Thread: Good Japanese razors?

I would like to get a Japanese-made straight razor, not the kamisori type. I heard that King Pelican's are good ones. Other than that I have no idea what kind of quality names for which to look. Some recommendations would be great, thanks.

I'm afraid I cannot help, but it's an excellent question and I've subscribed to this thread.

Now, to be honest.... I need another razor like I need a hole in the head....... Hmmm... it would appear that I need more holes in my head!


Regards

Kaptain "Nooo.... not ANOTHER rabbit hole?!?!" Zero

Try this http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...straights.html

Iwasaki,
Tanifuji,
Diamond Hayashi,
Eiko,
Hoshi tombo.
These are some of the more popular ones, but any Japanese razor is nore than likely going to be great.

Originally Posted by benjamin2515101

I would like to get a Japanese-made straight razor, not the kamisori type. I heard that King Pelican's are good ones. Other than that I have no idea what kind of quality names for which to look. Some recommendations would be great, thanks.

Any of them

I have a Towa and a Gold Rex 1072. Both excellent razors. I suspect that most of the razors of Japanese manufacture will if in good shape be GTG.
When I think of that countries (Japan) general belief that no matter what your job. That striving for perfection is the best way to honor yourself and your ancestors. You can imagine the effort and pride in producing a razor/sword/knife that meets that high standard. And that they would not let a dud through to be sold and dishonor themselves.
Become an educated consumer. Don't just zero in on what myself or others say they have and like. That's what I try to do. The Rex was NOS and caught my eye. It is my #2 favorite razor. The General Towa is #3. They are not leaving my humble collection. Ken.

Remember that every decision you make when choosing a razor needs to be made when looking at Japanese razors - do you like round points or square points, do you like hollow grinds or quarter grinds or half hollows, do you like framebacks?

Once you have identified this then look at those characteristics in the Japanese ranges. In general, though not exclusively, the long tailed western grind versions (eiko, hoshi tombo etc) tend to be heavier grinds.

As usual, buy shave ready from a recognised seller or calculate into costs for sending out for honing

Swedish Steel Parker (510) too!
Although a Tanifuji really is top notch.

There seems to be a heck of a lot of Japanese razors for sale on ebay lately. Have a good look at the photos before bidding, many have heavy hone wear. There are some gems out there if you take your time.

Anything made with Yasuki steel takes a great edge IMHO. Well worth looking out for because you can find Yasuki steel used on razors without expensive brand names.

I have a Hayashi Diamond 6/8" which is a joy to shave with, however, I would get the input from both Celticcrusader & Evnpar. They both have superb collections of Japanese straights, including Kamisori's and should be able to give your more informed feedback as to the brands to look at, which to avoid etc etc.