A Trip to Japan Stone, Sonoma, CA

Steve56

Forum GOD!
Gentlemen,

Early in March before the world went mad, I had the good fortune to fly to California and visit with Alex Gilmore of The Japan Stone, one of the most knowledgeable and well-known purveyors of Japanese natural stones in the English speaking world. I hope that people who love these unusual and wonderful stones will find the post pleasing.

Driving up from San Francisco, North side of the bridge looking back at SF and Oakland.

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Need a Jnat?

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More to folloow.

Cheers, Steve
 

Steve56

Forum GOD!
An about 25-pound, 3+” thick karasu that Alex retrieved from the old Nakayama site (he had a guide and permission), some of my ‘take’ from the visit, and a view of the beautiful California coast at Dillon beach, across a small bay from Point Reyes. The San Andreas fault line created this bay, so we were literally standing on it.

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Steve56

Forum GOD!
Lucky you! I'd love to own several of those stones. Did you buy any stones while visiting?
Yes, I bought 4 koppas an a couple of kamisori. 3 of the koppas are pictured with the kamisori, and the other is a Nakayama iro, 115 which is also pictured. I was prepared to buy a larger stone, but the koppas were ‘talking’ to me, so I bought what I liked at the time. It may be time for a return trip when the world returns to normal.
 

JamieM

Extreme sharpness is ephemeral!
Never been interested in Jnats stones, although I do have a friend who lives and teaches in Japan who uses only Jnats stones, here he is on his visit to the keeper of the Asano stamps.


Meeting Mr Morio Sakamoto in his house from Toyohashi.
He is the current owner of the Asano stamps, inherited from his father Misao Sakamoto who purchased the Mikawa mine in 1953 and later in 1961 founded the Ichikukai Association together with Kosuke Iwasaki and Nagayuki Asano. It was an honour and a pleasure to meet such a modest and kind person and talk for hours about razors, jnats and Mikawa Nagura.


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Johnjo

Forum GOD!
Gentlemen,

Early in March before the world went mad, I had the good fortune to fly to California and visit with Alex Gilmore of The Japan Stone, one of the most knowledgeable and well-known purveyors of Japanese natural stones in the English speaking world. I hope that people who love these unusual and wonderful stones will find the post pleasing.

Driving up from San Francisco, North side of the bridge looking back at SF and Oakland.

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Need a Jnat?

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More to folloow.

Cheers, Steve
great post thanks. I've a Shobudani from that hoard 👍
 

Steve56

Forum GOD!
Hang on to them gentlemen (unless you send them to me!), Alex has been unable to replenish stock due to corona. I returned from that trip on March 5th, 2020 and I do not believe that it would have been possible much later if any.
 
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