Amakusa Torato Red Natural Medium Stone ~800 grit Nakato ~2000 Grams

Amakusa Torato (tiger stone) Red stone from Kyushu.

Amakusa Red are analogous to 800 grit but cannot be graded in the same way synthetic stones can be, they are coarser and slightly less homogenous than the white Amakusa which are approximately 1200 grit. These are great for quickly working up an edge on carbon steel and agreeable stainless steel knives (some very wear resistant steels can be slower to sharpen on these). Some knives are better served by synthetic medium stones which can be more predictable on wear resistant steels but these are fun to work with and these are great for keeping you stationary in strong winds. 

Amakusa volcanic tuff stones were formed from pyroclastic flows of molten ash and can come in different coarsenesses depending on the geology, they are not sedimentary stones like most tennen toishi and are quite durable and do fine with long soak times. To get a slightly more aggressive cut from this stone use a stone flattnener to raise a little slurry and keep the slurry wet during sharpening. 

Stones vary slightly in size but are roughly 2000 grams and 220x60x60mm