Large Uchigumori / Nagura stones usages

[Vancouverguy]

My basic understanding is that uchigumori finger stones are to polish knives and smaller naguras create slurries + use to polish.

But what about larger stones lets say 1lb? I see some for sale... what are they used for? What would you reach for.

I just made a impulsive accidental purchase on a 210x90x20mm Hatahoshi stamped chu nagura. Looks like theres two sides to this one with more orange and one with more white. Do you use the more white side? or orange side? attached here is the stone I bought. front / back side

Do you use them like a regular JNat? I'm guessing soaking the nagura for longer would be useful.

Thanks looking forward to reading and learning!

 

[user 16756]

these benchstones are useful as, well midgrit benchstones. they can be soaked unlike most naturals. you'll want to just test both sides and see if they even differ.

they can be used for polishing or sharpening the same things other natural stones can. knives and swords and the like.

 

[Vancouverguy]

these benchstones are useful as, well midgrit benchstones. they can be soaked unlike most naturals. you'll want to just test both sides and see if they even differ.

they can be used for polishing or sharpening the same things other natural stones can. knives and swords and the like.

There's so many options out there for stones. options are limitless. If only theres a new guide for grit progression/ mines of stones, word definitions on what they mean and what a beginner JNat progression looks like. and in terms of what finish they provide to knives.

 

[user 16756]

well, hard to make a guide when each stone varies as much as they do.

these nagura fit in right before uchigumori in sword polishing. for knives you could use it before a coarser suita no problem, many tomae especially the brown ones and many yellow ones. the stone I'd probably grab off my own shelf after one like that would be an ohira suita or a maruoyama suita, but that's just me.

this stone would be great to clean up after a natsuya as long as it wasnt a suuuuper coarse example, so like, synths -> natsuya -> your new nagura -> more modestly priced suita or a good medium hardness tomae -> fine finisher of your choice if you like to go this fine

but this will probably help: Japanese Natural Stones, Kanji & Information

There's so many options out there for stones. options are limitless. If only theres a new guide for grit progression/ mines of stones, word definitions on what they mean and what a beginner JNat progression looks like. and in terms of what finish they provide to knives.

 

[Pie]

There's so many options out there for stones. options are limitless. If only theres a new guide for grit progression/ mines of stones, word definitions on what they mean and what a beginner JNat progression looks like. and in terms of what finish they provide to knives.

I think the deeper you dig, the more you’ll understand trying to pigeonhole/generalize jnats is a difficult task. It took me a long time and a bunch of random stones to realize that. What’s even more fun is each stone can produce different polishes depending on variables such as the previous stone used, how you manage mud, pressure, etc etc. It’s bigger than limitless.

A couple easily googled resources I found very helpful are tomonagura.com and the wiki/useful info section at Japanese natural stones (JNS). Some of it makes little sense until you really get some good knife-on-stones time though.

I also suggest, if you’re in the rabbit hole already, talk to some of the sellers on BST and buy a few decent sized koppa/bench stones. You’ll get great information and notes from people who know how to use them, so you’ll have an idea of what to expect. IME some sellers here are incredibly helpful.

 

[ReiHamono]

Nagura are superior stones, they are incredibly consistent and absurdly versatile. If you want it to act more coarse simply prep it with a more coarse atoma and if you use the slurry produced that will increase the cut as well, then rinse the stone and knife well and the stone will continue to become smoother and the cut finer

Keep re-soaking the stone until it’s to your desired softness

As you soak and dry the stone it will become softer. You don’t want to be using a dry stone that keeps sucking up water

Next buy a medium hato then jito and you’re all set, you can also buy a finer nagura if needed

IMO these stones are superior and I think togishi know better so I trust them

I have an amazing shiro suita, but I will choose a jito over it every time

I had a few amazing medium tomae as well, but my Mikawa nagura crushed them every single time, so I sold all of those stones

 

[Vancouverguy]

Nagura are superior stones, they are incredibly consistent and absurdly versatile. If you want it to act more coarse simply prep it with a more coarse atoma and if you use the slurry produced that will increase the cut as well, then rinse the stone and knife well and the stone will continue to become smoother and the cut finer

Keep re-soaking the stone until it’s to your desired softness

As you soak and dry the stone it will become softer. You don’t want to be using a dry stone that keeps sucking up water

Next buy a medium hato then jito and you’re all set, you can also buy a finer nagura if needed

IMO these stones are superior

I have an amazing shiro suita, but I will choose a jito over it every time

I had a few amazing medium tomae as well, but my Mikawa nagura crushed them every single time, so I sold all of those stones

im guessing a medium hato and a jito bench size stone would be very costly..

 

[user 16756]

im guessing a medium hato and a jito bench size stone would be very costly..

like anything, it depends.

how pure? how well shaped? how big, exactly? which mine?

at any rate I disagree with the premise that uchigumoris are better stones than any other necessarily anyway. there are other stones Id rather have than most uchigumoris myself, that's for sure.

 

[ReiHamono]

I paid $250 shipped for my jito, hato would be same price

im guessing a medium hato and a jito bench size stone would be very costly..

 

[ReiHamono]

https://www.namikawa-ltd.com/product-list/36
https://ikkyu-japanavenue.online/collections/natural-whetstone/NATURAL-WHETSTONE
Email and ask if they have unlisted stones, also ask nutmeg

 

[Vancouverguy]

https://www.namikawa-ltd.com/product-list/36
https://ikkyu-japanavenue.online/collections/natural-whetstone/NATURAL-WHETSTONE
Email and ask if they have unlisted stones, also ask nutmeg

I found that Namikawa site too! Just sent off an email. I love seeing nutmegs work.

 

[DanielC]

Nagura are superior stones, they are incredibly consistent and absurdly versatile. If you want it to act more coarse simply prep it with a more coarse atoma and if you use the slurry produced that will increase the cut as well, then rinse the stone and knife well and the stone will continue to become smoother and the cut finer

Keep re-soaking the stone until it’s to your desired softness

As you soak and dry the stone it will become softer. You don’t want to be using a dry stone that keeps sucking up water

Next buy a medium hato then jito and you’re all set, you can also buy a finer nagura if needed

IMO these stones are superior and I think togishi know better so I trust them

I have an amazing shiro suita, but I will choose a jito over it every time

I had a few amazing medium tomae as well, but my Mikawa nagura crushed them every single time, so I sold all of those stones

I'm pretty sure I remember responding to you on FB about this. Swords/honyaki and cladded knives are two different animals and these stones respond to them differently. I remember responding in detail why but I see you still say these things as gospel.