Hondo Daigokujo are the highest quality sharpening stones among Otaniyama. Mount Otani is about 10 kilometers northwest of downtown Kameoka City Hall and is the collective name for many mountains. It is a layer of grinding stone that contains many abrasive particles and seems to have been mined during the Showa era, as black was considered bad luck and was avoided in the Edo period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quality of the stones is good, but they are not widely known because they were not allowed to join the Kyoto Natural Stone Association because the latter did not like the fact that cheap, high-quality stones were being sold on the market. After that, the businessman who mostly
imported and sold lubricants, rods, irons, etc., noticed this grindstone and
sold door-to-door to hair salons all over Japan and slowly they spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This stone is a mixture of Hondo-mae and Shiki-tomae which gives the best finish. This can be compared to Nakayama's finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the time, it sold for about the same price as a university graduate's starting salary, but since it's a black stone, not everyone thinks it's worth that much. As for this whetstone, it is a little soft, so it can also be used for finishing knives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The stone is thick enough to last a lifetime. As the name suggests, this is a versatile whetstone that can be used not only for knives, but also for the final sharpening of razors, small knives, scissors, planes, chisels and more. to complete sharpening. The appeal of Otaniyama is that the finish is similar to the highest quality grindstones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cold water will significantly deteriorate the response of the steel over time, so it is better to use warm water of about 42 degrees when sharpening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n