Narutaki Mukaida Kuro Renge Suita
This sliver of a Suita is quite special Since it is somewhat thin, compared to other stones I have - It’s relegated to being a straight razor finisher only. It’s very hard with mid-range speed and it produces a very interesting grey/black slurry.
For a Suita, you could say it’s slow. As a razor hone – it’s a sterling finisher.
This is not a beginner’s stone - it has some liabilities. For starters, it’s thin. Plus, it also has a few Renge patches that you can feel when they’re dry. In use, they dress down easily with a few light passes of a Tomo Nagura and they are not felt when honing. Still – it’s disarming to use a stone with an imperfect top as a finisher.
I’ve been told that these were only quarried at Narutaki Mukoda which has been closed for a long time. Prior to closure, these black Suita had not been seen for a good long while. Full size stones would be extremely valuable. For me – I’m glad to have a chance to own this skinny slice of history though.
Finishing on this stone produces the keenest and smoothest edges I’ve had from any Suita. The feedback is very subtle too – it takes a while to get in the groove with it.
Given it’s size, or lack thereof – eventually, it will be mounted to a nice waterproof hardwood board.
Approx. Dimensions: 7.25 x 2.2 x 0.5” / 184 x 56 x 13 mm
The stone is tapered, thickness was measured in the middle of the stone.
Weight: 9.4 oz / 267 g