Thread: A Package from Japan Pt 2

Where can you by the Iwasaki razors? I was looking for them ans was not sure what the best place would be. What about the Iwasaki Tamahagane does anyone know anything about it and who carries it?

If you go to http://dick.biz/ and click the little english flag in the bottom right hand corner it switches to english. Then click on "Knives" at the top. The click "Straight Razors" from the menu on the left. Second item from the top is the Iwasaki (approx $318.00 US)

Other than that or getting one from a member, you'll most likely have to use a proxy service.

Don't know where to get a Tamahagane Iwasaki...http://www.babashoten.com/ had Iwasaki's made of ball-steel (had as in they are now sold out)

99% of Iwasaki's you will find are Swedish steel

If you managed to find such a razor, the cost would be astronomically expensive. (think Maestro or RW custom kind of expensive)

When these things first came into the spotlight, I believe it was Joel who said that if you have one in Swedish steel, you have little reason to have one in anything else

Originally Posted by edk442

When these things first came into the spotlight, I believe it was Joel who said that if you have one in Swedish steel, you have little reason to have one in anything else

I am not sure one can take someone else's opinion about things like this. It may or may not hold true for you. For example, Joel said the B&B finest is dense and has backbone - which was definitely not the case for me...

If you really want Tamahagane - it would probably be very very hard to find one. But - in my experience - you'll always wonder what you're missing until you do. If you do - who knows if you'll be as satisfied as you think...

Best of luck
Ivo

found the reference...it was one page back

"I've got one in Tamahagane steel (top of the line) and it shaves better..... but not a whole lot.... and it is a WHOLE lot more expensive. If you've got one in swedish, you have little reason to stray elsewhere."

As far as taking his opinion, I think we pretty much have to. Don't know about anyone else, but I just don't have to money/connections to validify his claim, and really, a great shave is a great shave is a great shave.

I have absolutely no idea where/how he got it or how much it would cost (i almost wonder if there was an error in translation as that is the only reference i have EVER seen to a razor made of tamahagane...)

as i understand it, it'd be kind of a rarity to find a razor made from it as razors fall pretty low in the hierachy or blades worthy of the steel

When I got mine through Babashoken they were selling the ball steel models for about $350.00 as I recall less shipping and all that but they were already sold out of them. I have the Swedish Steel model and it gives the best shave of any razor I have bar none. I would think a ball steel razor would be quite difficult to hone.

regarding the posting with the link for the Japanese stones...Asian languages are not my forte....is there an English site with purchasing info?

Greg

К сожеланию, по-японский не умею!

Greg

Originally Posted by WireBeard

regarding the posting with the link for the Japanese stones...Asian languages are not my forte....is there an English site with purchasing info?

Greg

К сожеланию, по-японский не умею!

Greg

I am not quite sure which link your are refering to. Perhaps the Babashoten website? (but i don't know if they have japanese stones) In that case, there is no English version of the site (This applies to make of the foreign sites). With a lot of the Japanese sites, they don't sell internatonally, so you'll have to make use of a middleman (proxy service) to make purchases.

If you are looking for japanese stones I strongly recommend looking at http://www.japan-tool.com/ and contact the owner, So Yamashita. He is quite fluent in english eliminating the language barrier and can help you find what you are looking for (or make recommendations for what you should be looking for) Heck, if you ask him, he'll sometimes put a stone you are interested in up on eBay so that you can get it cheaper. You could probably just haggle with him a little bit too to get a firm price instead

Originally Posted by Lancer

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl...tion/n55400900

This is the link I was referring to, in response to JohnnyD's request.