A visit and news…

Hello again Faithful Reader,

I got told yesterday I’d not put anything here for 2 weeks, so I figured I should say something, anything!

So, here goes…

Got a call yesterday evening from Mr. Koyama(ichi) saying he and his wife were coming to town for a bit of sightseeing.

Just happens that Saturdays are my busiest days of the weeks, so I cursed a little, but that happens occasionally, whaddya going to do?

I did manage to catch up with them both, after I finished my ‘day job’ so that was great. I really like talking to Koyama-san(s), and not to mention how much I owe them to where things are with regards to the store right now as well as the people I’ve met and can now call friends.

A few points here, I think we managed to balance the souvenir intake/outflow, but it’s a close call. You see, I have something of a reputation for dragging along vast amounts of the local produce when I go visit someone, and it’s rare that they get to return the favour, so whenever someone visits, they come loaded to the gunwales with gear for us. Never anything interesting to you who read here, but always interesting to two little people with hollow legs. >wink<

I was left with a large box and a small box. These were not souvenirs, these were chisels I need to send out. The small box has a few chisels in it. The large box is eyeball melting. No pics yet, but they’re coming soon enough.

And as always, as soon as I mention ‘toishi’ (sharpening stones) the subject always turns to natural stones.

My standard excuse right now is that sending these natural wonders around the world isn’t feasible just yet. It’s not that I can’t get them, nor that they are a bit of a fool’s folly or that expense, but mostly that I personally don’t have the knowledge to accurate and reliably deal in them.

Case in point. The kezurokai in Miki I recently went to, I watched someone try 20 natural stones in order to buy just one. This was expected and encouraged and why I’m not willing to just hang my shingle and start shilling them.

There’s more to natural stones than ‘good’ or ‘bad’. You introduce variables that can’t be accurately relayed through words or pictures. There’s a feeling that’s unique to every single stone, and to make sure that whoever I send a natural stone to gets the benefit of being able to find one that suits them, I’d have to send one out, let them try it, and if it’s good for them then they can keep it. If it’s no good, I need to get it back and send another, ad the cycle continues ad-nauseum until the stone matches its new owner.

I couldn’t do it any other way, and I applaud those who do in fact sell natural stones, fully intending to never see them come back again.

(Read that as “more faith than I’m willing to offer”.)

However, this may change sooner rather than later. I’ve got two open invitations to be ‘edumacated’ in the ways of natural stones, and to get my skooling from some of the best in the business.

And yes, man made stones will always be available. The nice thing about the common stones is that they’re always the same, warts and all. At least the warts are easy to identify and we can avoid them, exploit them or just plough on through them as the case may be.

News?

I don’t know. I guess the whole ‘natural stone thing’ was the news. Something’s going to happen there whether I like it or not.

Just poking my head up here more than anything. Now to tuck it back down and get back to work…

Stu.