Ohira Renge Suita

Dimensions (mm) / Weight

205x75x41 / 1,531g

Performance

Hardness / Fineness: 3 / 4

In my experience, this stone represents the pinnacle of Ohira renge suita. The stone is softer than average, quite fine, and extremely grit-consistent. The result is an extremely easy to use all-purpose sharpening and polishing stone.

With some pressure on a wide bevel the stone will release ample slurry without ever becoming muddy or sticky. The sharpening mud starts a vibrant pink before becoming grey to black as metal shavings accumulate. With lesser pressure or a finely conditioned surface the stone generates a looser black swarf rather than mud. Under light or heavy pressure, the stone does not grab the blade or loose smooth feedback. Kasumi polishes retain a strong iridescent kasumi effect with greater clarity and brightness than stones such as uchigumori hato or Maruo shiro suita which are less fine. This stone is equally well suited for polishing honyaki and clad-construction blades.

For sharpening, the stone is equally competent. Edges are on the finer end of what I consider for kitchen knives. It is an ideal match for single bevel blades, slicing knives, or for anyone desiring greater refinement in their edges. Though this stone is softer than many tool-dedicated stones, I have sharpened both chisels and kanna blades on this suita and found the process very enjoyable and have not felt the need for finer stones afterwards. Honing razors with this suita is supremely enjoyable. Even on very hard Japanese razors the honing feel is buttery and smooth. Though I have shaved off this stone, it is on the coarser end of the fineness spectrum I find acceptable for razor finishing. It would make a luxurious pre-finisher, however.

Finally, the incredible purity of this stone makes it a true gem. This is, by far, the cleanest Ohira renge suita I have encountered. There are no visible lines, no visible su layers or pockets, and only the faintest hints of yake burnt-coloring. This stone should maintain identical performance without compromises throughout its lifetime. The ease of use and breadth of its abilities make it one of the finest examples of Ohira I have ever encountered.

The stone, like most Ohira, is mildly reactive. I did not find it difficult to manage the reactivity, certainly not compared to very reactive stones such as ao-renge suita, but if slurry is left unattended for a few minutes it will discolor the blade.

Aesthetics & Other Notes

Not to be outdone by performance, this aesthetics of this stone are equally exceptional. With a pure white base coloring, there is an unusual density of purple and red renge throughout the stone. The pictures will speak for themselves, but this is truly one of the most beautiful stones I have ever handled.

There are no lines, su layers, or other aesthetic flaws to mention.

This stone has been sealed in clear lacquer. The stone comes with the original box and sticker.

Ohira (大平, Oohira, Ohirayama)

A Western mine famous for Uchigumori and the quality of its suita. Although the mine is still occasionally worked, it is increasingly challenging to find uchigumori and Ohira suita available for export. Reportedly, many togishi are worried about the long term supply of quality uchigumori stones. Due to the premium that comes with Ohira suita and uchigumori, it is not uncommon to see stones from other mines stamped or sold as Ohira.