Need eBay Help Fast: Okudo Whetstone About to Buy!

[JesusisLord]

Here's the link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134562765212?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11051.m43.l1123&mkcid=26&ch=osgood&euid=2c22ae50b83d4502bf95e7f73f710450&bu=45299433505&osub=-1~1&crd=20240914213435&segname=11051

I'm unsure if this is a genuine Okudo stone. I negotiated the price down to $80, but I'll need to cover the shipping costs. However, I'm not sure what the shipping will actually cost lol.

Does this sound like a good deal, or should I pass? I might just save up and get a better looking one.

Thanks guys! I'm not getting it. I'm going to save up and get one that looks better from a reputable seller.

 

[refcast]

I have no idea, but usually stones with those types of lines aren't good stones. I think I can spot some black inclusions, which are harder than the stone and will need to be dug into or removed somehow, scraped with carbide or something. Would rather you save up or get a koppa of some sort. Look for minimal lines. Mine name doesn't matter all too much, stone quality and performance matters more, in terms of value at least

 

[JesusisLord]

Thanks dodge a

I have no idea, but usually stones with those types of lines aren't good stones. I think I can spot some black inclusions, which are harder than the stone and will need to be dug into or removed somehow, scraped with carbide or something. Would rather you save up or get a koppa of some sort. Look for minimal lines. Mine name doesn't matter all too much, stone quality and performance matters more, in terms of value at least

That's what I felt as well. I saw many Okudo stones that look nice from reputable sellers, but the prices are higher. I'm just going to save up!

 

[Uncle Danny]

I’ve found that great stones 9 out of 10 times comes at a premium. Too many are hunting them, for you to be randomly lucky to snag it at a discount.
Of course it happens but as you build knowledge and reputation you’ll end up buying stones from other stone heads, more often than from eBay, Buyee and so on

I would pass this one.

 

[refcast]

奥殿​

Is okudo.

There's also price history checking, which is super useful to see how much you might pay.

Make sure the stone has saw marks or raw edges with reddish or black iron oxide. If it's a lumpy stone roundish, or a smooth edge it's not a legitimate Japanese natural stone -- or it's a reject. There are circular rotating saw marks, and horizontal parallel lines from hand saw, before electricity, before 1920s.

Look up legitimate and expensive examples of okudo to see how the stones are like visually and with regard to their iron oxides and tendencies for patterns or lines

Maruka and hatenaka stones will be super expensive and not a great value. Mildly damaged stones can be a great value -- ones that can be resurfaced or have a broken corner or odd shape or uneven bottom. Uneven bottoms can be filled in with drywall compound or have a base made for them, and allow for a great discount.

Mercari JP also has natural stones too

 

[refcast]

Here's an okudo (at least I think! Hope! Its an okudo) that I own -- it tends to be more porous for it's grit size, yet doesn't melt or wear so fast, so the speed the mine is famous for comes from these physical properties. Almost like a hard sponge haha. This example is not a razor stone -- it's like 6-7k grit, razor stones are like 10k grit for me, not very porous at all, water should struggle to enter, whereas this one absorbs it pretty quick.

 

[simona]

Well, I can see that I recognise the numbering system on the front of the stone and the stamp on the rear.
The original seller is
https://www.jauce.com/user/umegahatatoishi_nakakatsu

His stamp sometime has some missing kanji.

Generally his stones are smaller and final price is Far Far below what this is on offer for.
Quality wise, I have bought 6 stones from him and 5 have been very nice - 1 appeared perfect but inclusions became apparent after a time, so nothing the seller could have seen.

One stone was sold to me as an Okudon suita (top in picture below) very nice small stone, very hard and fine, now in the possession of another KKF'r

Your seller is a re-seller, maybe just trying to flip it.

 

[Hassanbensober]

I haven’t seen anything worth a damn on eBay regarding jnats in a very long time. Not a good place to shop imo.
Good place to shop arks and others though

 

[deltaplex]

Agreed, in that I don't even consider purchasing any j-nats from US ebay. The selection, prices, etc. are so much better within the japanese auction/sales sites that pretty much everything listed on US based auctions are just proxy sellers listing japanese auction stones at a steep markup.

 

[The Forest Ninja]

A non perfect JNat could be used for this:

1. Nagura.
2. Generating pure slurry with a Diamond plate.
3. Finger stones.