Mizukihara Uchigumori

Dimensions (mm) / Weight

197x79x52 / 1,979g

Performance

Hardness / Fineness: 3 / 4+

This stone is right where most people want their polishing stones. Soft without being too muddy. Uchigumori are not the fastest stones, but the polishing results are exceptional. Without magnification there will be no apparent scratches on the blade surface. Hardened steel will be marvelously iridescent and cladding should darken. While uchigumori may not reveal fine grain structure like a finer harder suita could, the results tend to be more predictable and easy to achieve. With a fully flattened surface these could be used for razor or tool pre-finishing, but they are best suited for kitchen knife polishing. With patience they are capable sharpeners as well. 

Aesthetics & Other Notes

The stone is very clean with only a few lines towards the bottom that are unlikely to cause problems (assuming you work your way through to that layer). There is a dark blue coloring with some seeming karasu peeking through on the sides. There is a dense aka renge patterning throughout the stone as well. The chiseled surface of the stone is mostly erased on the sharpening surface but is fully present on the opposite side. For maximum life I'd suggest using the stones and flattening out the remaining chisel marks as you go. If you wanted to create a flat surface imminently about 15 minutes with an Atoma should do it. 

The stone is not sealed.

Mizukihara ( 水木原)

Located next to Ohira, this mine is well known for being the other source of uchigumori. Mizukihara is still occasionally active.