What happened to nubatamas?

[Pikehaus]

So, generally, I've been hearing some positive feedback about the nubatama stones. However, when I looked on cktg, I saw nothing. I kept searching and it seems like the only place to buy them is Jende in 1x6 size. Did they just disappear when Ken died? Seems improbable as it's not like Ken was making these in his shed, and Jende is still selling some. What am I missing?

 

[Naftoor]

I suspect that it isn’t so much a matter of ken making them in his garage, but maybe more he was the sole western source and they were made in batches to order.

If jende is still making them, maybe you can reach out to them directly to see if they still produce the bench stone sized ones?

Doesn’t seem as easy to find one of those legendary black steel knives though, sadly…

 

[daveb]

Heard that he and Togo got into pissing match and his products went away. Don't know for certain. His stones and esp knives never got much traction anywhere but on Togo.

 

[LostHighway]

I think these were Ken's private label stones probably made by one or more OEM Japanese manufacturers. I sort of suspect whatever inventory Ken had in stock will eventually surface somewhere, maybe To Go, but once those are gone that may be the end. From a conventional retail perspective a line of thirty or forty different stones doesn't really make much sense. I've only tried a very few of his stones, some were really nice, others less so IMO. If the stones had had more conventional distribution at least some of them probably would have been more commercially successful. @branwell is probably considerably more knowledgeable than I am.

Jende wasn't on good terms with Ken the last I heard. His relationship with To Go seems to have been more arm's length but at least semi-amicable.

 

[branwell]

So, generally, I've been hearing some positive feedback about the nubatama stones. However, when I looked on cktg, I saw nothing. I kept searching and it seems like the only place to buy them is Jende in 1x6 size. Did they just disappear when Ken died? Seems improbable as it's not like Ken was making these in his shed, and Jende is still selling some. What am I missing?

As has already been said, when Ken died, the brand died with him. Its possible some of his stock might find its way to the market but when its gone, that is likely it.

That said, while Ken was pretty hush on the origin of the stones, they where being made by several Japanese companies. Some where direct rebrands and some where custom formulas. ( this is not unusual in the stone world )

I have several Nubatamas.

150. Awesome stone. No idea who made it.

400. Meh. No idea who made it.

1K Ume speckled ( very fast stone ). This stone looks identical to the Imanishi Latte 400 and has its family feel. I'll bet Imanishi made them. If one liked the Ume, looking through Imanashis catalog might provide a replacement.

Platinum 1K medium hardness ( there where 4 hardness variants of this stone )( fast and love the feel ). I also have 1010 version of the Suehiro Cerax 1K. Apart from the Suehiro being very slightly smaller, I cant tell them apart. Speed, feel, look etc, all the same. I'm convinced Suehiro made the platinum version for Nubatama.

Platinum 1.5K. Again, love the stone and it feels just like the Cerax.

Bamboo 5K. Pretty meh. No ideas on its origin.