Mikawa Nagura Set - Premium Asano Stamped Botan, Tenjou & Mejiro Japanese Natural Stones

Premium set of Asano Stamped Mikawa Shiro Nagura. All of these Nagura are sourced from Sakamoto San, holder of the Asano stamps. This set includes a sealed and tested progression of larger sized Botan and Tenjou Nagura and a Striped Mejiro Nagura. The Botan has enough surface area to hone directly on if desired. The Botan is also very unique visually. While stamped as Betsuju, it features a very pronounced orange spotted pattern on the usable face. I love stones with unique traits like this and almost seems as though Sakamoto had a sense of humor that day when grading/stamping this Nagura. Perhaps it was graded as such for a different unknown reason to us to either way, a super unique piece. This set contains Nagura that were allocated for individual sale due their large size and high quality traits. 
We have then also tested each nagura for quality, and carefully matched them for use in progression. In addition all sides except the rubbing surface have been coated with cashew lacquer to protect the nagura from water infiltration / deterioration over time.

Weights and notes:
Botan - 138g
Very interesting and unique Botan. It's very large and there is enough surface area to hone directly on. This one is stamped Betsuju, meaning White and irregular shape. This one clearly has orange and yellow spots covering half of the flattened surface. Beautiful, rare and Unique Nagura. 
Tenjou - 200g
Tokyu meaning Striped and irregular shape.
Mejiro - 146g: 
Tokyu meaning Striped and irregular shaped.

Use:
Mikawa Nagura stones—Botan, Tenjou, and Mejiro—are natural Japanese honing stones used in progression to sharpen and polish blades with precision. These stones, mined in the Mikawa region, are highly valued for their ability to refine cutting edges, making them indispensable for straight razors, knives, and fine tools.

1. Botan (Coarse Grit): The coarsest Nagura, Botan is used to remove scratches from previous sharpening stages and establish a foundational edge. Its thick slurry works efficiently to refine rough edges and prepare them for further polishing.

2. Tenjou (Medium Grit): As a medium-grit Nagura, Tenjou transitions the sharpening process, smoothing the edge further after the Botan stage. It produces a finer slurry that reduces micro-serrations and prepares the blade for fine finishing.

3. Mejiro (Fine Grit): Mejiro is a fine-grit Nagura used to refine the edge to near perfection. Its fine slurry creates a smooth and sharp edge, leaving the blade ready for ultra-fine finishing stones.

These stones are applied by rubbing them on a hard base whetstone to create a slurry, essential for the sharpening process. When used sequentially, Mikawa Nagura stones ensure a sharp, mirror-polished edge, combining tradition and functionality for exceptional results.