Omoteyama Kiita Koppa

Size(mm) / Weight

182x62x21 / 587g

Performance

Hardness / Fineness: 5 / 5

Despite being very, very hard this stone is easy to work with. It is fine enough to finish a razor yet easy enough to use that it is suitable for knife work as well. It feels softer and smoother than the true hardness would imply. Without nagura or diamond plate the stone will release no slurry but metal shavings will quickly be visible. The size makes it perfect for razor work, but it is also suitable for single bevel sharpening as well. If your blade is well prepared it will also give a very refined kasumi polish. 

I find this stone behaves very similarly to many Nakayama and Narutaki kiita I have tried.

Aesthetics & Other Notes

Stereotypical kiita coloring with ample nashiji throughout. There is chiseled on the bottom surface with ochre kawa. 

The stone is unsealed. The side stamps are intact but the top surface has been lapped true and conditioned for razor honing and the stamps are no longer present. The stone comes with a box. 

Omoteyama (表山)

A smaller eastern mine. I've seen it described as another entrance to the Ozuku mine site and have seen stones retailed with the joint moniker of Ozuku Omoteyama.