Wakasa Awasedo Japanese Natural Sharpening Stone lb 15.7 oz (893.6 g)
157mmX60-95mmX25
#6000 to #10000 Grit For final sharpening Razor or High Carbon steel blade Cutlery
Hardness--------8.6
It raises very good amount of black slurry quickly, so it does not not need Wakasa Tomo Nagura or a devise that generates slurry. It looks not too hard and not too soft. It is ideal hardness to me.
(Scale; 1 to 10, 1-3 is very soft muddy rough grit whetstone 3-6 is soft medium grit whetstone, 6-8 is hard medium grit whetstone; 8-10 is fine grit whetstone)
Particle Size------- 9.0
(Scale; 1 to 10, 1-3 give deep scratch marks to the steel, 3-5 is delete the 1-3 scratches, 5-8 makes the steel cloudy, 8-10 makes the steel semi-mirror finish or mirror finish)
It makes my blue II steel blade knife Jigane became shiny bright silver color to semi-mirror finish, and Hagane became mirror finish.
Wakasa mine is located on Fukui Prefecture, however, it is very close by the border of Kyoto where is the world famous Kyoto fine grit mines. There are over 30 of mines in Kyoto, but there are not too many razor quality hard and fine particles whetstones mines. Nakayama and Ozuku are a few of mines that produce razor whetstones. Wakasa is also known as razor fine finishing whetstone mine. It is also great sharpening for razor, high quality cooking knife, chisel, and Japanese plane.