Finest Quality, 100-Cut Origin: Ukyō-ku, Kyoto City, Umegahata Mountain: Okuden Type/Layer: Renge Maximum Dimensions: 61 x 163 x 17mm Weight: 406g Hardness: 4 (※Hardness scale of 5 levels: Hard 5 ⇔ 1 Soft) Due to this item being listed on multiple sites, there may be a time lag and it may become out of stock. White Suita's Gurenge (Lotus Flower) Artistic Value: ◎ About Okuden: Okuden is well-known, and many consider it to be the best, even calling it the king of Suita. ・About Natural Whetstones from Umegahata, Ukyō-ku, Kyoto City These are finishing whetstones made from slate, produced only in a very small area of Kyoto due to the effects of crustal movement. Due to their extremely fine finish, they are considered indispensable for finishing blades. They are said to have a hardening effect on the blade edge, and the finish that highlights the boundary between the jigane (soft steel) and hagane (hard steel) cannot be replicated with artificial whetstones. I have been an apprentice whetstone craftsman under a master for about 10 years in Umegahata, Ukyō-ku, Kyoto City. I am still under training, but thank you for your support. I have obtained permission from the landowner to mine natural whetstone rough stones from the mountain. I perform ore selection, forging, sawing with a chip saw, and surface finishing. As an apprentice, there may be some imperfections, but please forgive me.