Thread: Japanes Razors on Homepage title block

Anyone out there know about the two Japanese looking blades shown in center picture on the websites home page? They look pretty cool.

thanks,

URF

These are traditional Japanese straight razors.
They are one sided (i.e. only one side touches the face) which makes for interesting positions while shaving.

The type you see on the homepage are forged by a smith who went by the name of Tosuke. He made them up to 1 or 2 years ago, well into his seventies. Sometime ago we was seriously ill or deceased, or so I was told.

If you want one, you'd better buy one sooner than later. They come up in the BST forum from time to time. If you can't find one, let me know and I can fix you up with one.

Then there is also a smith named Iwasaki, who makes the same type of razor, but his name is more famous than Tosuke because he is also a revered sword smith. His razors are twice the price of a Tosuke.

They are beautiful pieces of crafsmanship, and I really like them from an aesthetic point of view. However, shaving with them takes time to learn. It is nothing like shaving with a normal straight. I have tried it, and then sold it again when I didn't like it that much. So have a lot of people who bought them in the past. The majority actually, if I recall correctly.

Resident expert on using this type of razor is thebigspendur.