Thread: Nazi Japanese 6/8 Straight

This has no doubt been on this forum before but this is an unusual razor, in that it sports a Swastika and Storm Trooper Helmet yet is from Japan.

It's a nice razor at 6/8 half hollow and made from Best Tamako Steel!

It must have been fashionable in the 30's & 40's I guess.



Does anyone know the history of this one?

Seasons Greetings

Steve

Wow - if that's real, that's really interesting.

I would say that the swastika has nothing to do with word "Nazi". It's basically a normal swastika. Nazi regime has the swastika turned a little bit. But it's still very interesting..

Originally Posted by victorander

I would say that the swastika has nothing to do with word "Nazi". It's basically a normal swastika. Nazi regime has the swastika turned a little bit. But it's still very interesting..

And the helmet?

Originally Posted by Fizog

And the helmet?

Hard to tell.. But if it would be intended to have something to do with the Nazi regime, the Swastika should not look like that. The angle at the end of the helmet doesn't make any sense either. Well.. At least to me.

Ah, but it's Japanese not German, nor American. ;-)

Originally Posted by Fizog

Ah, but it's Japanese not German, nor American. ;-)

There are different kind of speculations if you search for japanese swastiska on google. The general meaning is that it stands for the sun and fortune. The mark can be found on some japanese weapons too. Like swords and so on.

Well in WWII, needless to say, Japan and the Third Reich were allies. Whether that razor would have come out of that period I don't pretend to know. Seems unlikely because of the English in the reverse tang stamping. A handsome piece but I wouldn't own anything with a swastika on it. YMMV.

Received this reply on another forum, which sounds very plausible.

"That may not necessarily be a Nazi-inspired razor.

The helmet shape looks more like a stylized Samuari helmet (Kabuto) to me (although there are design similarities with both).

The swastika symbol is known in Japan as a Manji and has been associated with Japanese Buddhism (as a positive symbol of good luck) in both standard and reversed forms for hundreds of years.

It doesn't follow that any razor imbued with this symbol may have been made with the intention of it being a piece of Nazi propaganda. Indeed there is a picture of a Coca-Cola advert dating from the 1920's contained in this link (along with a brief discussion of the use of the Manji in Japan): The Swastika in Japan

It may not, therefore, be as sinister a razor as it appears to be at first glance."

i couldnt tell you any info but it is a good looking razor ..