Thread: Huge influx of Japanese razors?

Anybody else notice that recently there have been a huge lot of Japanese razors on the bay. They all seem to be in good condition and going for a reasonable price if they are good. I am not to knowledgeable about Japanese brands. Are these brands that are going on the bay any good.

Nothing new. short while back some people here on SRP were talking about Japanese straights. As is always the case, shortly after posting of conversations, said razors started popping up all over the place.

I have had 3 Japanese straights, and they ran the gamut from shaving perfection to warped and weird and not so hot no matter how you honed them. Kind of like every other razor =P

They are generally good razors, but like any razors, there are some defectives. If you get good brands like kikuboshi or cape or anything from nichiri, they are pretty good.

I think they are showing up in droves because nichiri razor company probably had a lot of stock when they decided they were not going to distribute straights, and those razors probably fell into the hands of peddlers, collectors, and such in japan, and when someone decides they're going to sell them, they sell a bunch.

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.
* the stuff that's unmarked and just says silver steel is probably something with less potential high hardness than the specialty steels, or less alloying, but those razors are usually just as good when they are straight
* the razors that were finished by a known cutler are the highest level of finish of any type of razors I've ever seen anywhere, especially when you think about the fact that they are still production razors. To do work to that level of quality is dizzying - by that, I mean the cutler's ability to finish a razor to a high level of very even polish, etc, without buffing off crisp lines on the razor and without having any uneven lines. The very plainest of them that are done to that level are works of art, even though to the average person, they won't look like anything special
* There was a fascination with tungsten steels in japan (and maybe somewhere else). when you see a razor that says best tungsten steel, they are not kidding about tungsten being in it. you'll find them a little harder to sharpen than something that says "silver steel or swedish".

When you're thinking about spending $150 on one, or $200, my money is on them or an NOS german razor over new. The level of finish and the quality of the grind is better. Do they shave better? Not always, but buying razors is really about putting the odds in your favor. Nothing is guaranteed.

The above point about the crisp lines is what struck me first of all about the Japanese razors I've seen. All to often I see production razors that have been aggressively buffed in order to achieve a passable finish.

Originally Posted by mikew

The above point about the crisp lines is what struck me first of all about the Japanese razors I've seen. All to often I see production razors that have been aggressively buffed in order to achieve a passable finish.

Underground and overbuffed. Some of the ebay sellers discuss the weight of the razor, which is useful if you're trying to get a relative sense of how lightly ground they are. Some of the razors I've had (notably a hayashi- I think it was a #80 or #120 - was like a machete - no noise on the strop) were heavy, and some are very finely ground like the nicest double hollow german razors.

It does seem that in general, the japanese razors are a bit harder, and a bit more resistant to stropping and are maybe a bit more picky about getting the edge "just so" because of it. The slightly softer german razors are a bit easier to strop to weeper sharpness.

sounds about right. there recently has been a short splurge of japanese straights recently on the bay. I've managed to pick up a couple myself.
I picked up a Hoshi Tombo 8500 recently.

I pretty much agree with DaveW,
I do not have a Western Style Japanese razor as they have been totally out of sight as far as price.

I have bought quite a few Japanese frame backs and Kamisori. The quality of the edges all was very good to OMG. That said,
Yasuki Steel is a black sand steel made by a large steel company by a traditional method. It is available in four grades and the razors made from it seem to be Rc 60+.
Tamahagane is a ancient black sand steel and is abut as expensive as any steel out there. As the post above says, look for a known smith to buy the best.
Now its down to 86 bucks for 96 grams. about 3 ounces. And that is pretty much unrefined raw material.
Swedish Steel is often remarked on the blades and they do a nice job with it.
The frame backs are really excellent but may eat a soft hone and can corrode quickly.

I enjoy them and as the prices have dropped significantly a purchase of the best is only a click away.

Just my opinions over a couple years. For example, I have one razor new purchased! The others are all used.
~Richard

I've got 7 or 8 Japanese western-style razors so far and there's not a bad one in the lot. They've pretty much always been reasonably priced since I started shaving with straights.

Originally Posted by Geezer

Tamahagane is a ancient black sand steel and is abut as expensive as any steel out there. As the post above says, look for a known smith to buy the best.
Now its down to 86 bucks for 96 grams. about 3 ounces. And that is pretty much unrefined raw material.

Also note that's the leftovers from the main consumers of tamahagane. The NTBHK operates the tataras and controls who gets the material. The quality material gets attributed to registered swordsmiths (based on rankings). The swordsmiths only get a limited amount and legally can't use foreign steel, otherwise the blades go down from "work of art" status to "weapon" status (illegal to produce, sell or own in Japan).

I have bought a few lately and all seem super so far, notably the Diamond Hayashi and Kikuboshi. Really nice razors.
I think there has been an awakening in Japan as to the value and competition has driven prices down.
Good thing! I could never have afforded one a few years ago and now have 4!