Thread: The Kawaguchi Collection

Ladies and Gentlemen...I don't mean to shill for my blog, but the story behind these razors is long and important, so if you're interested as to why I suddenly have this amazing collection please go read the story.

Right now, I will just say that I was given everything here by my barber today.

Given.

For free.

I very nearly cried, and I'm not ashamed to say it.

The rest. And yes, the stone is apparently a Nakayama Honyama Nihonkamisori stone.

Hey, that is great Jim! What a nice fellow your barber is. I can't wait to hear how the hone works for you. BTW,in your blog you refer to your barber as old. Understandable from your perspective. Now that I am there I can say that if you get to be 60 like your barber you'll find that although it is 'old' you won't necessarily feel old. At least not if you take care of yourself up until then. Exercise and nutrition are the fountain of youth.

Outstanding!

WooHoo...

Jim rules!

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Ooh you lucky so and so, thats a western style Iwasaki razor you have there. Them is as rare as hens teeth.

EDIT: Forgot to add, I am very jealous of that. This is the first time I get jealous of someone and a razor.

Thanks mate...Jealous, eh? Well the shoe is finally on the other foot!
I was thinking it might be...I vaguely remember seeing mention of them, but that they were pretty rare.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Hey, that is great Jim! What a nice fellow your barber is. I can't wait to hear how the hone works for you. BTW,in your blog you refer to your barber as old. Understandable from your perspective. Now that I am there I can say that if you get to be 60 like your barber you'll find that although it is 'old' you won't necessarily feel old. At least not if you take care of yourself up until then. Exercise and nutrition are the fountain of youth.

Thanks Jimmy, and you're right. You said it much more gently than my mother would have, as well! She's roughly the same age, is quick to remind me that she will NEVER be old.

Originally Posted by Maximilian

WooHoo...

Jim rules!

Thanks Max, but I would say my barber rules!

While you're here...any advice on removing that discoloration at the tips of the blades? It's apparently caused by excessive hand contact (that's what he said, and I believe him--when I look VERY closely, I can see occasional fingerprints.)

I do NOT want to sand these blades. I'm going to try to take the rusting off the tangs/hinges with sanding and polishing, but the blades just get cleaned and honed.

Originally Posted by JimR

I very nearly cried, and I'm not ashamed to say it.

I am crying for you Jim!

Very nice Jim... glad you got hooked up, you are a good guy.

Wonderful story, thanks for sharing

Originally Posted by JimR's barber

"Listen," he said, "if I keep them, they'll just go back in that drawer. I haven't used them in ten, fifteen years. Take it." So I start looking and of course, they're in really nice condition. Well used, and a bit aged, but certainly worth a good bit. He was helping me, saying "This one's good...Oh, and this one..." and finally he said "Take them all. I want them to be out in the light, I want them to go to someone who'll enjoy them." He got out the Japanese straights and said "What about these? Do you have one?" I said yes, and he said "Well, take one...they're good!" I took the smallest, oldest one, feeling so greedy and terrible..."Here, take these too. As long as you use them!"

That sounds like a barber who knows and cherishes his tools and likes them to be used and in good hands, and knows and cherishes his customer too, and likes and trusts him to use his tools.

What a very nice story! Congrats on the gift, and compliments on your relation with your barber too!