This is a beautiful Tenjyo Suita natural finishing whetstone from Shoubudani, Kyoto, one of Japan’s most renowned natural whetstone-producing areas.

Alongside prestigious locations such as Nakayama and Okudo, Shoubudani is recognized as one of the historically significant sources of Kyoto’s Higashimono (Eastern Kyoto) natural whetstones. For generations, it has produced high-quality stones traditionally used for the precise sharpening and polishing of Japanese swords, kitchen knives, planes, chisels, razors, and various other edged tools.

This particular stone features beautiful natural coloration ranging from soft creamy yellow and pale pink to warm orange tones. Delicate, intricately winding gray veins spread across the sharpening surface, creating a distinctive Suminagashi (Japanese ink-marbling) pattern, reminiscent of a naturally painted landscape. When wet, the colors become even more vibrant, highlighting the beautiful contrast between the soft pink and yellowish-brown hues.

The reverse side displays a striking combination of bluish-gray stone and reddish-brown to ocher-colored natural areas, while the sides retain visible geological layers. These rich colors and natural formations give this individual stone its own unique character and visual appeal.

The sharpening experience is exceptionally comfortable, and the moment the blade touches the surface, the outstanding quality of a traditional Kyoto Higashimono Suita becomes immediately apparent. The stone offers a naturally smooth and responsive feel, combined with just the right amount of abrasive feedback, allowing excellent control over the blade throughout the sharpening process.

During sharpening, a rich, dark black slurry develops, providing excellent abrasive performance and effective material removal. Another notable characteristic is its excellent ability to release metal swarf and sharpening residue. Metal particles separate readily from the surface, minimizing loading and allowing the stone to maintain stable, consistent sharpening performance with a smooth and uninterrupted sharpening action.

The combination of abundant slurry production and smooth sharpening characteristics makes this stone particularly suitable for evenly refining blade surfaces and producing a beautiful, natural kasumi finish, enhancing the contrast between the soft iron cladding and the hard steel core.

With its beautiful natural coloration, distinctive Suminagashi patterns, refined sharpening characteristics typical of high-quality Higashimono Suita, rich black slurry, and excellent swarf-release properties, this Shoubudani Tenjyo Suita is a truly remarkable natural finishing whetstone.

It is an excellent choice not only as a highly practical finishing stone but also as an appealing collectible that captures the beauty, craftsmanship, and rich heritage of Kyoto’s traditional natural whetstones.

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 : 75mm×199mm×20-28mm ( Approx.) 

Weight:  996g