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Well I think many of you who know me know I like Japanese razors and especially NOS ones, well I've always been on the look out for a NOS Iwasaki western style straight well finding a good one is hard enough so you can imagine how difficult it is to find a NOS one, well I've actually found one and it's flying in from Japan in the next week or so I'm so chuffed I cannot believe it, photo's will follow but here's a little taster.
Very nice Jamie. Congratulations on the find! Great way to start the new year.
Happy for you! It's a nice goal!
Congrats! May you have many great shaves from it. I have yet to acquire a Japanese shaver of any type, but it is on my bucket list.
Can't wait to see your photos of this most understated masterpiece of the art.
Congratulations, it's beautiful.
Attachment 223315
Wow.
That is going to be a great shaver. It will look great in SOTD!
Congratulations and thanks for sharing
Congratulations Jamie. The chase is always worth it if the goal is clear!
Looks like a beautiful blade.
Enjoy in good health in 2016!
Mike
:tu
Nice. All I've got to do is hit the Lottery and/or somehow justify to myself that I want it bad enough! :rofl2: I've wanted an Iwasaki Tamahagane just about forever. Don't need one of course. Just want one! Sigh! Green with envy here.
Mike
Congrats on the "Holy Grail". :tu
I have my first bunch of Japanese razors coming. They are sitting in Tokyo right now. I can't wait to try them out. I heard they are well made with Great steel.
Congratulations on finding the razor you've been looking for, but I have to ask with respect, what makes this razor so desirable to you?
Well this razor to me and many other collectors and users these razors represents the pinnacle of Japanese craftsmanship the very highest level of skill and quality as gone into producing these razors, in their own way they are a vintage masterpiece in steel in my opinion without equal, please read the below post taken from Aframes Tokyo.Quote:
Originally Posted by puketui41
IWASAKI RAZOR--- Sanjo Seisakujo was established by Mr. Shigeyoshi Iwasaki and his father, Mr. Kousuke Iwasaki who is a very famous researcher as old Japanese sword revival and sword smith. His life is deeply related with Japanese sword and Tamahagane. His life had started to devote Japanese sword right before graduate college until he passed away. His son who is Mr. Shigeyoshi Iwasaki has also devoted razor and cutlery in entering his life. I visited his house in Sanjo, Niigata in May, and he should be around 80 years old, but he has still enthusiasm talking about cutlery and related things. There were Mr. Mizuochi who makes Iwasaki razor right now, and we had talked story many hours, and we talked about the letter T on the straight razor or and some other letters like 3M or 7M. They remind of some of the abbreviation of the letter means, but some of them, they are not able to remember, and we talked the subject as small talk, so I also forgot what the letters meant. What I remember is some of the letters for hardness of the razors like hard or medium hard or soft. Some of them letters are for whom selling to like barber school students or wholesaler names.
Mr. Iwasaki, Kosuke wanted revival old national treasure level of Japanese sword. He had also researched for Tamahagane which the steel is used for Japanese sword that is the purest steel in the world. He wanted to research old national treasure swords, and concealed documentations, so he went to Tokyo University which is NO.1 University in Japan, and he got bachelor degree with literature and he had learned maser course, but he changed mind to get into the major to metallography. He thought that he needed to learn metal science field to revive over 700 years old Japanese swords (national treasure class of swords). Eventually, he researched national class of treasure swords and concealed documentations in Shosoin where we are not able to see. He spent three years to study math and others, and he passed the exam, and he went to the same Tokyo University which is NO.1 school in Japan with engineering major in metallography. He got bachelor science degree and master degree with metallography too.
He graduated bachelor in history, and bachelor science and master degrees in metallography. His father was famous cutlery distributor in Sanjo, Niigata, but right before he graduated high school, It was bankrupted, so he had been part time high school teacher for so many years until finishing master degrees. He also became an apprentice for Japanese sword blacksmith and Japanese sword whet master. He had had wife and sons during college student time. It might not be rare case in United States to have job and going collage the same time with scholarship, but in that time in Japan, it was very unusual thing without the scholarship. Near the end of WWII, he had tried to make high quality Japanese swords by government support. Then WWII was finished during he struggled to set-up making Japanese sword, he does not need to make Japanese Sword for the war anymore, so he established Sanjo Seisakujo which makes world famous Iwasaki Razor right after WWII. He had kept on researching Japanese sword and steels for blade, and he has influenced a lot to Sanjo steel industry in Nigata, Japan, and he has also influenced to steel industry in Japan a lot. He also had been all over Japan to find the secret of Japanese sword making. He had found or been taught over 50 of secrets.
Iwasaki Tamahagane Western Razor had been made for overcome western razor from Solingen Germany (At the time, Western Razor from Solingen, Germany was world famous in their quality and quantity).
Actually, Sanjo Seisakujo defeated Western Razor made in Solingen, Germany by the quality and performance, however they could not produce their western Tamahagane razor as much as Solingen, Germany.
At that time, Sanjo Seisakujo had Mr. Kousuke Iwasaki, Mr. Shigeyoshi Iwasaki, two of other sons, Mr. Mizuochi (who makes Iwasaki razor right now), and Mr. Tokifusa Iizuka (who makes Shigefusa Knife), the company was like a dream team of cutlery in Japan. I have heard that Tamahagane straight razor need 6 times more amount of Tamahagane than Japanese Tamahagane razor, and it is single piece of the steel made, so it is very hard to make it. They produced 30 pieces of Tamahagane razors in a month at the time (I am not sure how many people had worked there at the time, it should be several people).
Sanjo Seisakujo will not make pure carbon steel or Tamahagane straight Razor, because the machine to make the handle was broken by flood. It is very rare vintage straight razor.
It was sold 3500yen 30 to 40 years ago. It is converted like $700 for now. Pure carbon straight razor was 1700yen. At the same time, Tamahagane Japanese razor was 600yen, so Tamahagane straight razor was almost 6 times more expensive than Tamahagane Japanese razor. The pure carbon steel straight razor was almost 3 times more expensive than Tamahagane Japanese razor. It is for professional barbers, so it was made as professional equipment. I guess it was a very expensive razor for even professional barbers tool at that time.
According to Mr. Kousuke Iwasaki record, one of barber guy had shaved 1707 people of beards without sharpen whetstone using just leather strop when it became little bit dull. Many of other experienced barbers have also shaved over 900 people without sharpening whetstones too.
He mentioned that some people say if we sell that kind of super high quality razors, we are not able to sell lots of razors, and we are not able to make money, but it is bad idea to think that way. If we are able to make the razors that are able to use from the father to the son, and from the son to the grandson, it is able to beat Germany made razors. Nobody else makes that kind of razors, so it is able to sell all over the world. That was what Mr. Kosuke Iwasaki idea.
Mr. Tanifuji, Fukutaro is the one who taught how to make straight razor to Iwasaki. The circle horizontal three lines is Iwasaki logo.
Beautiful razor. For a minute I thought I recognized the Peres barrel on the tang and box.
Great, congrats!
Well done Jamie.
Looking forward to hearing how it shaves.
Thanks for sharing this.
Cheers Paul
Jamie my friend, congrats! Now you need a castle for the museum to store all of those lovely beauties..................unless you already have one.
Nice... gongrats to the find.
Wow - very very nice! enjoy!
Nice score. :)
Very nice score.
Very Japanese :)Quote:
Originally Posted by celticcrusader
Pleased for you Jamie, however, it appears to be er, well, 'plain' compared to your other razors. I suppose the quality surpasses understated appearance. I know that your excellent photography will present it in a very different light.
Oh, and happy New Year to you mate. :)
Thanks Wayne, and you are right it does look plain compared to many Japanese razors all the quality and beauty was resereved for the blade.Quote:
Originally Posted by wayne394
To me the beauty is in the craftsmanship, it doesn't need fancy gold plating, spine work or scales.Quote:
Originally Posted by wayne394
Shigeyoshi Iwasaki is a master razor maker, what makes his razors so special to me is that they are made in the traditional methods and he put his heart and soul into making them.
Lol Jamie, good luck keeping your beard!
Like they all said......
Congrats, what's left to collect next, I guess another one just like it?:)
Mine was not NOS, but it is the best shaving straight I've ever used.
Attachment 223492
You are going to love your NOS specimen's shave above that of any of your other fine straights, I predict.
Something truly magical about the Iwasaki-tuned Swedish carbon steel.
Elven forgers? Angelic blessings? Shinto prayers? Open to speculation, but whatever it is, it works.
Congratulations My Friend!
Well done Jamie! Looks like an awesome blade.
SO, now that you've found the grail, does this mean you're going to have a fire sale on all those "lesser" beauties you've been gathering all these years? ;) Just kidding.
Looking forward to some razor porn. BRING IT!! :)
Congratz on getting your Holy Grail" ..... It's a beauty! It will be a great shaver!
:tu
Congrats on an exceptional razor in amazing condition! I bet you're counting the hours for it to arrive :) When it does, be sure to post some hi-resolution pictures.
I own one of the last Iwasaki Tamahagane Western Razors that Shigeyoshi Iwasaki ever produced (number 1901.6), procured by Harrelson Stanely from Masayoshi Hiraide in Sanjo city. If my house was on fire, it's the only object I'd take with me.
I recently saw pictures of a Iwasaki Tamahagane Western Razor marked 1406.5 that had a picture of a very similar box. I don't know whether the box was original to the razor however. The box was black instead of green and bore the tamahagane stamp. Otherwise they are very similar. The box might be helpful for dating purposes. I have posted 2 pics below. Do you have any idea when yours was made?
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...psekyyu7hf.jpg
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...psyxhozk5s.gif
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...psgrhxzxhz.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dovo1695
I don't have any idea of the age the only thing I have to go on is the seller said it was a old one other than this I haven't got a clue, I would be grateful for any imput.
I remember seeing another box like this! It was on another forum posted by Mainaman, and there was a translation done of the kanji on the scales. Apparently, the box and the razor was made while the founder Mr. Kousuke Iwasaki was still the head of the workshop from swedish carbon steel. I believe that Mr. Kousuke Iwasaki died around 1963, so your razor may indeed be very old. Your box is quite similar but the color of yours is green instead of black. That may be the key to dating yours. Here is link to that post:
Iwasaki western in the house
That particular razor had an inscription on the scales and this was the translation that was done (from the original poster Mainaman):
************************************************** *******************
I was able to find a person to translate the kanji on the scales for me.
The face side says :
"Ueshima tetstu wo motte kore wo tsukuru. Iwasaki Kousuke" -With Ueshima iron this was made. Iwasaki Kousuke
Back side says:
"Zoutei Ueshima Daisuke" - Gift Ueshima Daisuke
Back of tang:
"Ueshima Kaimen Tetsu" -Ueshima Sponge Iron
My translator also said: "Its in super old Japanese (and Japanese writing), so my translation may not be exact, but I asked a few people to make sure"
So the razor was made during the time Kousuke Iwasaki was the head of the business. The other interesting fact is that the steel used for those razors translates as Sponge Iron, I have never heard the term before.
************************************************** *************
Here is a picture of that box for posterity's sake lest the original post from (Mainaman) disappears. I believe it was Mainaman who originally identified my razor, you might want to PM him to see if he has any insight.
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...psjxnfl1lc.jpg
Great find! Congrats on finding your holy grail.
I have not heard of this brand before this thread, but it is sure making me interest in looking for one myself now!
I believe there are a few vid on youtube of tataras being dismanteled and the steel sectioned up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatara_%28furnace%29Quote:
Originally Posted by Dovo1695
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japane...eel_production
Attachment 223922
I think markbignosekelly was saying it didn't have to be fancy looking rather it is the age & quality of the specimen plus the maker was a true artisan much more interested in producing a high quality piece & was proud of his work. I'm sure it will fit in with Jamie's other magnificent pieces. I joke around with him about opening a museum one day & he knows I kid around with him about that. Ever since I first met Jamie he has always been a great guy & I have learned in time that he likes razors of quality & if it has any extra features, its a plus. I envy him & his collection very much!
The razor is still with me, and is never leaving the den, it is extremely smooth shaver.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dovo1695
Here some newer pics of it.
Attachment 223942Attachment 223943
Here is my most prized Iwasaki -western Tamahagane. It shaves like a dream.
Attachment 223944Attachment 223945
I have one more in the stash that needs some more polishing, then etch to show the hamon and new scales.
Stefan, in a blind test so to speak could you tell the difference between the Swedish steel and the Tamahagane?
I have Iwasaki kamisoris in both the Sweadish and Tamahagane and I would not be able to tell the difference in shave quality. The Tamahagane will always have a special place in my heart though.
I do not think one could tell the difference. Iwasaki chose Swedish steel for his razors because it could be modified to become similar in properties to Tamahagane.Quote:
Originally Posted by markbignosekelly
The Tamahagane version should hold edge longer, and will be somewhat tougher to hone other than that they perform very similarly or me.
For me a western Iwasaki in tamahagane is basically the apex of craftsmanship and achievement in metallurgy. A razor hardened to 65-67 HRC that is hollow ground and can still flex, is something else. Add to that no chipping when honing, and you got a razor that basically can't be beat. IMHO those factors/characteristics make those razors so sought after by collectors.
