Please check the photos. This is a vintage Umajiyama Iromono natural finishing whetstone, 80-size, originating from Kyoto, Japan. It is suitable for the final sharpening and refinement of various edged tools, including Japanese kitchen knives, woodworking planes (Kanna), and chisels (Nomi).

This particular Umajiyama stone was quarried more than 50 years ago and comes from old stock. The Umajiyama quarry has long since closed, as have many other traditional Japanese natural whetstone mines in Kyoto. As a result, genuine vintage Umajiyama stones are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.

The stone features a relatively soft, clean, and smooth sharpening surface, readily producing a fine, uniform slurry during sharpening. It offers a comfortable and pleasant sharpening experience while providing slightly firmer and tighter sharpening feedback compared with Hakka natural whetstones.

Despite its relatively soft sharpening characteristics, the stone delivers excellent abrasive performance and is capable of producing a keen cutting edge with a desirable degree of bite. This makes it particularly suitable for finishing kitchen knives and other edged tools where both sharpness and effective cutting performance are important.

Another distinctive feature of this specimen is its beautiful natural coloration. A delicate mixture of beige and pink tones appears across the sharpening surface, creating an attractive and unique pattern characteristic of Iromono natural whetstones.

The Japanese character 「敬」 written on the sharpening surface is a historical marking dating back to the time of the grandfather of the current representative of Tanaka Whetstone, a member of the Kyoto Natural Whetstone Association. This marking reflects the stone's connection to an earlier generation of Kyoto's traditional whetstone trade.

In addition, the numerical stamp visible on the stone is a historical quality assurance mark. In earlier times, Kyoto whetstone dealers commissioned professional sharpeners in Sakai, Osaka, to conduct sharpening tests on their stones. These stamps were applied as a form of quality verification following such evaluations, providing an interesting glimpse into the traditional distribution and quality assessment practices of Japanese natural whetstones.

The combination of its vintage origin dating back more than 50 years, smooth yet moderately firm sharpening characteristics, beautiful natural coloration, and historical appraisal and quality assurance markings makes this Umajiyama Iromono particularly appealing.

It is not only a practical natural finishing whetstone capable of producing a sharp cutting edge with excellent bite, but also a highly collectible example of Kyoto's traditional natural whetstone heritage and the historical craftsmanship and quality evaluation practices associated with it.

Dimention : 53-66mm×143-180mm×15-30mm ( Approx.) 

Weight: 736g