It's held on the grounds of a temple near the sea, on the last Sunday of every month. There was all manner of things...dodgy katanas, old kimonos, "antique coins" and all kinds of stuff. I was shown around by a Temple-carpenter from Iwakuni, a "Blog friend" and fellow traveler down the path of hones. (He also gave me a huge Koppa that I need to investigate...)
Some pics of our cloudy morning flea market...
There were even a flock of hawks (do hawks flock?) taking Koi out of the pond there.
But of course, me being me, you know what's coming next, right?
These two dirty, dirty razors look like they might be pretty nice under all that grunge. And for less than $2 a piece, I figured "Why not!"
But this guy...
I was told this was a hone, and it was obvious from the lines that someone had used it as one, but...what IS it?
It's cut across the layers of stone, whereas most hones are cut with the layers. In addition, there is a section of translucent green crystal, like jade or something.
It's beautiful, but I'm not sure how, or even if, I should use it. I will, of course, but...any ideas? Ever seen anything like it? The guy selling it said something about "old man so-and-so used it for 150 years to hone the emperor's sword" or the like, but...it's a flea market. So you know how that goes.
The same guy actually said he had a stone just for razors, and the "small hone you use to clean it" (a.k.a. a nagura) that he would bring next time. So I already have an appointment to see him again!
2 comments:
Whether it works or not, that stone is incredible.
Even if it doesn't hone at all, it is a beautiful stone to keep.
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