Ōhira Natural Finishing Whetstone (Ōhira Awasedo)

I am a craftsman from Sakai, where the art of Japanese knife-making has been refined for more than six hundred years.
For us, the journey of a blade does not end in forging—it finds its true completion on the whetstone. And among all whetstones, none carry more depth or dignity than the natural stones born from Japan’s mountains.

Each natural whetstone has a soul. It was formed through centuries of pressure, water, and minerals, and no two stones ever share the same character.
When I place a blade upon the stone, I listen—not only with my ears, but with my hands.
The faint sound, the subtle vibration, the gentle resistance—all of these tell me how the edge breathes, how the steel lives.

Sharpening on a natural stone is not a mechanical act.
It is a dialogue—between craftsman and nature, between human spirit and the quiet strength of the earth.
Through that conversation, the blade awakens. Its edge becomes not merely sharp, but alive—able to glide through food with ease, carrying the soul of its maker.

For generations, the craftsmen of Sakai have trusted these stones.
We pass them down not as tools, but as teachers.
A natural whetstone reminds us that perfection is not uniform—it is discovered, slowly, through touch, patience, and respect.

That is why I continue to sharpen with them today.
Because within every natural stone, there lies the same spirit that has guided Sakai’s blades for centuries—the spirit of craftsmanship that refuses to fade.