Thread: Iwasaki???

To be completely honest, I have thousands and thousands of dollars invested. Almost all the main stream top shelf razor brands are in my collection. The thing I've learned is that we always chase a "better" or "best" but really once you get into the top tier of quality the differences are so minute that only a seasoned pro could tell the differences. My absolute favorite razor is a 9/8+ sc133 steel custom that bruno made for me. It shaves so smooth with so little effort. And it was a fraction of the price of an iwasaki. Just food for thought. Just know that if an iwasaki pops up on ebay I will see it, and if the price is right I will buy it. Ones in the mail now

on eBay the prices of the Tamahagane western Iwasaki are x2 or more what they go for in Japan.
Those guys know what there are buyers here and mark up accordingly.

KsStraightShaver are you buying this razor as a piece of art, never to be used, collectors item or are you buying it to use it?

The swedish ones costs about 300 or so and I think thats not excessive in any way since its handmade and very high quality, and its a one man show and they have to make a living.

but 2 grand???

If you drop this razor on a tile its toast. Also I question the actual difference in performance between the tamahagane and the swedish steel, if the swedish steel selected was a good one to begin with it will be among the purest (and most consistent on the planet from batch to batch). So whats to improve here? These are simple carbon steels. They are not 3:rd gen powder stainless hss.

btw My friend got an almost new SVI open gun for 2k euro. And it has zero MIM nor cast parts! Its a piece of art. And now a similar gun goes for like 5-7k euro... definitely not worth it.

2 grand buys a lot of other nice things.

I have a Tokiwa Iwasaki among my Japanese straights. It shaves fine but not better than the others. Third from the left on the foto.

Originally Posted by prodigy

To be completely honest, I have thousands and thousands of dollars invested. Almost all the main stream top shelf razor brands are in my collection. The thing I've learned is that we always chase a "better" or "best" but really once you get into the top tier of quality the differences are so minute that only a seasoned pro could tell the differences. My absolute favorite razor is a 9/8+ sc133 steel custom that bruno made for me. It shaves so smooth with so little effort. And it was a fraction of the price of an iwasaki. Just food for thought. Just know that if an iwasaki pops up on ebay I will see it, and if the price is right I will buy it. Ones in the mail now

Now your just showing off Prodigy! Lol , but what you say is true, chasing the ever elusive perfect shave can be done for a lot less, I have some customs that cost 3 times what I have in most of my Bruno blades and my favorite shaver that never fails to give a great edge is a Bruno and my sharpest razor that takes an edge as far as you want to go is a 20$ Kinfolks, so never think cost determines Qualty, but if I want something I,ll pay for it, I mean have you priced any of TZ,s Timahagane razors,? So if it's what you want and that's what the price is, go for it. Tc

Usually when you mass produce stuff you have the HT temps nailed down. all are the same, but when its 1 at a time and coal/gas furnace it gets whatever you get imo. personally I would not trust any maker that uses gas or coal furncace because i very well know if your'e 10-20 deg C off its not getting hardened to its full potential. And pretty anyone with access to the tt-table (time-temperature) for that steel will know this. I regard all coal/gas forgers/heat treaters as hacks but thats just me. But I can back this up with real science. so can you.

I'm willing to bet that a uddeholm aeb-l hardened to 60-62hrc blade will be more edgeholding than any "swedish steel"(whatever that may be)/tamahagane jap in the world. But hey wtf do I know. But I have read the good books though.

Originally Posted by jigane

Usually when you mass produce stuff you have the HT temps nailed down. all are the same, but when its 1 at a time and coal/gas furnace it gets whatever you get imo. personally I would not trust any maker that uses gas or coal furncace because i very well know if your'e 10-20 deg C off its not getting hardened to its full potential. And pretty anyone with access to the tt-table (time-temperature) for that steel will know this. I regard all coal/gas forgers/heat treaters as hacks but thats just me. But I can back this up with real science. so can you.

I'm willing to bet that a uddeholm aeb-l hardened to 60-62hrc blade will be more edgeholding than any "swedish steel"(whatever the F that may be)/tamahagane jap in the world. But hey wtf do I know. But I have read the good books though.

I do not see how that post is related to the topic?
But if you care to know, Iwasaki is nationally recognized in Japan for his metal-smith knowledge and abilities.
Their so called Swedish Steel is modified after they get it from the factory to be close to properties to Tamahagane.
Finally @60-62 AEB-L may not hold edge better than Tamahagane @65-67. There are not many AEB-L razors floating around to make a comparison.

Hacks huh? Maybe your making better razors than Iwasaki, I'd say prove it. Tc

The Iawaski with the Swedish steel is rockwell 64 all his razors were Rockwell tested it's printed on the razor case 812.

I think you guys are misunderstanding me I don't plan on Buying the ones on eBay I wouldn't pay that much for this particular type of razor I was just using them as a reference for the kanji they are works of art an made by a master in his craft but that's a lot when I know there are deals out there that can be had. Now if they were a complete custom maybe.

An Tonybee the guncrafters industries are a custom built 1911 they are incredible works of art an they are dual caliber .45acp an .50gi you can get one at about 3k but they go up from there an that's not a bad price considering you can go to any other custom 1911 maker an they start at 2500 an go up from there for a single caliber.