# Naniwa Aramusha 220



## dmccurtis (Mar 10, 2016)

Anyone have any experience with this stone? I need a new extra-coarse stone, and this is one I haven't heard much about. I'm looking for something that cuts fast, stays relatively flat, and is easy to follow up. Knifewear suggests that the Naniwa cuts faster and dishes slower than the Imanishi pink brick, which is promising. The stone is to be used for knives and tools, and I never much liked the Imanishi for tools (it wears too quickly with narrow blades). 

This is the stone I'm referring to: http://knifewear.com/collections/coarse-water-stones/products/naniwa-aramusha-stone-220


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## berko (Mar 11, 2016)

is it me or dont they have any measurements to that stone?


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## dmccurtis (Mar 11, 2016)

According to Naniwa, it's 200x75x50.


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## mark76 (Mar 11, 2016)

This is the first time I ever heard of this stone. I cannot even find it on the Naniwa site. Has anyone got additional info?


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## fujiyama (Mar 11, 2016)

This stone has been a mystery to me for a couple months. I almost made a thread about it. :lol2: 

I guess we'll have to buy it and try it out. Right now I can't justify the purchase though, I do my occasional repairs on a 400 Naniwa with great success.


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## mark76 (Mar 11, 2016)

If it's the same as the Naniwa Traditional line, I wouldn't recommend it, unless you like coarse natural stones. It has a long soaking time and doesn't work particularly fast.


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## Dave Martell (Mar 11, 2016)

I've wanted to try this one for years.


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## Dave Martell (Mar 11, 2016)

As I recall, these can be bought for $30-35 online from Japan.

*&#12456;&#12499;&#21360; &#21083;&#30740; &#33618;&#27494;&#32773;*

"*Tsuyoshiken Rowdy*"


https://www.naniwa-kenma.co.jp/sharpening_stone/gouken/


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## dmccurtis (Mar 12, 2016)

Thanks all. I might just have to go ahead and try it. Dave, I was considering ordering it from Japan, though I might get impatient and order it from Knifewear just to get it sooner. I'll see what the EMS shipping cost is like. If I do get it, I'll let everyone know what I think of it. I was also considering the Sigma Power Select 240 and Shapton Glass 120.


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## XooMG (Mar 12, 2016)

I have one. Mine is hard and does not dish fast, but can load pretty quick.

Not a miracle, but I like having it and it's a lot less messy than my JNS 300 and will likely last a lot longer.


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## dmccurtis (Mar 12, 2016)

How much faster would you say it is than the JNS 300? I have the 300 as well, and I like it, but I don't find it to be exceptionally fast.


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## XooMG (Mar 12, 2016)

dmccurtis said:


> How much faster would you say it is than the JNS 300? I have the 300 as well, and I like it, but I don't find it to be exceptionally fast.


Afraid I'm not a man of nuance enough to say. I can put more pressure on the Naniwa but the JNS refreshes abrasive more readily.

But if I think a job will take a long time with the JNS, I know it'll take a long time on the Naniwa as well, but the Naniwa will live longer, so I use it for more aggressive tasks, while the JNS300 might be a better "cleanup" stone after my grinding wheel. I really don't know though.

JNS needs flattening more, and the Naniwa is much more of a bear to flatten. The JNS may manage water better while the Naniwa seems to dry out on the surface even when permasoaked.


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## Dave Martell (Mar 12, 2016)

Thanks for the feedback Robert.


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## dmccurtis (Mar 12, 2016)

I'd say that's pretty nuanced. It sounds like the Naniwa would be a nice complement to the JNS 300, but wouldn't outright beat it for speed. There's still value in that. From how you describe it, the Naniwa sounds almost like a coarser Beston 500, which is intriguing. I like the Beston a lot for tools, and like it less for knives, at least wide bevel knives. Its ability to stay flat and continue cutting with pressure is ideal for cutting flat bevels on planes and chisels, but doesn't help much to create smooth bevels on knives. If the Naniwa is similar, it might be well suited for what I need it for. Thanks for the input. I am still curious about the Shapton 120 and Sigma Power 240. There seems to be a lot of diametrically opposed opinions about both stones, which is interesting.


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