Thread: Iwasaki kamisori 2

Originally Posted by salazch

I just ordered the Feather AC. How do you like it? I've heard that its pretty heavy and kind of hard to use.

Well, in my experience it's not heavy and it's very easy to use. Casual or sloppy technique is not advisable, however.

Originally Posted by senoreme

beautiful storage boxes, where on Earth can I get these? I love em.

That one was a gift from a friend in Thailand. It's Burmese Rosewood. He found it in a market up north whilst on holidays.

I store mine in this box. The little "table" is a piece of wood with magnets mounted in it and then wrapped in leather. I wrapped the handle in waxed cotton line.

FWIW --

I was in Kyoto last week, browsing a knife shop in the Nishiki Ichiba market. [There are not that many knife shops in Kyoto; this one was well-stocked with very costly sushi knives.]

In a display case, along with farm implements, chisels, and other "non-knives", was a new kamisori. It had a rather short edge. It was about 20,000 yen ($240, roughly).

Since it was outside my price range, I didn't inquire about its provenance.

I don't know if it was hand-made, or factory produced. And it was displayed "shiny side up", so I don't know if it was laminated, or ground from a single piece of steel. But it suggests that there is a "mid-price" quality (or size) of kamisori, on the Japanese market.

The comment that kamisori's are used by holding the blade, instead of the handle, leads me to wonder:

. . . Could one shave "freehand" with an SE razor blade?

I've never heard of anyone doing that . . .

Charles

Wait, what? Who shaves with a kamisori by "holding the blade"? I hold the handle. My barber certainly holds the handle. These folks hold the handle.

It's a handle.

CPCohen, I wish I'd known you were looking for knives in Kyoto, I'd have recommended Hayakawa, much better priced and much better service than that place in Nishiki.

As for the razor, that's probably a Takahashi, they're getting popular in Kyoto knife shops right now.

Originally Posted by sharp

I store mine in this box. The little "table" is a piece of wood with magnets mounted in it and then wrapped in leather. I wrapped the handle in waxed cotton line.

Wow sweet! Looks really nice. Do you feel like a samurai when you shave?

[QUOTE=JimR;758615]Wait, what? Who shaves with a kamisori by "holding the blade"? I hold the handle. My barber certainly holds the handle. These folks hold the handle.

It's a handle./QUOTE]

Yeah I'm all about the handle too or I'd shave with a kanna (plane)

Originally Posted by JimR

. . .
CPCohen, I wish I'd known you were looking for knives in Kyoto, I'd have recommended Hayakawa, much better priced and much better service than that place in Nishiki.

As for the razor, that's probably a Takahashi, they're getting popular in Kyoto knife shops right now.

Thanks for the information. I was just browsing the shop; Japanese knife prices are out of my range. Even a less-expensive shop would be expensive.

I did buy a little Kyocera ceramic paring knife -- it's a gem. I hope it's not as delicate as Kyocera makes it out to be. Time will tell.

I also did my first eBay search for "kamisori". There are a bunch of "mid-priced" blades, several from one seller in Osaka. Maybe one day . . . <g>

"Shaving with a plane" sounds even better than shaving with a bare SE blade! <g>

Charles

I think, if someone uses one by holding the blade and not the handle they are the ones doing it differently.

Is there such a thing as a right-handed or left-handed Iwasaki kamisor? Does one she with either side of the blade against the face or should it be as one other user suggested, only the side that does not have the stamp on it, goes against the face? I noticed the blade is turned somewhat to the left, the side with the stamp. Can anyone help me out here? Thanks.