shot. Just wondering about your experience with uchi powder vs morihei 9k finish. Would you say that uchi powder is way better?

 

[HL99]

The kasumi that I’m getting from the Morihei Karasu 9k is quite nice already but I noticed that it still leave some silver streak if you push for a brighter hagane. Just wanna take it up a notch to even out the jigane and brighten up the hagane a little bit more.

Progression:
SG220>SG500>SG2000>SG4000>Morihei Karasu 9k

So here’s my dilemma.

I was looking at Ikkyu store and they have varieties of JNat Powder. Just not sure what to get from their offering. I could also order Uchigumori powder from Nanikawa.

So what would you recommend?

https://ikkyu-japanavenue.online/pr...an-avenue-original-f-s?variant=40510271586402
https://www.namikawa-ltd.com/phone/product/111

I ordered some of the Shobudani/Aiiwatani mix and they should be arriving next week. I can update you on how it is (just trying to restore a kasumi that I accidentally left some scratchmarks in), but I'm quite a beginner at polishing.

 

[mrmoves92]

I’ll give the mud trick a shot. Just wondering about your experience with uchi powder vs morihei 9k finish. Would you say that uchi powder is way better?

It has been a while since I have finished a knife on my Morihei 9k, so I can’t really comment about better or worse at the moment. Using the powder/mud just evens out the polish mostly on the cladding, and it can change the shade of the metal (for me, it usually makes the cladding brighter), but it doesn’t make a huge difference to the polish compared to before using it.

 

[Infidelity]

It has been a while since I have finished a knife on my Morihei 9k, so I can’t really comment about better or worse at the moment. Using the powder/mud just evens out the polish mostly on the cladding, and it can change the shade of the metal (for me, it usually makes the cladding brighter), but it doesn’t make a huge difference to the polish compared to before using it.

Thank you for your insight! I’ve experimented that if I want a bright core steel I could polish it with 1u diamond paste after the morihei 9k. This would leave the cladding without much contrast. The plan is to use the uchi powder to bring out the cladding.

 

[Infidelity]

I ordered some of the Shobudani/Aiiwatani mix and they should be arriving next week. I can update you on how it is (just trying to restore a kasumi that I accidentally left some scratchmarks in), but I'm quite a beginner at polishing

Keep me posted! Would love to know your insight.

 

[Infidelity]

Went with the Namikawa Uchiko Powder. Just makes a lot of sense for the price. Got 200g of powder for less than a 100g from Ikkyu.

 

[HL99]

Uchiko Powder. Just makes a lot of sense for the price. Got 200g of powder for less than a 100g from Ikkyu

How's the shipping though? From the price they list, the shipping is quite expensive.

 

[Infidelity]

How's the shipping though? From the price they list, the shipping is quite expensive.

For the 200g, I paid 2800¥ total for powder and shipping.

 

[xtcxtq]

I have tried a couple powders form different sellers and usually it is the softer ones that surprises me the most. And one trick I learned from Ryota Togishi is to use a paper towel or cotton cloth to wipe up the slur after a decent sharpening session and use that to rub against the hagane to achieve that even kasumi. Last but not least a piece of high quality finger stone could help hugely too.

 

[The Forest Ninja]

I made my own using a rasp file and rubbing a JNat for a few minutes while letting the powder fall on wax paper for easy collecting.
I ordered Uchigumori Koppa 1kg and Narutaki Koppa High Quality Nakayama 1kg from Namikawa. Total cost including shipping
and customs was $198.75 CAD to Canada. I can make fingerstones, polishing powder and can use them on small blades.
Once you make your own polishing powders you'll be happy. You can even buy small JNats that most people don't want
for this.

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[Infidelity]

Uchiko powder from Namikawa arrived after a month. Just in time, cause my friend left my knife after cutting tomatoes.

So I flitz the patina, and worked with the uchiko powder. I used a cork to polish with. I’d say the powder definitely does work nicely, though the cladding seems brighter than what I’m used to.

Does anyone have tips to darken the cladding a little more?
Does the amount of powder matter?

 

[M1k3]

Felt pad works good. Can use the pads for furniture legs.