Jnat - Japanese Natural Whetstone - Iyo Meito (Ehime)

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Premium but reasonable “Iyo-Meito” exclusive to Kaz’s customers

Iyo refers to the ancient Ehime prefecture, located in Japan’s southwest main island called Shikoku. This area is rich in natural resources especially sandstones, which produces fine grains suitable for shear sharpening. As Iyo stones gain more popularity, bad business practices unfortunately have risen: random sandstones are picked up with no authorization and sold online.

In order to discourage this shoddy whetstones from being sold, one genuine Iyo stone maker, Iyo-Kogyo Ltd., established the certification called “Iyo-Meito” (premium Iyo whetstone). The neat-looking “Iyo-Meito” cost more than JPY30,000 (AUD375), quite expensive to most whetstone users. We have negotiated with Iyo-Kogyo to supply odd shape ones but still suited for sharpening so that the prices can greatly be reduced.

Buying natural whetstones can be risky because each stone has different chemical composition and suitability for sharpening varies. However at Kaz’s, we can accommodate you to choose the best stone by offering trial sharpening on our natural whetstones. Bring your knife and ask Kaz to try any of the natural stones. We will assist you to choose the best partner to advance your sharpening experience.

Why do we sharpen with Jnat?

Popularity of Jnat has grown because of the beautiful finishing results on the blade surface. It creates the distinct contrast between the edge line and cladding steel as well as natural luster that evenly appears throughout. Exceptional sharpness is also the point why users prefer Jnat. Furthermore, its delicate abrasive performance prevents excessive grinding on the steel, which often leads to rust developed on scratches. Overall, Jnat enables more precise and even-toned sharpening.