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Asano Mikawa Nagura - Tenjou, Betsu-jo #3514d03s

Asano Mikawa Nagura - Tenjou, Betsu-jo #3514d03s

$120.00 USD
$120.00 USD
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dimensions

Approx.: 70mm x 50mm x 30mm
Weight: 217g

Classification


Type: Authentic Asano-stamped Mikawa Shiro Nagura (純三河白名倉)
Strata / Layer: Tenjō (天上)
Quality Grade: Betsu-jō (別上 - "Selected / Superior Grade")
Origin: Mikawa District, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Weight: 217 grams
Dimensions: Approx.: 70mm x 50mm x 30mm (tapered irregular block)


Stamp Transcription & Verification


純三河白名倉 (Jun Mikawa Shiro Nagura): Authentic Pure Mikawa White Nagura origin mark.
天上 (Tenjō / Tenjou): Designates the Tenjō stratum—a fine, chalky, fast-breaking layer positioned between Meji and Koma in working grit, typically operating around the 5,000–8,000 grit range.
別上 (Betsu-jō): Quality designation signifying a higher purity grade free of coarse inclusions or damaging lines.
檢 浅野 (Ken Asano - Red Hexagonal Stamp): Official inspection seal of the Asano family testing guild, confirming authenticity and purity.


Evaluation & Description


Physical Characteristics: Dense, creamy-white to light buff matrix with clean, uniform coloring and crisp, intact kanji stamps. The shape is a solid, ergonomic hand-held block with pre-chamfered perimeter edges to prevent chipping.
Functional Profile: Tenjō provides an exceptionally smooth, creamy slurry when worked across hard finishing stones (Awasedo / Tomae). It excels at intermediate prep, removing shallow scratches from medium stones, refining straight razor bevels, and bringing out an even, semi-gloss kasumi contrast on cladding and core steels without deep rogue scratches.
Condition: Excellent, near-mint collector/user condition with zero visible toxic fissures, toxic quartz inclusions, or severe wear to the stamped face. Sealed with transparent lacquer.

care instructions

1. Preparation & Water Management
Splash-and-Go Only: Never soak your natural finishing stone in a water bath. Prolonged submersion softens the natural binders and risks cracking or delamination along natural mineral lines.
Surface Wetting: Mist or splash clean water onto the working face just before sharpening. Add water sparingly throughout your session to maintain a slick working surface.
Bench Placement: Place the stone on a non-slip rubber base or a dedicated wooden stone holder with gentle clamping pressure.
2. Slurry Generation & Sharpening
Soft to Medium Stones (Hardness 2.5–3.5): These stones naturally release their own slurry under light blade pressure. Let the auto-generated mud do the work; do not wash it away mid-session.
b Use a diamond plate (such as an Atoma 1200), a clean Tomo Nagura, or a Mikawa Nagura to raise a thin, milky slurry in 5 to 10 light circular passes before laying your blade flat.
Pressure & Technique: Maintain light, even pressure. Allow the semi-rounded silica particles in the slurry to break down naturally—this self-refining action creates the signature toothy edge and cloudy kasumi finish.
Slurry Thickness: If the mud becomes too sticky or pasty, add a few drops of water. If it is too thin, work the stone lightly to concentrate the abrasive particles.
3. Cleaning, Drying & Long-Term Care
Rinse Clean: When finished, gently rinse off steel swarf and residual slurry using room-temperature tap water. Do not use dish soap, detergents, or hot water.
Air Dry Indirectly: Wipe the stone dry with a clean towel and allow it to dry completely at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, heating vents, fans, or freeze-thaw cycles.
Storage: Store the completely dry stone flat on a shelf in a climate-controlled room. Avoid enclosing a damp stone in an airtight plastic box.
Edge Lapping: Keep the working surface flat by lightly dressing it with a fine diamond plate (Atoma 1200 or 400) under running water when dish patterns begin to form. Chamfer the outer top perimeter edges lightly to prevent edge chipping during blade passes.

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