Introduction to Japanese Natural Stones!

[@RowlandGosling]

Truly appreciate your guidance on these - thank you!

[@bernalcutlery-sf]

Happy to help!

[@alpaktuna]

So excellent that you guys have a channel now!

[@Norm6671]

Great video, I appreciate the lesson.

[@bernalcutlery-sf]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NikosKatsikanis]

thx, going to the river today to try sharpen my blade with wild stone

[@sonkekoster3105]

Thank you for the good explaination.

Really nice video! All I need is to step up my JNAT polishing game 😅

[@bidin5253]

Which one do you prefer Josh Shobudani or aiwatani

[@morehn]

Do you know about Japanese Nakayama Awasedo Shohonyama from Kyoto? I just bought some that are being shipped. I bought a couple because they looked cool and I'm building up my natural stone collection. I'm looking to sharpen a knife to a completely smooth finish for kosher slaughter purposes, where the edge needs to be completely smooth without any perceivable teeth.

[@bernalcutlery-sf]

Haven’t used them much but they are very similar to the Aiiwatani/Shoubudani stones we carry! You’ll find that there is lots of mixed results depending on the steel of the knife and grade of the stone but when you find the right one it’s phenomenal for edge retention and polishing.

[@morehn]

@@bernalcutlery-sf great to know. I'm still waiting for them to come, while I'm learning in class how to sharpen my knife till the blade is completely smooth. It's such a long process. I'll definitely be checking your site, and more so as I get more advanced.

[@edwardrutledge2765]

Thanks for the guidance. Any natural stone sharpening etiquette difference for white, vs blue steel? I’m just getting into JNAT.

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

Hey do you stock flawless natural stones, without flaws? Let me know thanks.

[@bernalcutlery-sf]

Hi Londinium, We test every natural stone and try to note any issues, toxic spots, or possible flaws in our listings. That being said, they are priced by their condition, which is noted in our descriptions. I would be wary of calling a stone flawless, as it impossible to know what's beneath layers of the stone that may only be exposed with prolonged usage.

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

@@bernalcutlery-sf Thanks for the info, I'm always on the look out for flawless natural stones, I've got your website bookmarked. Cheers.

[@nathlee1992]

Hello, is the one you’re holding at 3:33 for sale?

[@bernalcutlery-sf]

Hi Nathan, That stone is number #604 located here: bit.ly/3uqpMQl

[@TylrVncnt]

Fantastic resource! One question: when you say “toxic” line, do you mean toxic to the process of getting a good edge, or that the metal is actually toxic to health? Or *both* ….? Definitely would appreciate some additional clarification! Cheers

[@bernalcutlery-sf]

Hi Tylr, These ‘toxic’ lines or inclusions are typically much harder or of different scratch pattern than the rest of the stone can leave undesired results. Rest assure they are not toxic to your health! Most stones with toxic lines are price accordingly depending on their severity and location within the stone.

[@claycarey8584]

What would you recommend for a Nakiri Iron Clad Shirogami 2 Kurouchi that I just recently purchased?

[@bernalcutlery-sf]

Hi Clay, Apentogo nailed it on the head, We also love the assorted Shoubudani and Aiiwatani stones as an affordable and practical jump into natural stones. bernalcutlery.com/collections/natural-whetstones

[@derekturner3272]

Large bench stones can get into the 20K range. A "good" bench stone10"x3"x2" will run you 8-10K and the lower grade or chipped out sizes(not perfect rectangle) go as low as hundreds. Anything less than 200$ is not likely a real hand mined stone, unless it's on the used market. Many of the stones sold by small dealers are offcuts and used stones. It's pretty easy to put a new stamp on the face. You can have a good collection of natties or a new tesla. But it's pretty easy to collect a bunch of pretty, garbage stones that have rough inclusions or are crazy shapes. So, yeah.... Use a small piece of highly polished stainless(you can buy scraps with the white plastic still attached to one side, and use it to see the scratch pattern and compare it to a man made stone to ensure you're getting what you are paying for. It's a good way to see if there are few or many errant deeper scratches that are apparent in rejected naturals.