Thread: Honyama Awase Toishi

Very interesting thread and full of great information. I fell in love with Japanese culture at an early age. When I first got to college I made a point of taking a Japanese civilization class to learn more about the culture. I will be taking a several semesters of Japanese as soon as I have finished my degree program. Someday I hope to visit the beautiful country. I still have much to learn about the culture, but this thread has taught me much about Japan and also steel in general.

I am curious Mike, what is your occupation? You seem very well informed on all matters concerning steel. Not a challenge to your authority on the matter, just curious how came to be so well informed.

Matt

Just because something is more expensive doesn't always translate to better performance and even if it is better the price to performance ratio is not constant. You can buy an Eboy special razor and clean, hone and strop it up for a price of about $40 and get the best shave of your life. Or you can hire the big kahuna to custom make a razor with custom scales studded with precious gems and it won't shave any better and you could be out thousands.

People have been honing razors and other sharp objects with some pretty poor resources with outstanding results for many years. I don't think the mark of a master honer is his ability to sharpen a knife with a hone worth megabucks. I think the mark of a master honer is his ability to do the same with an average quality or lower hone.

I truly believe that if you are a hone collector then you should buy a Japanese Stone but if not and all you want is a good hone to sharpen your razors I think you are spending alot of money for what? Its like the guys who spend megabucks for razors because of a name or special scales and don't give a hoot about shaving. Its just a collectable. Just my 2 cents. Its like on some of the watch forums where some new watch comes out and everybody just has to run out and buy it and later on you see these things slowly sell off in the trading forums. Resist the fever gentlemen!

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Its like the guys who spend megabucks for razors because of a name or special scales and don't give a hoot about shaving.!

The guy where a buy my malt whisky told me that he knows collectors
(husband and wife) who have a stash that would make any connaiseur drool.
They have no qualms about dropping 25K$ for 4 old bottles of rare whisky.

Yet they don't even like it. In fact they think the stuff tastes horrible. They just collect it.

Personally I think that you should use the things you love if you know how to appreciate them. I have several bottles of rare whisky, most of them are open. MY wife likes it too. It is about the only thing apart from necessities that we spend money on.

If I'd have a rare vintage blade, I'd be using it, not saving it.
If I'd have something rare that I wouldn't appreciate myself, I'd find someone who would appreciate it but could not normally afford it and sell it cheaply (if I didn't NEED the money at that time, of course)

OK back on topic now. Apart from appreciation, the 'results require money' is not necessarily true. If you only care for measurable results, you'd better buy a 6 $ wapienica instead of a 600$ mastro.

Originally Posted by Bruno

The guy where a buy my malt whisky told me that he knows collectors
(husband and wife) who have a stash that would make any connaiseur drool.
They have no qualms about dropping 25K$ for 4 old bottles of rare whisky.

Yet they don't even like it. In fact they think the stuff tastes horrible. They just collect it.

Personally I think that you should use the things you love if you know how to appreciate them. I have several bottles of rare whisky, most of them are open. MY wife likes it too. It is about the only thing apart from necessities that we spend money on.

Don't speak about malt. Years ago when a lot of stills closed much of the whisky was sold off in plain bottles and coming from close to where it was made I bought quite a bit. I drunk it all of course (who ever heard of a Scot keeping whisky). I wonder how much it would be worth now.

As to the stones if you can afford to spend the money and you really want to try some out... Unless they are very old and rare because I feel it might then be a shame to deny future generations the chance to see them. I also think Mike and Bruno are right in that it would take many years of experience to be able to use these stones well. You would probably need a number of different ones as well as the Japanese have a bewildering array of waterstone types.

No challenge heard. I pay the rent by working as a physician. But I also have good friends who have no college degrees, but are as knowledgeable or moreso.

I've studied the Japanese sword for about thirty years and when I began to feel the effects of all that exercise, I moved into the world of the smith 24 years ago. Specifically to make Japanese style swords. Along the way, I've been fortunate to show my work to fellow craftsmen from the US, Japan, and northern Europe and found a warm welcome and access to knowledge that I would not have had otherwise.

Because tamahagane is not available to anyone outside the world of licensed nihonto tosho, I had to learn how to make my own. I use methods that are historical and successful. My efforts have received some small respect there as well. The metallurgy is an extension of inorganic chemistry which I really didn't care for the first time around, but now it's paying off a little.

I was psychologically abused with golf at a formative age. I had to have something to keep the juices flowing and a little white ball just don't cut it. Frankly, I don't really know much about razors except getting my own sharp enough to shave with. I pay attention here so that I know the difference between a Double Duck and a Dovo but I am not an expert about razors by any means. You guys are teaching me a lot about razors and accoutrements. Steel, I know a little about. I am happy to be able to clarify things from my perspective when it's helpful.

Mike,

Do you have pictures of the swords you've made? I'd love to see them. I trained with a guy in PA who made Japanese style swords in his own forge (along with knives, etc) and am simply amazed at the whole process.

If this picture attaches, this is one of the latest. It's all modern alloy pattern welded stuff, but intended to match traditonal (0.66%) carbon contents and appearance. A good friend of mine is mounting this one. I'll see what else is postable.

Thanks, Mike. That's beautiful work!!

Thanks, but I'm pulling out of this thread. It started about hones and we can talk steel somewhere else. Without rocks, that sword wouldn't look the way it does.

I wasn't intending to continue a conversation about steel, and you could have sent a picture to me off thread. Between the malt whiskeys and collectibles conversation, I didn't presume we were hijacking anything. My mistake.

I'm out too.