Thread: Japanese style razor

I have a new Tosuke Japanese style razor and I wanted to send it in to get honed but I realized that it has a single-sided edge and is ground on one side only. This would obviously alter the whole shaving process. I think this would also alter the stropping process since there really isn't much of a spine to rest against the strop. I would really like to shave with this thing but I have so many questions. Any help and/or insight would be greatly appreciated.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=12239

It should get you started. I only have unused Iwasaki razor, haven't got Tosuke yet. Hence, no hands-on experience. I understand, however, that Japanese razors can be used with concave and convex sides against the face, although our in-house expert thebigspendur uses one side only. My bit of advice is to go slowly (wise thing to do with any straight razor anyway). Good luck and please let us know how it goes.

Dariusz

I'm no expert. I'm just learning like everyone else. yes you can shave with both sides of the razor but it is designed to be used with the concave side against the skin. I found its less comfortable using the convex side but of course the difference in comfort levels is made up by the fact that you don't need to learn to shave all over again with these razors especially if you shave with the concave side. My advice also is go very slowly until you master the moves required. When I started I finished my shaves with a normal straight until I got better.

The recommended honing routine for a Japanese straight is using a 12K hone place the razor concave side down on the hone and place the off hand on the razor either the middle or toe end (its such a short razor it doesn't matter) and use moderate pressure and go back and forth on the hone holding the razor straight for 3 strokes. Turn the razor over and do 2 strokes the same way. Just maintain that ratio until its good to go. I found with the Tosuke it honed up real good that way. The iwasaki was another story. I got it to a point where it shaved reasonably well but I wound up using a diamond pasted strop with .50 and .25 amplex and that seemed to do the trick. It gives fantastic shaves now.

It would be the same as working a single edge kitchen knife (traditional japanese knife). Hone the bevel flat to the stone, fip it over and again flat on the stone. The bevel is already set so it is actually easier once you get used to it.

I'm re-profiling a Yanagi-bocho at the moment, due to tip damage, and find it rather nice compared to western edges.

thanx for all the info. I'm pretty new and have no honing experience so I think I'm going to send it in to get honed so I just have to worry about stropping and shaving with it. I don't trust myself honing it yet. once it loses some of its edge I'll give it the whole 4k/8k treatment. I should be able to strop it on a normal paddle strop right?

I would think so, I know many kitchen knife nuts that do that with their slicers Although many use the leather on a ridged surface. I would imagin that razor would be the same. It looks thicker than some of my knives.

Yes stropping is no different than any other razor. It just dresses the edge so you don't have to worry about the stroke ratio like when honing. When I used the diamond pasted strop on my Iwasaki I maintained the ratio in that case.

You really should try and hone it yourself. It really is not difficult. If you have a 2 inch hone the razor will fit on it and you don't have to worry about x strokes and using no pressure and all that stuff. Its just straight back and forth with pressure. Its really hard to mess up. If you don't have a 12K an 8K will work also just check it more often and use a little less pressure as you stroke it.

Saladbar-
I'm new to this whole straight razor shaving thing, but I have painted a few houses in my day. You, my friend, have just bought a putty knife.

Kidding.

Where can one buy one of these japanese razors? My RAD is acting up again.
Ernest

be patient...i may know someone who will be selling one in the near future