Large Iyo Meito with a medium hard composition cutting a little coarser than other harder sakura that leave a low mirror finish, this stone leaves a bright hazy finish when used with just water and with a bit of slurry generated by a diamond stone or a medium coarse Iyo tomo nagura a cloudy finish with lots of contrast between hagane and jigane. 

A big thick stone here, there are a few small cracks at the pointed end that might crack off one day and form a tomo nagura. They seem stable now, but worth mentioning. This would be a great pre-polisher for finer finish stones (even synthetic) for a contrasty finish or as a toothy finisher at approximately 3k 

Miwotsukushi Hime mine Iyo Meito from in the Ehime prefecture on Shikoku island, Iyo stones have been quarried for 1300 years and may well be the oldest stones used for sharpening on record in Japan. Volcanic Iyo stones are typically harder than most Japanese sedimentary stones (Iyo stones are fused volcanic ash) and range in coarseness from approximately 1000 to 4000+ grit. We mostly stock harder, finer Iyo Meitos.