This is an Aka Pin natural whetstone from Tsukinowa, one of Kyoto’s historic natural whetstone-producing areas.

Tsukinowa is a historic whetstone-producing area located south of Mt. Atago in Kyoto. Its name is said to originate from Tsukinowa-dera, an ancient temple situated near the quarry area. The temple is believed to have been founded before the Heian period and is also known for its historical connections to the Buddhist figures Honen and Shinran.

Tsukinowa stones were once used alongside the renowned Narutaki stones in the finishing stages of traditional Japanese sword polishing. They were valued for their ability to refine fine sharpening marks and produce a delicate, subdued finish.

This particular Aka Pin has a distinctive reddish-yellow sharpening surface, while the remaining natural portions of the stone display vivid red to reddish-purple coloration, characteristic of the name “Aka Pin.” Together with the yellow-brown and dark brown natural skin, these colors create a beautiful and highly individual appearance characteristic of Kyoto natural whetstones.

One of the most notable characteristics of this Aka Pin is its soft stone structure and its ability to release slurry easily. Rather than behaving like a hard finishing stone designed to aggressively polish steel toward a highly reflective or mirror-like finish, this stone is particularly well suited to using its fine, smooth, and consistent slurry to refine previous sharpening marks and create a natural Kasumi finish.

With water and sharpening, the stone readily develops a smooth slurry and provides a gentle, forgiving feel against the blade. It is particularly suitable for the soft iron cladding of traditional Japanese kitchen knives, where the slurry gradually blends and refines the scratches from previous sharpening stages without excessively brightening the surface.

The result is a soft, calm, and natural-looking Kasumi finish, with an attractive contrast between the soft iron cladding and the harder cutting steel.

For this reason, this stone is best understood not as a highly aggressive final polishing stone, but rather as a natural whetstone for creating and refining Kasumi finishes. Its true appeal lies in working with the slurry to develop the character of the soft iron surface and naturally enhance the visual contrast between the cladding and the cutting core.

With its soft feel, rich slurry production, and beautiful coloration characteristic of Tsukinowa Aka Pin, this is a particularly attractive Kyoto natural whetstone for those who enjoy creating traditional Kasumi finishes on Japanese kitchen knives.

 Please note that these are not for beginner sharpeners since they're harder to use. These are natural stones meaning that every single one of them are different so my measured sizes are not accurate. This is a lifetime investment for people who live sharpening their knives and tools, do not hesitate to ask me your questions.”

Dimension & Weight: 

30-55mm x 100-134mm x 17-40mm / 610g

All you can see on the picture will be included in a set of a package.


Please refer to the pictures for more details.
Please check the pictures and don't hesitate to ask any questions about the item !
Thank you.