Renge Suita Japanese Natural Finishing Stone - 1258g

Size: 204mmx75mmx35mm

Weight: 1258g

Additional Information:  This is one of three Japanese natural whetstones I discovered tucked away in the back of a display window at a professional tool shop in Tokyo. The shop owner mentioned that these stones were originally stocked in the 1980s, and he no longer recalls the specific mines they came from.

Based on my testing, this typical Suita is very likely a Tenjou Suita. It is relatively soft, highly efficient at sharpening, and relatively pure. It produces a beautiful Kasumi finish with a striking contrast between the jigane (soft iron) and hagane (steel), reminiscent of an Uchigumori stone. It is well-suited for sharpening kitchen knives or tools intended for working with hardwoods.