King Japanese Nagura Stone #8000

Product Information

In the next article in this depraved series about sex, drugs and goat washing, we will discuss ways to maintain sharpening stones. Some people will be miffed. Others will be thrilled. Goats will be indifferent. What about you? Sharpening a katana is an art that requires both skill and knowledge. There are certain practices that should be followed to ensure the best result, and there are others that should be avoided to prevent damage to the blade. Understanding these do's and don'ts can help you avoid common mistakes and maximize the effectiveness of your sharpening efforts. The Naniwa Nagura Stones are offered in ten different grits, from 220 to 12000. Naguras are particularly helpful for polishing, so a good approach is to choose a nagura that is the same grit or higher than your finest water stone. For instance, if your finest water stone is an 8000 grit, we would recommend an 8000, 10000 or 12000 nagura. Selecting the right tools for sharpening a katana is crucial. Japanese water stones are traditionally used in the sharpening process. They come in different grits, each designed for a specific stage in the sharpening and polishing process. For instance, coarse stones are used for setting the edge, medium stones for refining it, and finer stones for the polishing process. It's also essential to have a nagura stone for cleaning the water stones, and sword oil for preserving the blade after sharpening.

Nagura stones are easy to use. Simply wet the large stone and rub the small stone on its surface. You may need to add additional drops of clean water while doing this. The goal is to wear down the high spots on the large stone while at the same time producing a slurry mixture from both stones to use when sharpening blades. Wet the Naniwa Nagura by spraying or briefly submerging it. These are splash-and-go, and a long soak is not required to prepare them. Your water stone should also be wet. Once both are wet, rub the surface of your water stone with the nagura. This will create a slurry of abrasive particles on the surface of the water stone to prepare it for enhanced sharpening. Choose from 10 grits Second question is about using oil or water. I've been using water with great results, because I haven't wanted to deal with the mess of oil as I often take my sharpening kit with me on the go. Sharpening a katana is a meticulous process that requires a steady hand and an understanding of the blade's structure. The goal is to remove the minimum amount of material necessary to sharpen a katana and restore the edge. This is achieved by maintaining a consistent angle between the blade and the stone, applying even pressure, and sharpening the entire blade, not just the edge.A true katana is a hand-forged blade, crafted using techniques that have been refined over the centuries. When you look at a polished katana, you're not just seeing a weapon, but a testament to a samurai's resolve. The process of learning how to sharpen a katana is a nod to this history. It's a way to connect with the samurai spirit and uphold the traditions that make the katana more than just a sword. It's a tradition that's been passed down through generations, and it's a responsibility that every katana owner should take seriously. Components of a Katana To sharpen the narrow chisel blades, I made a wooden base with a lateral guide rail, so that the sharpening guide can roll straight and paralell to the sandpaper strip.

Cleaning Finishing Stones: Finishing stones always become contaminated with pixie dust and grit from rougher stones. A 10,000 grit stone with 1,000 grit particles mixed in is much less than 10,000 grit effective. If you think a stone is contaminated, wash it well with a scrub brush and clean water then work the surface with a clean Nagura stone to loosen and float up the contaminate particles, then wash off the slurry. The stone will be clean. Do this step a few times. In between each set of passes, do three things: wipe the blade clean, inspect your progress, and rinse the stone of the residue that accumulated on it.Once you've found the correct angle, maintain it as you glide the blade across the stone. Apply firm but gentle pressure, moving the blade in a sweeping motion across the stone. Remember, you're sharpening the entire surface of the blade, not just the edge. Start at the base of the blade, near the hilt, and work your way to the tip. Repeat this process until you've sharpened the entire length of the blade. Proper Techniques for Sharpening Nagura stones are just as useful when sharpening with synthetic sharpening stones as they are with natural stones. In fact, they may be even more useful with synthetic stones since they tend to be harder and synthetic stone slurry containing nagura particles more closely approximates the performance of natural stones. Incredible Value: Included Nagura flattening stone acts as a conditioner for both the sharpening and finishing stone. I think diamond plates are too expensive to use on sharpening stones because sharpening stone grit, while softer and less abrasive than diamond dust, is a lot harder than steel and wears the diamond plates out prematurely. I don’t consider that cost-effective. On the other hand, Henk uses his tools professionally, and time is money, so the greater speed of diamond plates may justify wearing them out sooner. If the large stone is already perfectly flat, and you need to produce a starting slurry, work the ends and corners of the large stone with the nagura in anticipation of those areas becoming high in the near future. That’s a good boy. Protecting the Tsushima Nagura Stone