A little background: I got this Ikarashi from a seller who had a page dedicated to Ikarashi however, this one was listed on a different page from the rest. It was also listed as being a fair bit harder than the others. I have no idea if it makes a difference but some of these Ikarashi seemed to look chiseled and others sawed. This one had very deep saw marks on all sides and the bottom.
The unwavering Ikarashi: This one is very consistent in use and never lets me down.
Feedback:
The tactile feedback on this stone is immediate but a bit different from my other mid grits. Being a fairly hard stone there is less of a grippy feel but it is by no means glassy. This stone has a feel to it that might remind you of something like a Shapton glass 500. The stone feels coarser in use than it is. In use there is a slightly gritty feel while sharpening the edge of the edge but when working on the cladding it is very creamy. There is no skidding, likewise there is no sticking or skipping. All in all it is an enoyable stone to use regardless of whether you are sharpening a Japanese knife on very wide bevel or on a western knife with a narrow bevel.
Audible feedback is faint but apparent. I am not good at this sort of thing but lets see how I can describe it. The sound is similar to what you would hear if you were to shake up a plastic container half full or rice. The stone will make a squealing noise if you go over your angle. If you go under it will sound almost like a zipper in action. Anyway, it makes a distinct noise no matter what you are doing. Enough so to know where your edge is at.
Visual feedback on this one is quite good. You will see swarf from the first stroke, not a whole pass, literally the first stroke. Metal removed from the core steel is black but steel from the iron cladding turns brown in a nanosecond. I assume the particles are rusting?? Swarf from stainless cladding is grey. If you use this stone long enough you can make it look like the entire thing is covered in ink. Honestly, that does not take long.
Management:
Mud management is easy, there is none.
Well, you do get a bit of very light colored mud that is very, very thin. It is hard to tell it is mud as it seems to be just water. However if you let it dry it turns to white powder. I do not find a tomo necessary with this and as such I do not use one. I have used one but I can see no difference with or without it.Water management is easy. This stone is hard and it is dense. It is pure splash and go. A drop or two of extra water will get you through an entire session.
Speed:
This stone is a fast cutter. Not just for a natural but in general. At least relative to its abrasive properties. I would say that it cuts somewhere around the rate of a Shapton glass 2000. (I know I keep using glass stones as a reference and that is because I have them in so many grits that it is easier to compare.) While quick on carbon this thing is a demon on stainless. Every stainless I have thrown at it. 420, 8CR13MOV, AUS8, VG10 etc. Again, I don't use many high end steels so I can not tell you about things such as R2 etc. I can tell you that this stone works rather nicely with D2 tool steel. Anyway, it is a fast cutter but it is not a beefed up 1k like an AI# 1000 or Shapton Pro 1000.
Finesse:
In comparing to its synthetic counterparts I would say that this stone is a 2k replacement, for the most part. Not aggressive enough to be a 1k and not fine enough as a stopping point, for me. I have a hard time telling if the edge left is finer than that from my Aono but in use I would say that the Ikarshi is just a wee bit finer. The scratches are a wee bit finer but are more pronounced, I guess you could say. If stopping around this mark I prefer the Aono but if moving onto another stone I find the Ikarashi to be a better stepping stone.
Hardness:
This is the second hardest medium fine natural stone that I own. The only stone that I have in this range that is harder is my Aizu and it is a fair bit harder than the Ikarashi. The stone is also dense making it feel harder than it is. Again, as I said in my other review, this is relative to Nakato stone and should not be confused with a hard Awasedo. There is a huge difference, in my opinion. For example: My Yaginoshima is a medium hard finisher and it still feels loads harder than the Ikarashi and much more glass like. Anyway, it is a comfortable level of hardness.
Dishing:
I have seen and felt zero signs of dishing. I did have to flatten this stone and chamfer the edges, that was a task. I had a few smoke breaks and this is a small stone. I don't remember the exact dimensions but it is around 60x180mm. You will not see a lot of dishing with such a stone but I think it would be bad to ignore flattening because it would make it that much more difficult.
Vanity:
Finally a stone that is not bland! My crappy photos will not show it but this stone is an aqua color when wet and a light grey when dry. It has some renge and some lotus flowers on the surface as well. I find it to be an attractive stone.
Value:
In general Ikarashi are medium priced as far as mid range naturals go. This one was a little more expensive in that it was similarly priced but a bit smaller. That is okay, I lusted after this particular stone for quite some time and it did not disappoint. I paid $175 for this stone including shipping from Japan and I got a free stone with it.
Personally, I do not have an issue with that but if you are looking for all around value you might skip this one. While I would not be without this stone I feel that a good binsui will get you in the same ballpark for half the price. I had four and they are not all created equal but we will get into that another time. Random thoughts:
I have used three Ikarashi but only own one. I would not mind picking up another, though. The thing is that all three stones had a variance, not huge but enough. One was much softer than this and that is something that some you might like as it was closer to a 1k replacement. Point being, a softer stone will be more coarse, more aggressive and you might find it more useful in a progression whereas a harder stone will be finer. At least based on my experience with this particular type of stone. I just happen to have weird taste.
Bottom line:
I do rather enjoy this stone. Enough so, in fact, to put it at number three on my list. That does not mean that it is the stone for everyone. You can absolutely get by without this stone and there are cheaper options to get you the same edge and or similar finish. There are two groups of people that I would recommend this stone to. The first would be those like me who have an affinity for medium fine natural stones. The second would be those who need a stone for softer stainless and would use this stone as a stopping point. My uncle deals with a lot of protein and butchery and this stone by far gives him his favorite edge. That is fine with me as that is where this stone shines in use.
Hope this was helpful to those of you looking for a mid range natural.
(Pictures to follow)
