Jnat (Japanese Natural Whetstone) - Tsushima Toishi

Side coating is already applied. 

Length: 205mm

Width: 75mm

Height: 21mm

Weight: 947g

Hardness: ★★★★☆

Grid roughly #4000-6000 suited as a finishing stone. With nagura stone, it can have a  softer and muddier texture. 

About the Tsushima stone

The high-quality natural whetstone, retrieved from beneath the waters of Asaji Bay in Nagasaki Prefecture, is highly esteemed for its exceptional value and rarity.

The process of extracting it from the sea involves desalination and drying, demanding considerable time, expertise, and effort. These meticulous steps are believed to significantly enhance the whetstone's quality.

Since the excavation concluded over 40 years ago, obtaining it has become increasingly challenging, further highlighting its scarcity.

This whetstone boasts exquisite hardness, providing flexibility while ensuring outstanding blade engagement. It also possesses a well-balanced combination of grinding and polishing capabilities.

With finely honed edges, it serves not only as a whetstone for knife finishing but also as a Nagura (a type of whetstone) for polishing other natural whetstones. Consequently, it is expected to yield a high-quality finish comparable to whetstones produced in Mikawa（三河）.

Maintenance for natural whetstones

Do not soak in water. Water penetrates into the layer of stone, causing it to crack.

Recommended to protect the sides with cashew coating from cracking.

After use, wash with running water, wipe, wrap the stone with dry cloth and leave in a cool place. Please avoid direct sunlight.

Why do we sharpen with Jnat?

Popularity of Jnat has grown because of the beautiful finishing results on the blade surface. It creates the distinct contrast between the edge line and cladding steel as well as natural luster that evenly appears throughout. Exceptional sharpness is also the point why users prefer Jnat. Furthermore, its delicate abrasive performance prevents excessive grinding on the steel, which often leads to rust developed on scratches. Overall, Jnat enables more precise and even-toned sharpening.