Guides, technique and background — written by Maksim
Everything I know about Japanese natural stones and knives in one place. Start with the first section if you are new, or jump to whatever topic you need.
Start Here
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Why natural stones are worth it, how to choose the right hardness, the JNS Lv 1–5 rating system, the mines, and the most common mistakes people make. Start here if you are new to Jnats. |
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Full, Medium and Budget setups for knives and razors. Step-by-step progressions showing exactly which stones to use in which order. Also covers nagura recommendations. |
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Why "grit" is the wrong question for Jnats. How natural stone particles (flakes) work differently from synthetic grit. Why hardness is the only number that matters. |
Sharpening Technique
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Water management, slurry, flattening, nagura tips, finger stones, storage. Everything you need to get good results from any natural stone. |
Single bevel vs double bevel. Spine height method for finding the right angle. What goes wrong and how to fix it. Diagram included. |
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How to get a beautiful kasumi finish using hard stones without scratching the jigane. Technique tips, which stones work best, and a video of Ozuku Lv 5+ kasumi. |
Western razors vs kamisori. Full nagura progression for razors on Jnats. Omote and ura technique. Strop at the end. |
Stones & Tools
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All the terms in stone listings explained with photos — Asagi, Kiita, Karasu, Renge, Nashiji, Goma, Momiji, Su Nashi, Kan. Plus strata names, knife steel terms. |
All about Asano certified Mikawa Shiro Nagura. The 4 types (Botan, Tenjyou, Mejiro, Koma), grading, when to use each one for knives vs razors. |
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Diamond plates for flattening only — why using them to make slurry ruins your stone's performance. The plates vs chunks science explained. |
Uchigomori and Narutaki finger stones for kasumi polishing. How to make them from scratch and how to use them on knives and razors. From the sword polishing tradition. |
Knives
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Your First Japanese Kitchen Knife Tadafusa, Kaeru and Tanuki — all made in Sanjo, Niigata, personally tested by Maksim. Includes a steel comparison (White 2 vs SLD vs German stainless) and a quick comparison table. Start here if you are new to Japanese kitchen knives. |
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Every knife maker JNS carries — Shigefusa, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Toyama, Munetoshi, Wakui, JNS Kokorozashi, Yoshikazu Tanaka. Why I chose them, what makes each one special. |
How to remove an old handle and fit a new one on a Japanese kitchen knife. Step by step with videos. |
Buying Guide
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Aizu, Black Saeki, and other rare discontinued stones worth knowing about. Which stones are rising fast in price and why. How to spot fake or bad quality stones and avoid getting burned — including the Maruka stamp guide and unstable mine-reject stones. |
Not sure where to start?
- New to Jnats → About Japanese Natural Stones
- Which stone to buy → Stones Recommendations
- How to sharpen → How To Use Guide
- Stone term you don't know → Glossary & Appearance
- First Japanese knife → Your First Japanese Kitchen Knife
- Just want to ask → WhatsApp