Japanese Natural Finishing Toishi Whetstone - Aisu Karasu San

This exceptional Japanese unknown mine Whetstone was purchased by us from the estate of a collector of fine Japanese hones. It measures 165 mm long × 40 mm wide × 30 mm tall with a weight of 494 grams.

Stone Details:

Hardness: LV 4.6
This long and narrow San sized koppa is Beautiful and visually interesting. The Karasu patterns are striking and dramatic.
It has a wonderfully whispy feel and sound when honing. Mikawa Nagura progressions were great and the whispy feel is very present with the stone releasing itself into the slurry. Playing with different Tomo Nagura was a joy with this stone as well. The slurry needed to be worked with extremely light pressure and the resulting edges was very sharp and comfortable. 
For knives, the stone is hard but forgiving and the whispy feedback is there. The stone is a moderate cutter and a bit of slurry was released into the swarf but not to much. There is a slight elasticity that welcomes the blade and combined with the texture of the slurry, it makes for a very unique feeling sharpening experience. The polish is a misty, semi bright cladding with bright, misty core steel.