Thread: Iwasaki???

There's a tamahagane one that just listed. It's in very nice condition and considerably cheaper than all the others currently listed. I want it, but need to cut back on my buying.

Japanese Straight Razor Iwasaki Tamahagane Shave Ready | eBay

Originally Posted by prodigy

There's a tamahagane one that just listed. It's in very nice condition and considerably cheaper than all the others currently listed. I want it, but need to cut back on my buying.

Japanese Straight Razor Iwasaki Tamahagane Shave Ready | eBay

That didn't last long!

No not at that price it won't. If it's the real deal. Tc

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

No not at that price it won't. If it's the real deal. Tc

All stamps are authentic, but tI think that is a 5/8 blade, or at least the pics make it looks smaller.
Any way someone got a great shaver, and a true masterpiece of steelworking

I agree ., I,m nit doubting authenticity. Just covering my as, cause I don't have the experience to know the different marks, if I wanted one that would have come home for that price. Tc

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

I agree ., I,m nit doubting authenticity. Just covering my as, cause I don't have the experience to know the different marks, if I wanted one that would have come home for that price. Tc

The front side always is stamped with the Iwasaki stamp, the back states that it is made from tamahagane, and the batch number and which razor in the batch. They were made in batches of 10, so this one is razor #4 from batch 1398

Originally Posted by mainaman

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.

I geuss what i wa trying to say that from a "use" perspective these razors might be over-rated, from an "art" perspective anything goes obviously.

I know very well iwaskis reputation and i got an iwasaki myself (beased solely on that reputation), "swedish steel", and so far i find it "chippy". It chipped somewhere between entering my leather/microfiber sheath and exiting it. I was expecting quite a bit more to be honest. But I am not surprised though, or even disappointed. i still like the razor, and its very well executed.

i knew it was handmade, and i pretty much expected to either get a really good one or maybe a not so good one (according to my preferences).

What I was trying to say was that when coal/gas hardening its very easy to over or undershoot the HT. and then the steel is suboptimal. No matter how good the maker is.

I have several other handmade japanese kitchen knives. And they are pretty much all gas forged and gas HT'd and a few show brittle behaviour, too brittle for that steel at that claimed hardness. And then I have a few with "lesser regarded steel" but mass produced, and they are not brittle.

All this is of course just IMO since ones acceptable limit of brittleness/toughness is personal. But my observation is that the handmade/boutique jap stuff is more brittle than the mass produced jap stuff.

And therefore i personally don't regard them as "good" as maybe the rest of you do.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

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

I dont think there is a better or worse, just different. And yes i will make a different razor when I get my kanthal oven. I prioritize toughness over hardness. There is no magical steel but some are better for me at least than others. And i will make my razors out of those steels. There will be no short cuts regarding the HT procedure, I can tell you that. Because this is the most important part.

Originally Posted by jigane

I geuss what i wa trying to say that from a "use" perspective these razors might be over-rated, from an "art" perspective anything goes obviously.

I know very well iwaskis reputation and i got an iwasaki myself (beased solely on that reputation), "swedish steel", and so far i find it "chippy". It chipped somewhere between entering my leather/microfiber sheath and exiting it. I was expecting quite a bit more to be honest. But I am not surprised though, or even disappointed. i still like the razor, and its very well executed.

i knew it was handmade, and i pretty much expected to either get a really good one or maybe a not so good one (according to my preferences).

What I was trying to say was that when coal/gas hardening its very easy to over or undershoot the HT. and then the steel is suboptimal. No matter how good the maker is.

I have several other handmade japanese kitchen knives. And they are pretty much all gas forged and gas HT'd and a few show brittle behaviour, too brittle for that steel at that claimed hardness. And then I have a few with "lesser regarded steel" but mass produced, and they are not brittle.

All this is of course just IMO since ones acceptable limit of brittleness/toughness is personal. But my observation is that the handmade/boutique jap stuff is more brittle than the mass produced jap stuff.

And therefore i personally don't regard them as "good" as maybe the rest of you do.

I have had several Swedish steel Western Iwasaki and several Tamahagane ones, and they have been great. Now the reason for the chippiness of yours may be the steel but also could be stones. In any case @ 65-67 HRC Iwasaki will produce longer lasting edge than AEB-L @ 60-62

Question, what does the 50 means? I found a stamp with a 50 in it.