Thread: Huge influx of Japanese razors?

Originally Posted by DaveW

I will say a few things from experience:
* some of the specialty steel razors are hit and miss. when they're fantastic, they're really fantstic (the scholler bleckmann "phoenix" steel comes to mind), when they're not, they're just very hard and they almost get like you want them to be.

So Dave. While on the subject, can you tell us anything about that steel?

Whose razor is that? I don't think that's my picture, but I have an identical razor to it. It's sort of a light razor, so I can't tell if that makes mine feel a little less than extra keen, but mine is very fickle about strop pressure (it's probably too hard). However, a light touch with it on the strop and on the hone, and it has a very smooth comfortable edge. I expected biting keen, but it's not that kind of edge.

But then I have two other razors, one of them is labeled "Nelson" phoenix steel, and it's also lightly ground, and it's super keen, and a third "harthy" that is the same special process steel (also labeled phoenix) and it's between the two.

I like the kikuboshi razor, though, despite trying to get it totally figured out. The rubber grip is super cool, and it could be that one other than mine might have the biting keenness. The boxes they come in are really nice, too.

Anyway, I don't know if my difference between the razors is because of their different grinds, or if they are tempered differently. I like them all.

It is my razor, Dave. Have not tried it yet, but apparently it must be some sort of stainless alloy.
S&B do some really specialized stuff for the oilfield and industry.
Found this sort of thing: Distributing Seamless Duplex, Super Duplex & Hollow Bar

I wonder when it was made. They may have an engineered products division that will make a few tons of something special order, and then it could be pretty much anything.

it's funny the fascination with blade steels that goes on there. Tamahagane was highly regarded because the input was so low quality and full of impurities, and if you were on the receiving end of the best, it was the only way to get clean steels there. Then there was an influx of english steels in the tool market there (Andrews company) that is still highly regarded today, and there is still some being used (Togo Reigo is what the most highly regarded is) in very high dollar planes.

But they also are fascinated with the purest of carbon steels and blade steels (which are just modern incantations of tamahagane, but with a higher carbon content). It's an interesting combination with the high tungsten steels and then flip over to the other side and you get stuff like Assab k120 swedish and white steel #1 (i'm not aware of razors made of white #1,though).

Given the way my kikuboshi razor behaves, I would assume that it's alloyed, though, but not stainless as I have a nelson razor that's got a line of pits on it even though it was NOS. I'd love to see what the composition is, though. I've never seen anything about it.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

So Dave. While on the subject, can you tell us anything about that steel?

Sharptonn, what you have is (I think...) one of the aforementioned Bleckmann Phoenix steel razors. I have a Corvette 1965 in Phoenix steel and it's a heck of a razor. Mildly interesting info here:

PHOENIX - Reviews & Brand Information - SCHOELLER-BLECKMANN STAHLWERKE, A.G. VIENNA , - Serial Number: 71275299

Your Kikuboshi is an excellent razor.

I tried a flurry of them a around 6 months ago. All VERY nice. As usual, I wanted to scratch that itch and then they all went to good homes. Everyone should give 1 or 6 or 12 a go perhaps and judge form yourself.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

So Dave. While on the subject, can you tell us anything about that steel?

Sharptonn it seems like you and I both have the same taste in razors.

First we bought the same model Rosette and Hayashi(seems like it wasn't cel rot) razors and now we've bought twin Kikuboshis.
I've been eyeing the one that was listed this Sunday and decided that I was going to buy it if no one else had gotten it before the listing ended but now that I saw that you got one it pushed me over the edge and I pulled the trigger.

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Just a thing that I've been keeping quiet about because I didn't want to alert any rival buyers to its existence. Anyone else feel like the Kikuboshi Special and this Hayashi
(not my pic)
are eerily similar to a certain German made "1938 razor" that was made by a company named after a certain type of big cat?

I also have noticed this influx of Japanese razors on the bay. Japan has an aging population, lots of barbers retiring, and now more ebay sellers from the land of the rising sun selling straight razors.

The japanese are masters of manufacture,perhaps they are making new razors that are passed off as being old manufacture,Just a thought

I don't think so, but some of these were made up through the 80's. It seems Japanese barbers stayed with traditional straights much, much longer than they did here in the U.S.