Thread: Iwasaki Japanese Straight Razor

This is the second one this seller has listed. I brought the first last week and it arrived today. Absollutely brand new in the box with all the original wrappings on. It was shave ready too, just a simple strop and used it today


Japanese Straight Razor on eBay (end time 10-Feb-10 21:06:23 GMT)

If you want to see mine as it arrived I have added a picture to my picture gallery.

Nice snag TonyF. Looks like an Iwasaki 1 to me. I got mine from SRD only it was not 135 USD. I have been using it almost exclusively now and find it is a superior shave. Very cool.

they are usually a bit cheaper in us, but of course for uk/eu people there's the advantage of no customs.
nice razors, i'll use mine tomorrow

price too high

I could certainly be wrong, but I'd bet good money it's Mizuochi-san. The handles on the newer ones are a little smoother than older ones I've seen, and that box with the velvet lining looks really new, like the ones with the new razors.

One way or another, it's at a good price now...wonder how long that'll last.

O ic. I thought it ended at that price for a second.

Rentetsu? very interesting if true.

I have two purchased as NOS and they look rather the same.

I can only guess at what the division of labor may (be)have been between these two men, but i reckon it to be a good guess that for a very long time there were no complete razors made by Iwasaki-san or Mizuochi-san.

Of course I really do not know how they worked. I cannot even read this. If either of you gents Jim or OS would please assist I would appreciate it greatly.

I'll give it a try.

Reading right to left, top to bottom:

Iwasaki made

Japanese Razor

Swedish Steel made

Heisei 16 (2004)

Thanks man. I asked for a short note from Iwasaki so it could always be known by who and when the razors were made.
Thank you Jim.

I have read on another forum a rumor that the last "Shigeyoshi" razors
were not as good. Have you ever heard such a thing?

I think it kinda silly; a case of someone wanting their stuff to somehow be better, when for the last 30 years or more the razors were made by 2 people, not one. During which a good day in the shop was a good day.

I think you can find many a traditional smith who believes allowing the finished product to age for many years is advantageous. NOS is a good thing in that regard.

The razor I received was not exactly as the pictures and these are the same as on this auction. The seller has said its the same as the one I just recieved from him, earlier this week, and that was brand new and still in the original two layers of wrapping,. It has an english/german instruction leaflet. The leaflet states "This razor was made in cooperation of the famous blacksmith Shigeyoshi Iwasaki and his student Ryouichi Mizuochi, it is signed at the back of the blade"

If you want to see pics of the actual razor I have two in my gallery. I wanted one of these and broberbly paid over the odds. This did arrive shave ready and was an amazing shave

Originally Posted by kevint

Thanks man. I asked for a short note from Iwasaki so it could always be known by who and when the razors were made.
Thank you Jim.

I have read on another forum a rumor that the last "Shigeyoshi" razors
were not as good. Have you ever heard such a thing?

I think it kinda silly; a case of someone wanting their stuff to somehow be better, when for the last 30 years or more the razors were made by 2 people, not one. During which a good day in the shop was a good day.

I think you can find many a traditional smith who believes allowing the finished product to age for many years is advantageous. NOS is a good thing in that regard.

It was my pleasure, Kevin.

I'd never heard that before...it sounds immensely disrespectful of both Iwasaki-san and Mizuochi-san. The former for implying he'd let anything less than his best work out the door, and the latter for the underlying fear that purchasing the student's work instead of the master's somehow needs "defending".

I'd have given the man a good talking to.