Awasedo toishi

AWASEDO TOISHI are important to the blacksmith because they prove to the smith that his tools are useable.
Without the awase-do there is not a chain between the blacksmith and the carpenter.

THE PHOTOS BELOW SHOW A SELECTION OF NAKAYAMA AWASAEDO TOISHI MINED IN THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE KYOTO IN
THE 1930s. YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY CAME IN MANY COLORS.

A PROGRESSION OF MINERALS BOUND UP IN THE BINDER MAY RUN FROM STONE
TO STONE AND BE DISPLAYED AS A COLOR SCHEME. THESE MINERAL ARE
INDEPENDENT OF THE GRIT OR CUTTING AGENTS INHERENT TO THE STONE BUT
CAN BE INDICATIVE OF THE HARDNESS OR SOFTNESS OF THE STONE.

BELOW IS A PHOTO OF THE BACKS OF THE ABOVE TOISHI.

THE KIITA OR YELLOW COLOR STONES WILL SOMETIMES HAVE
A PATTERN CALLED NASHI-JI. A FORM OF COLORED SPOTS
THAT CAN BE DARKER OR LIGHTER THAN THE HOST STONE.

A CLOSE UP PHOTO OF AN EXAMPLE
OF THE NASHI-JI PATTERN.

BELOW YOU CAN SEE A NATURAL CIRCULAR FORMATION IN THE STRATA LAYERS FROM THE HONKUCHI NARI FROM WHICH THE NAKAYAMA MINE IS A PART OF. 本口成り

To the left are tomae stones in the asagi catagory tending towards greens. To the right are tomae strata stones that
tend more towards blue to blue-gray, some call these mizu tomae. O-mizu is water.l