Thread: Are all Japanese razors bent at the handle

I have just received my new Japanese and I was surprised to see that it has a bend in it. The handle is set up so that it is really easy to shave right handed, but when you try to use the razor left handed it turns over in your hand. Just to clarify I am not talking about the way that the blade is ground, but in the way that it is made. If you lay the razor down by the handle on a table then the tip of the blade is about 3/8 inch off the table if the flat side is laying downward.

I am looking for information on how to use this since it is not flat like I was expecting.

Japanese blades are asymmetrical and if you lay the blade down on one side it will lay perfectly flat (or it should) and if you lay it the other way it will not. I never remember the official name for the sides but one side of the blade is concave and the other convex. I you lay it down with the convex side down it will not lay flat because the way it is ground on that side there is a raised ridge on the upper part of the blade. I assume this is what you are talking about. The handle itself should be perfectly flat if it's not something is wrong.

You shave with one side of the blade. Many use both but that's another story.

is this a kamisori?
If so I am sure you can straighten the handle fairly easy as it should not be hard tempered.
Can you post pictures?

Yep, as Stefan said kamisori handles are soft & can be bent however you want/need.
The razor should lie on the omote (non stamped side) with the edge safely off the surface.

I can say without a doubt that this handle was bent intentionally. We run a forging shop here in NC and this razor was forged like this. I would guess that this razor was set up for a barber that was right handed and either bent or had bent the handle to fit his hand.

I have a good bit of knowledge about Japanese blade construction and I understand that the only hard part of the blade is the high carbon part welded into the razor. I am glad to hear that others have intentionally bent razor to fit as I am sure that is what happened to this one in past life.

I think that I will bend this one back flat and see what happens.

I think after I bend it back flat I will start looking to replicate it with a western style grind out of O1.

I will post some pictures as soon as I figure out how.

Not trying to be a smarty pants cause I don't know about Japanese blades but.... I know about Murphy's law and I would try shaving with it and if it works like it is I wouldn't fix it.

working would be the problem. The bend makes it all but impossible to use the razor with the left hand. I would be great for shaving others with only your right hand, but EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to shave yourself with.

I thought the handles were purposely canted towards one side? They are on the ones I have seen (less than 10, probably).

Originally Posted by Hazen

working would be the problem. The bend makes it all but impossible to use the razor with the left hand. I would be great for shaving others with only your right hand, but EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to shave yourself with.

forgive me.. as i am a little confused.. could you not just shave with your right hand only?

i shave with a folding model artist club and i do not switch hands....

Well that's an eye opener.
I just realised that I only use my right hand with a kamisori & both hands with a western str8.