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Shobudani Kiita Awasedo #056

Shobudani Kiita Awasedo #056

$210.00 USD
$210.00 USD
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dimensions

Length: 182 mm
Width: 66 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weigth: 688 g

Classification
Mine: Shobudani (菖蒲谷)
Type: Awasedo (合砥) finishing stone
Awasedo Kiita  hue on the working face with a heavily mottled, rustic natural skin (kawa) on the reverse.
Shape: Rectangular bench stone with chamfered perimeter edges.
Visible Flaws, Inclusions & Structural Notes
Face Veining (Suji): A noticeable diagonal fissure line traverses the midsection of the working face, accompanied by fine hairline crazing near the upper-left quadrant. These do not seem to affect the sharpening / polishing action but should be monitored with a fingernail over time to ensure they remain benign during sharpening. Many sharpeners decide over time weather to dig out the vein with a steel point or leave it as is. 
Base Delamination / Corner Step: A visible horizontal crack/delamination step is present along one lower corner where the natural skin layer meets the sawn stone body.
Edge Chipping: Minor natural chipping along the bottom perimeter edges near the rustic skin boundary.
Stratification Lines: Pronounced sedimentary grain lines along the side profiles; All sides and back are 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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