Almost Japanese finish sharpening stones come from Kyoto.
They are good at to finish woodworking tools ,Japanese swords ,dagger ,chef knives and so on.
They have many many class ,hardness range and grit range.
 
       ***1St step*** Aiishi or Honishi?

 Aiishi has no abrasion power. They are so cheap.
It is decided whether it is Aiishi by a mine.
I show the mine which we must not buy as follows.

Hideriyama ,Part of Ouchi ,ashitaniyama ,Yugehacchou ,Ohno

  Retail price in JPN ;No crack Aiishi 205*75*30mm takes 7,600Yen = $56.00

These are Hideriyama Aiishi stone.. What a beautiful they are!
They seems great but poor performance.

 Prices of Honishi of the same condition are more than 30,000 yen
Honishi is truth Japanese whetstone.
I show good Honishi as follows.

First from the left is 60+ old Narutakimukouda Kurorenge suita.
Second  is Ohira Namazu Kumori Suita suitable for sword final finisher.
3rd is Ohira Karasu.
4th is Okudo renge suita.
They are funny and strange appearance, but works well.

We must choose Honishi stones.
The details please refer to my guide.

    ***2nd step*** hardness and grit

  
 Hardness generally turns big by depth of a mine and stratum.
There is not a meaning at all unless I choose both as reference. 
There are many cases that are hard because it is compressed well when stratum is deep.
The part that fresh air and rain are intercepted, and weathering does not go ahead through is firm.
Generally speaking ,the grit is smooth so as to be hard.
　We may not be sharp so that a grit is small. 
You must choose an appropriate grit by materials (foods ,grass ,woods ,leather??) going to cut and a kind of steel.

***Softer is suitable for....

1. 1st step final stage sharpening. (By a very important role, It can lower a wound.)
2. Softer hardness steel (under Hrc62)
3. Western oil quenching blades
4. Younger sharpening skill.
5. Awasenagura ( rub it on harder stone and stick sharpening mud.)
6. They can get rid of nicotine and fat stuck to a blade surely quickly.
7. To finish a Yarikanna (Ancient Japanese plane.)
8. Chef knives and all of Japanese cooking knives. 

There are many slightly bigger grit, but abrasion power is big.
A grit gradually shrink when we use it without giving a lot of water.
 Please imagine a knife of tableware to use at a dining table.
Why is there a burr?
Why is food cut well? 
Clause 8 and 7 are proved by the principle. 
They can catch a fiber well.

A soft stone is necessary by all means.

The mine list which produces a lot
Takashimamyoukakusan ,Ohira ,Mizukihara ,Hakka ,Okunomon ,Yaginoshima ,Kouzaki ,
The stratum list which produces a lot
Shallow of Tomae ,Suita ,Namazu ,Softer Renge Suita,AKAPIN ,The stratum that touched air and water for many years ,

**Medium is suitable for...

1. To make most beautiful haze and mist.
2. Sharpness lasts for a long time if hardness of steel rise up to Hrc62.
3. Accept wide range user with sharpening skill.
4. Top class sword finisher which production is very very few.And very expensive.
5. 2nd step final stage sharpening which is suitable for Japanese planes ,chisels ,razors.
6. Hi-class water quenching Japanese chef knives and blade tools.  

.The mine list which produces a lot
Ohira ,Mizukihara ,Hakka ,Okunomon ,Yaginoshima ,Kouzaki ,Shobu ,Nakayama ,Okudo ,Narutakimukouda ,
 The stratum which produces a lot
Suita ,Many kind of Tomae ,Fresh colored Tomae ,Much Tomae in mines which is located in North of Mt.Atago.

**Hard is suitable for...

1. To make double layered beautiful mist and haze.
2. The early stage of sharpness is distinguished.
3. To brighten only the top of a blade (steel) and a plane can sharpen thinly.
4. To remove HAGAERI when we sharpen back-hollow which has Japanese blade tools.
5. Master sharpening skill.
6. Hi-class water quenching Japanese woodworking tools.
7. Razor

Generally speaking ,we need many skills to use it.
However, stones which are usable with a beginner are a little in the top class.
And this dignity does not depend on an appearance and the number of cracks.
Therefore I guide you after working as a trial sharpen at all.

.The mine list which produces a lot 
*Deep
 Mizukihara ,Ohira
*Midium and deep
Shobu ,Nakayama ,Okudo ,Narutakimukouda ,Ozuku
 The stratum which produces a lot
HonSuita where a mine is the deepest, Much Tomae in mines which is located in South of Mt. Atago ,deep tomae stratum ,Karasu ,Harder Renge Suita ,Neighborhood of a sulfur and a manganese vein. ,Kan ,Damascus

    ***3rd step*** toxic crack ,needle  ,Kan or not

**Suji means cracks. There is two kinds of suji

1. Kane-suji.....Toxic
   It is include in metal or iron pyrites. We sharpen it and dent and use it.
   This is NAKAYAMA Kane-Suji Tomae. There is eight strong Kane-suji which are hard to look. They are very toxic!! Can you believe it??
   
2. Ke-suji........ Safety
   We can see it, and there is no influence.
   Suita has many Ke-suji.It is a characteristic of a Suita.
   Yaginoshima Ke-suji suita. It seems dirty. But it is god quality. 

The method of distinction.
I do not understand it if I do not use it.

**Hari means needles. There is two kinds of Hari.

1. Harike.....Toxic
   It is include in metal or harder needle point. It is often shining.
   Nakayama Harike stone. Blade given big damage.
2. Atarazunohari....Safety
   It is needle point beautiful design.
   The method of distinction.
   I do not understand it if I do not use it.

**Kan means rust colored design. Almost Kan is safety.

• Very dark Kan is caught, and the surface is rough.
  
• There is very beautiful and safty Kan
  Kan with Stamp design.
  Kan with rust colored.
  Kan with Damascus.

    ***4th step***favorite design , size 

Honishi has a lot of kinds of design.
 Karasu ,Renge ,Namazu ,Habutae ,Nashiji ,Kan ,Damascus , and so on. 

**Karasu**

• Karasu means crow black point design. And it is so rare.
• Because they are born from deep stratum, hard stones are found.

• In the appearing stratum of a design of a Karasu, there is a case to slightly appear most in the depths of the gallery.
  The crow stone generally dug the gallery more than 150m (0.1mile) almost horizontally; is dead-end.
  There is very little it and brings by probability equal to or less than total 1%.
  Because it was born in a deep place, it is compressed and is tense.
  A Karasu can follow a good blade, but is expensive because there are few numbers.

**Renge**

**Namazu**

**Habutae**

**Nashiji**

**Kan**

**Damascus**

Size
It is slow that natural whetstone decreases unexpectedly.
I am highly recommended to cheaper thinner or razor size!!
Economic life of a harder 15mm(1/2")stones are longer than a craftsman with this every day.

**24Gata**
218*78*24+

**30Gata**
205*75*24+

**40Gata**
205*75*20+ (There is missing place in corner)

**60Gata**.....Recommend
195*70*20+

**80Gata**
180*63*15+

**100Gata**
160*58*15+

**Razor Gata**....Recommend
136*82*15+

**Tanzaku**
210*40*20+

**Kamato**
30*120*20+