Thread: Japanese Razor Talk!

Here's a pic from Tsuunesaburo's blog

Anyone know anything about the 60mm razors at japanese woodworker? I wonder if these are made of ball steel like I have read about. A $200 price jump has to warrant something other than a 1/2 inch increase in length.

I don't think there are any japanese razors being made of Tamahagane (is that what you meant by ball steel?), if it were made of Tamahagane, they would make sure to tell you.

So they are charging 200 more because it is 1/2 in ch longer? That does not sound right.

I remember when these things were still readily available in japan and the 60mm size was alot more than the 50. I don't recall how much but I also remember at the time the iwasaki in 50mm Swedish steel was selling for about $200 and the ball steel model was selling for about $400 back then. Though I know tamahagne translates to ball steel there was a third razor being produced advertised as sword quality steel and these went for abut 2 grand. The only person I know who has one of those is Joel at B&B.

Yes. So it probably is the ball steel variety. It sure is a lot though. I think I will stick with the $275 one when I get enough cash that is.

Tamahagane is most often translated "jewel steel" in Nihonto circles.
A quick call or email to JWW might answer your question.

She offered it to me when I cancelled my order for the $275 model. I should have asked then.

Here is a link I found that talks about tamahagane Japanese Woodworking Forums :: View topic - Kamaji and Watetsu

I wonder if the ball steel is really anchor chain steel?

Anchor chain was made of wrought iron and sometimes had cast iron reinforcements, neither of which make good cutting tools.

Wrought iron is used as the main body of many Japanese knives, but the cutting edge is usually some form of high carbon steel that is forge welded to the iron.

edit: (I just realized that in one of my posts above I said that the anchor chains were cast iron. That is a typo; the links are most commonly wrought iron, though some do have cast iron "cross braces".)

Sort of like the iwasaki. I am sure he uses good quality steel though.