Amakusa is a natural sharpening stone with #500-#800 grit. The advantage of a natural stone is that it leaves very visible traces of previous sharpening on the blade, revealing all irregularities and low spots, in turn telling us which areas of the blade we should hone in on.

Amakusa stones come from a quarry on the island Shimoshima, close to the town of Amakusa in the prefecture of Kumamoto. Because stripes in various shades of red run down its surface, it is also known as “tora-to” or red tiger.

❗ As it is a natural stone that comes directly from a quarry, the stripes, and color hues may vary from one stone to another. The stone you receive may differ in color and texture from the stones shown on this page.

It works quickly (comparable to the Naniwa Traditional #1000 stone) and gives exceptional results when sharpening softer steels or the cladding of tamahagane steel. It is a very hard stone, therefore it creates a very small quantity of slurry during use.

Even though Amakusa is a little harder and slower-working natural stone compared to its synthetic counterparts, and also has uneven texture, it performs better, lasts way longer and yields outstanding results. Recommended for advanced sharpeners.

🚩 We recommend that you flatten your stone after every use when the stone is already wet and the slurry left on the stone after sharpening will make the process easier. In this way, the stone will be nice, flat and ready for your next sharpening session. After use, store it in a safe, dry and ventilated place, so it can dry naturally, evenly and slowly. The care for and proper storage of your knife will prolong the life of your faithful sharpening tool. 

👉 For easier sharpening, we recommend purchasing a Stone Holder (Sink Bridge) to ensure mess-free and a stable position of the stone during sharpening.

Specifications:

*As it is a natural stone that comes directly from a quarry, the size and weight of each stone may vary from one stone to another.