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Natsuya #002

Natsuya #002

$285.00 USD
$285.00 USD
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dimensions

203mm x 62mm x 45mm
Weigth: 1311g

Classification


Origin / Mine: Natsuya (夏屋), Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
Kanji Inscription: 夏屋砥石 (Natsuya Toishi / Natsuya Whetstone) stamped along the top face.
Stone Category: Chu-to / Nakato (medium-grit Japanese natural whetstone).
Estimated Grit Equivalent: ~800 to 1200 grit (depending on slurry breakdown and pressure).


Description & Visual Evaluation
Aesthetics & Pattern: Features classic two-tone Natsuya coloration, transitioning diagonally from a pale cream/buff tone to an orange-ochre banded section with visible stratifications.
Shape & Cut: Clean rectangular benchstone format (approx. 203 mm x 62 mm x 45 mm) with solid thickness and parallel sides, offering exceptional working life.
Surface & Inclusions: Minor surface microporosity and natural drying/bedding textures typical of Iwate sedimentary stones; no visible toxic quartz lines or structural cleavage cracks running through the core.
Working Characteristics: Natsuya stones are renowned for being relatively soft to medium-hard (around Lv 2.5–3.0), fast-cutting, and self-slurrying. They produce a toothy, highly functional working edge on carbon and clad steels, while leaving a clean, uniform pre-polish kasumi base on bevels before moving to fine finishers. This stone is lacquer sealed.

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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