Thread: Inoue Tosuke Razors - The Real McCoy

Hello Telly, maybe you can answer this question pertaining to the stamps on an Iwasaki razor, I have seen 3 stamps and I also have seen 5 stamps on the blade.
Do you by any chance know the difference? And how do you know what type of steel is being used? Most sell for around $300 - $350, but some have been sold for as high as $1750 (if my memory doesn't fail), are the stamps different or the paperwork, if any, delivered with the razor? Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by RMV

Hello Telly, maybe you can answer this question pertaining to the stamps on an Iwasaki razor, I have seen 3 stamps and I also have seen 5 stamps on the blade.
Do you by any chance know the difference? And how do you know what type of steel is being used? Most sell for around $300 - $350, but some have been sold for as high as $1750 (if my memory doesn't fail), are the stamps different or the paperwork, if any, delivered with the razor? Thanks in advance

Three points...

#1: Not every Iwasaki razor is made by Master Iwasaki. Some razors are made by his pupil, Mr. Mizouchi.

#2: The 3-stamp razor means it's a normal Iwasaki razor made of Swedish steel. The 5-stamp razor means it's a special Iwasaki razor made of Tamahagane. Swedish steel is mass produced; Tamahagane is made using raw materials the way they made steel for swords in the ancient times of Shoguns and Samurai. Swedish steel is very good but it doesn't compare to Tamahagane.

#3: Only Master Iwasaki can forge Tamahagane to make his razors. His pupil, Mr. Mizouchi, cannot (at least, not well) so he makes Iwasaki razors using Swedish steel. Five-stamp razors are harder to make and rarer, making them much more valuable. If you have a 5-stamp razor, Iwasaki himself definitely made that razor. If you have a 3-stamp razor, Iwasaki or Izouchi could've made the razor.

Regards.

Tamahagane also carries another issue with it.
Only licensed swordsmiths are allowed to buy it and use it.
It gets distributed by age, meaning oldest and most experienced smiths get first pick. For outsiders it is virtually impossible to get hold of sword quality tamahagane because its use is regulated by law.

And tamahagane is so rare (because of how it is made) that it is very expensive. The best stuff gets put into swords and tantos.

I didn't know about the 3 / 5 stamp thing, but I do know that there are at least 3 types of Iwasaki forged razor.

The normal one of swedish steel which goes for around 300$.
The longer one which is also swedish steel, but a different type I think (not sure. I think thebigspendur knows more) which goes for 400 / 500$
The tamahagane one, which goes for 1750$ or more.

Tamahagne may or may not be superior to swedish steel but it is cool.

My money is on the swedish steel for superiority in quality.

It's probably pretty hard to compare just these two steel types without getting a sample of each. But in general the old Japanese way of producing steel was vastly superior for it's time.

These days steel is quite easily controlled down to billet form, now it's just more about selecting the proper steel for your application if you ask me. Still Tamahagne would be pretty cool because of it's traditional factor, worth the money? Not to me, but each to his own

Originally Posted by RobertFontaine

Tamahagne may or may not be superior to swedish steel but it is cool.

My money is on the swedish steel for superiority in quality.

Originally Posted by Droshi

It's probably pretty hard to compare just these two steel types without getting a sample of each. But in general the old Japanese way of producing steel was vastly superior for it's time.

These days steel is quite easily controlled down to billet form, now it's just more about selecting the proper steel for your application if you ask me. Still Tamahagne would be pretty cool because of it's traditional factor, worth the money? Not to me, but each to his own

Swedish steel is of excellent quality. Don't get me wrong. IMHO, Tamahagane is still better. I haven't seen it in regards to Iwasaki razors but I have dealt with it profusely in regards to Japanese swords. The swords are beyond reproach. Perhaps the Tamahagane razors don't match up to Swedish razors - I don't know. However, I feel Tamahagane steel is better than Swedish steel, at least in regards to making swords. (Yes, I know we're talking about razors...)

There's an auction on Yahoo Japan Auctions of a Tamahagane Iwasaki razor. The starting bid is $500 USD. I expect the final bid to be way passed $1,000.

http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f66692537

incase anyone is interested

3 days left I think