Thread: Shaving with a spoon

Murray has the CV. He's a legitimate fellow who was trained in Japan and passed his apprenticeship there. That makes him one of a very few non Japanese to do so. He must have got wind of the interest in Japanese style straight razors and made this video just to get some attention from likely buyers.

You have to admit, it does get attention. I found it fascinating that he flipped his razor to shave both ways. I can't see enough in the video to identify if it's a western grind or asymmetrically Japanese.

I guess I'll have to watch the thing to the end in order to see him get to a razor part.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I guess I'll have to watch the thing to the end in order to see him get to a razor part.

That was a surprise to me too, I thought he is doing his usual "I am better than anybody" thing but then he pulled out a razor...

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

Murray has the CV. He's a legitimate fellow who was trained in Japan and passed his apprenticeship there. That makes him one of a very few non Japanese to do so. He must have got wind of the interest in Japanese style straight razors and made this video just to get some attention from likely buyers.

You have to admit, it does get attention. I found it fascinating that he flipped his razor to shave both ways. I can't see enough in the video to identify if it's a western grind or asymmetrically Japanese.

Mike,

I've met with Nobel prize winners who didn't feel the need to crow about great they are.

But I digress.

Your comment piqued my interest, so I checked the Kamisori out.

He said it's an asymmetrical design (he used the Japanese "Kataha") and he said "It's steel on the back and mild steel on the front." In addition, he also said "it's a beautiful razor and you can see the evidence of the hammering on it" and I thought "Thanks for telling me and not showing me."

I watched the vid. I didn't find it offensive or irritating. If he was a hack, it would be one thing, but as Mike said, he's got the cred and actively produces work. His sense of humor doesn't amuse me, but unfortunately my stoic nature seems to inhibit me from being amused willy-nilly.

Chris L

Early in my straight razor career, I shaved with a couple home honed razors that felt as if I was shaving with a spoon (that is the Corn Flakes kind.) I dunno, I guess to each his own but I'm not sure why anyone would want to shave with a spoon (other than the aforementioned commercial/marketing stunt.)

Originally Posted by JimR

I've met with Nobel prize winners who didn't feel the need to crow about great they are....

...I thought "Thanks for telling me and not showing me."

+1 Great minds think alike. I can tolerate an arrogance that's earned far better than the kind that is un-earned. Mastery of a craft/domain is entirely different than mastery of the self. Ah well, people have to pay the rent somehow.

Like anybody who's in business he's in in it for a profit... or he's out of business.
He's marketing himself thru youtube by doing unusual & clever things with steel.
Whether he rubs people the wrong way or not, gotta admit making shaving spoons out of Hitachi white steel is novel.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Like anybody who's in business he's in in it for a profit... or he's out of business.
He's marketing himself thru youtube by doing unusual & clever things with steel.
Whether he rubs people the wrong way or not, gotta admit making shaving spoons out of Hitachi white steel is novel.

I wonder which of the previous 16 Yoshimoto bladesmiths invented the "shaving spoon" technique. He's doing real honor to his master and predecessors by preserving the tradition, I reckon...I'm sure his teacher is proud of the circus sideshow his student has created.

But yeah, I guess he's paying the bills or whatever.

I have little interest in sideshows, so for me "there is no spoon".

I'm also convinced "the cake is a lie" but my waistline disagrees with me.