Aoto - Japanese Natural Sharpening Toishi Whetstones - Choose Your Stone

Stone No. 1015 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Akamonzen:
This wonderful Akamonzen Red Aoto is a perfect example of a high quality Red Aoto. The majority of red Aoto are too soft and coarse for practical use, especially for razors. This stone is a refreshing reminder that Red Aoto can be extremely useful. This stone is double sided and both usable sides are clean and ready to use. When sharpening, the stone absorbs water initially but hydrates rather quickly. Once hydrated, the stone releases a beautifully consistent and fine slurry which has great cutting power. The consistency of the particles is very rare to see these days making this stone a rare piece. The grit content is very high in this example and the stone removes medium grit scratches with ease. the stone can be used with light pressure once slurried to break down the mud. The stones base is just firm enough to allow for slurry breakdown and the resulting finish is very consistent and more fine than expected. Wonderful stone! This stone can be used for bevel setting if the edge is not damaged. 

Stone #1016 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
This semi firm blue Aoto is a wonderful example of a high quality Aoto. With both sides of the stone surface exposed, a double sided natural combination stone makes for a versatile polishing tool. The stonebis perfect for following up medium grit work and laying a consistent foundation of shallow scratches to be removed using a finishing stone. The stone will self slurry lightly under moderate pressure when honing Kamisori but the base is nice and firm underneath. This provides a nice surface for the mud to break down and progressively become more fine as pressure is lightened and strokes are shortened. This stone can be used for pre finishing on razors, knives, tools and swords making it a versatile stone. Overall, an extremely high quality and uniform Aoto which is rare to see on the market today as the mines are all currently closed. When slurried, the stone can be used as a bevel setter if the edge has no chipping/damage.

Stone #1017 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
This semi firm blue Aoto is a wonderful example of a high quality Aoto. With both sides of the stone surface exposed, a double sided natural combination stone makes for a versatile polishing tool. The stonebis perfect for following up medium grit work and laying a consistent foundation of shallow scratches to be removed using a finishing stone. The stone will self slurry lightly under moderate pressure when honing Kamisori but the base is nice and firm underneath. This provides a nice surface for the mud to break down and progressively become more fine as pressure is lightened and strokes are shortened. This stone can be used for pre finishing on razors, knives, tools and swords making it a versatile stone. Overall, an extremely high quality and uniform Aoto which is rare to see on the market today as the mines are all currently closed. When slurried, the stone can be used as a bevel setter if the edge has no chipping/damage.

Stone #1018 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
This wonderful blue Aoto is a perfect example of a higher quality piece along with the rest of the Aoto from this batch. Free of any distractions on the surface, this stone has perfect medium hardness and it's ease of use makes it a perfect stone for any sharpening task. In use, it will self slurry easily and the mud is extremely fine and consistent for Aoto. The stone is on the softer side of medium and this allows for the slurry to break down on the surface of the stone when using light pressure. This creates a scenario where the base of the stone is firm enough to allow for maximum particle breakdown without releasing tok many new, larger, fresh grit particles into the slurry. This results in a semi fine finish which is ready to immediately move to a finishing stone. This Aoto has great cutting speed as well and medium grit scratches are removed with ease.When slurried, the stone can be used as a bevel setter if the edge has no chipping/damage.

Stone #1019 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
This Blue Aoto sits in the medium hardness category. This stone is free from any lines or distractions on the surface. The stone is very easy to use and self slurries with extremely uniform mud. This Aoto is best characterized by moderate cutting speed, moderate hardness, and medium fine finishing capabilities. It's clean, firm surface allows for mud to be broken down while not releasing new particles into the slurry resulting in a uniform, bright and hazy polish. Perfect for bridging the gap between synthetic medium grit like 1k to remove those scratches and get the blade ready for final finishing on a fine Awasedo. The Aoto lays a clean foundation of shallow scratches easily removed by a quality finishing stone. When slurried, the stone can be used as a bevel setter if the edge has no chipping/damage.

Stone #1020 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Akamonzen:
This medium soft Akamonzen (Red Aoto) is a great stone for following a bevel setter in a polishing progression. Being softer than a blue Aoto, these red Aoto are more water absorbent and a bit more coarse typically than their blue counterparts. This can be observed in their easy self slurrying ability. The mud contains more abrasive particles and larger particles as well. This translates to deeper scratches which can be observed in the final polish which when compared to the blue Aoto's more shallow scratches. These Red Aoto work well when following up a 1000 grit stone to remove those scratches and replace them with the Aoto's more shallow scratches. Although this red Aoto is more soft and coarse than the blue, the mud is still quite fine and consistent making this an excellent quality red Aoto. This stone can be used for bevel setting if the edge is not damaged.

Stone #1021 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
This Blue Aoto sits in the middle in hardness and fine. With a clean surface free of any lines or inclusions the stone is very consistent in particle uniformity. Perfect for Bevel setting and pre finishing for razors with its high abrasive content, this stone is quite versatile and a great example of why they've been loved forever. When honing on water only, the stone is very pleasant and mild with fine and consistent self slurry. Not too hard and not too soft the stone will absorb a bit of water initially but after a few light splashes of water, it's ready to hone. When slurried, the concentrated abrasive content and larger particles size make for a fast cutting stone. It's medium hard base is firm enough to relieve pressure and break down the mud resulting in an edge which is ready for a finishing stone when Aoto is complete. When slurried, the stone can be used as a bevel setter if the edge has no chipping/damage.

Stone #1022 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Akamonzen:
Medium soft Red (Akamonzen/Monzento) Aoto perfectly sized for razors, Kamisori, tools and knife polishing. This Red Aoto is more coarse than many of its blue counterparts. Great for bevel setting and removing lower medium grit stone scratches. The stone needed lapping to test and proved to be a great Red Aoto. Although it will self slurry moderately when honing on water only, the surface is smooth and consistent with no rogue large particles or distractions in the slurry. The slurry is light and consistent in texture and the sound is whispy and telling of the current progress on the bevel. The stones base is firm enough for slurry breakdown with reduced pressure and added finesse to the stroke, the slurry breaks down rather quickly and maintaining thin viscosity is paramount in achieving the finest edge possible. The stone has great cutting properties and removes lower medium grit scratches efficiently with the aforementioned slurry breakdown leaves a hazy and even polishing. Great for bevel setting for edges with no major damage or a mid range touch up. Following with a stone like Suita/Uchigumori, medium fine grit stone or efficient Awasedo will certainly result in a hyper keen edge.

Stone #1023 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
This Blue Aoto is another medium hardness, clean Aoto. The stone will self slurry lightly when honing with water only and mud is very fine, fast and consistent for Aoto. When slurried, the stone can be used as a bevel setter if the edge has no chipping/damage. Being medium hardness, the stone has a firm enough base to allow for slurry breakdown resulting in a much finer polish by the end of honing. Perfect for bridging the gap between a medium grit stone and final finishing stone. For knives, the stone is perfect for refining a darker, coarser Kasumi finish while maintaining the contrast between the Hagane and Jigane.

Stone #1024 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Akamonzen:
Clean, softer red Aoto, perfect for bevel setting and light repair work on razors or knives. This Red Aoto will take a few splashes of water to hydrate. once ready, the stone releases consistent and fast cutting mud with ease. if pressure is lightened and water management on point, this stone will bring you to a great place to start a Nagura progression on a finishing stone or faster cutting finishing stone . Great for bridging the gap between medium grit and finishing stone.

Stone #1025 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
Perfectly clean blue Aoto with medium hardness. While more fine than the red Aoto, these blue Aoto still cut fast and efficiently. The main difference is brightness of polish and finer edge moving on to the next stone. for knives, the edges from these blue Aoto are super toothy and aggressive. Many cooks prefer these types of edges and with a firm base, mud can be worked to achieve an even keener edge.

Stone #1026 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
The hardest and most fine Aoto of the bunch. This stone is quite dense and very fast for its lack of self slurry. The stone feels abrasive in the best kind of way when honing on water only. The texture is very fine and lightly granular but very consistent. This type of Kouzaki Aoto is extremely rare and it was a pleasure to find it in this group of stones. The main difference between this one and the rest is the hardness and density of the stone and the bright polish it's capable of achieving. Using the stone with light pressure will coax just enough slurry to keep things smooth and relieving the pressure towards the end will result in a bright hazy finish with great clarity. extremely high quality Aoto!

Stone #1027 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Akamonzen:
A medium soft blue Aoto with extremely user friendly and consistent feel. The stone is free from any lines or inclusions and has an extremely mellow and inviting feel. For its softer nature, the stone's slurry is very consistent and smooth. The light granularity makes the cutting speed very clear and discernable with slurry breakdown easily felt through feedback while honing. Perfect for bridging the gap between medium grit and a fine finishing stone. 

Stone #1028 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Akamonzen:
This soft and uniform Red Aoto is a pleasant and user friendly stone. With easy going, consistent granular mud, the stone makes fast work of bevel setting or touch ups to slightly worn edges with minimal damage. The base is firm enough for adequate slurry breakdown and a finer finish. The main difference between these red Aoto vs the Blue is the stones base hardness. This Red Aoto will release some fresh particles even when pressure is light. This results in a coarser finish than the blue Aoto which have firmer bases allowing for more potential slurry breakdown as they're releasing smaller and less particles than this Red stone.

Stone #1029 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Akamonzen:
This Red Aoto is the firmest of the red Aoto in this batch. The stone is extremely smooth and whispy with lightly granular feedback. The stone holds water on the surface much more efficiently than most Red Aoto making for a pleasurable honing experience. The mud is light and consistent and combined with the stones semi firm base, the stone breaks down slurry quite well resulting in a deep, hazy but shiny polish. Extremely high quality Red Aoto!

Stone  #1030 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
Medium hard and semi fine blue Aoto. This stone is very mild and easy going with velvety moderately fast cutting slurry. Great for bevel setting and touch ups where the edge isn't damaged. The stone has a semi firm base which allows for effective slurry breakdown and a bright, hazy polish. Great for removing medium grit scratches and preparing for final finishing stone.

Stone #1031 Tanaka Toishi Aoto San Blue:
Very fast cutting, abrasive medium hardness blue Aoto. While harder than most red Aoto, this stone is very fast cutting and the slurry is granular yet still consistent. This stone makes fast work of bevel setting and touch ups. Although the stone seems firm enough to allow for maximum slurry breakdown, the aggressive cutting power of the slurry doesn't slow down as much as the other blue Aoto. This translates to a coarser finish and aggressive edge, much like a red Aoto.