Japanese Natural Toishi Whetstone - Yaginoshima Shiro Suita

This exceptional Japanese whetstone was selected and purchased by us directly from Japan, then thoroughly tested and coated with cashew lacquer on sides and back to protect the stone for long term use. It measures 210 mm (8.27 in) long × 78 mm (3.07 in) wide × 53 mm (2.09 in) thick, and weighs 2090g (73.73 oz / 4.61 lbs).

Stone Testing Details:

Hardness: LV 4.7
A large and voluminous Shiro Suita from the Yaginoshima Mine. This stone was sitting in a warehouse from a Natural Stone Wholesaler who became very ill and had to shut down his business. This stone was mined in the 1960's and the overall stone quality shows us why many craftsman in Japan compare these to Okudo Suita. This is a hard and inky Suita with extremely fine polishing characteristics. There are 2 lines on the stones surface which are toxic. I believe with some possible horizontal cutting or extreme lapping could clear the surface. This Suita is perfect for razors as its hard base rivals many Tomae type finishing stones. For this reason, it is very effective when used with Tomo/Mikawa Nagura progressions. The stone has great cutting strength in itself and when combined with the unique abrasive of Mikawa Nagura, the honing experience is very unique. Yaginoshima Suita are known in Japan to be great for carpentry tools, razors and knives for final finishing. The thick, orange line running vertically on the left side of the surface is of suspect toxicity but did not scratch the knife in our testing. 

A photo of the stone's polishing ability on a high quality Japanese kitchen knife is shown.