Ohira Uchigumori

Dimensions (mm)

210x75x45 / ~1,790g

Performance

Hardness / Fineness: 3+ / 4

This uchigumori straddles the line between hato and jito. It is relatively quick, but isn't muddy. It will generate some slurry with time, but not a creamy mud without assistance. That said, it is far from being a hard and glassy jito. The polish is a delightful kasumi as one would expect from uchigumori. Hagane is hazy with some detail coming through. Jigane is matte with some detail but not as much as a true jito would offer. This is a fantastic "do it all" polishing or single bevel sharpening stone, but is likewise not truly exceptional in any one area. This would make a terrific first stone for a new polisher and would also be a valued workhorse for the more experienced. 

Aesthetics & Other Notes

The stone has a pale blue grey base coloring with a dense web of namazu, renge, and golden lines. These lines are non toxic and don't impact the results the stone gives. This type of patterning is common with Ohira uchigumori. There is a patchy layer of kawa on the bottom of the stone.

The stone has been sealed in traditional cashew. The top layer of the stone could use additional lapping as some of the original chiseled surface is still apparent on the ends of the stones - the buyer can decide to work through the top layer naturally or whether to speed things up and lap away a few mm of stone right away for a perfect surface. 

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.