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Tajima Nakato Tomo Nagura / Slurry Stone

Tajima Nakato Tomo Nagura / Slurry Stone

$33.00 USD
$33.00 USD
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dimensions

Approximately: 26mm x 28mm x 28mm
Weight: 56g

Classification & Origin


Type: Tajima Nakato (但馬中砥) Tomo Nagura / Slurry Stone.
Origin: Tajima Province (modern Hyōgo Prefecture), Japan.
Stamps:
Main face: Rectangular boxed stamp reading 但馬中砥 (Tajima Nakato / Tajima Medium Stone).
Side face: Circular authentication/grade stamp reading 響 (Hibiki).


Grade & Performance Profile


Abrasive Level: Medium grit range, functionally equivalent to approximately #1,200 – #3,000 grit.
Hardness & Density: Medium-hard to hard matrix with moderate porosity and fast slurry breakdown.
Behavior: Cuts cleanly and quickly releases an abrasive, consistent mud that breaks down during use. It serves effectively as a prep nagura before progressing to fine JNAT finishing stages or for cleaning/opening glazed surfaces on hard stones.


Visual & Physical Description


Dimensions & Weight Approximately: 26 mm × 28 mm × 28 mm, 56 g.
Form Factor: Precision-cut cube with flat, sawn reference faces and clean stamp impressions.
Aesthetics: Light ash-grey base tone characterized by distinct, fine dark mineral speckling distributed evenly across the matrix.


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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