Thread: A buyers guide to Kamisoris

I was looking into buying a Kamisori and I was hoping for some tips on what to look for. I'm not so much worried about makers but more about things such as hone wear and condition. Also what are some of the things that you look for in a Kamisori (blade with, angel, handle). Any information would be much appreciated.

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They usually come in 45 , 50 & less often, 60mm lengths.
Handle wrap or no is up to you. I like the bare metal.

They can usually shave ok even with a lot of hone wear if you know how to restore them but a lot of the ones on eBay only have one restore, if that, left in them.

If you don't have the know how, you can only go on price & honesty of the seller. It's rare to find a bargain kamisori on eBay.

I too have been window shopping for a Kamisori. As with so many other razors out there, there are a lot of them marked NOS that clearly are not. There are quite a few sellers that need to realize that NOS does not stand for nice old shaver. I was hoping for some finer details too. A lot of them seems to be honed crooked too.

I'm afraid I'm not much help, but I'll be watching this thread in hopes of learning more. I do know that they come in right or left handed versions.

Same thing you look for on every other razor

BUT

On a Kamisori it is actually harder to correct the issues that might have been left from the old honer
Some of the stuff that I have seen newbs post "Proudly" I just *SMH* and think what a waste of money

Honestly buy a new one for your first one, and even then they are rarely Shave Ready from e-bay, but at least they have the steel there to be able to correct them..

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Honestly buy a new one for your first one, and even then they are rarely Shave Ready from e-bay, but at least they have the steel there to be able to correct them..

The red highlight is probably the best idea.

To buy second hand you need to know the maker's grind style eg the apparently large looking edge bevel on a Tosuke NOS could mean something was wrong if you saw the same on a Iwasaki.

Below is a NOS Tosuke followed by another that looks like it's had a pretty straight regrind. You can see the grind marks & polish are different.

This thread is loads of help! I thank you all for the advice and pointers.[emoji3] [emoji106]

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Originally Posted by aaron1234

This thread is loads of help! I thank you all for the advice and pointers.[emoji3] [emoji106]

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I agree! This is helpful.

Great thread and good advice. Buy NOS if you can afford it, if not look for the least hone wear. Just like a western, you will have less issues. There are a lot coming out of Japan that are well worn with the odd gem in there.
I like the way they shave and the short blade length, not much more than a DE.
Struggle with the gymnastics trying to use them with one hand as is tradition, but always thought they would be the perfect razor if your profession was a barber.

A fellow SRP member is sending me direct from Japan a 53mm L x 27mm W Henkotsu to get honed. The member requested a full dress shine job on the blade. He informed me that it is NOS and never been honed. After explaining that Kasumi polishing a blade can take quite some time this may not be cost effective. Will post pics once it arrives. 27 mm wide? That’s over an inch, can that be right? I’ve never seen one that size, I may have to work a trade he, he.
MIke