No. A02
Super Final Finishing
Hardness : Lv 4.5
Granularity : Lv 5
Size : 135x80x25mm
Weight : 749g
Saijōkyū – 最上級
This is a stamp on whetstones which refers to the stone being extremely high quality of superlative.
Aiiwatani – 相岩谷
A Higashi Mono (Eastern Mine) north of Kyoto located by Takashima and Wakasa. This area is known for its high-density stones. Aiiwatani tends to produce harder stones.
Tomae – 戸前 or 户前
The 5th usable layer on the Hon-Kuchi Naori and where the vast majority of Awasedo originate from. This is because the layer is comprised of 48 different levels compared to the next largest layer (Hachimai or Namito) with 8. It is found between the Senmai and Aisa layers, and is known for having a very wide range of performance.
Nashiji – 梨地
A term meaning pear-like in Japanese. This is a visual term indicating small brown spots or marks on the stone and looks very similar to a brown variant of Goma. These are non-toxic marks and do not impact performance of the stone.
