Thread: Japanese Straight Razor

Does anyone kow anything about these or even if a person can buy them? Or what kind of steel is used? I'm not talking a Feather of some kind, I mean the single piece of steel with a rattan wrapped handle or something. Thanks in advance.

-Tye

AFIK they're ground on only one side of the blade. I find that fairly interesting. Other than that, I don't know much but I am about as curious about it as you are.

Do you mean the throw away kind? I have two different brands that I picked up during a trip to Little Tokyo (Los Angeles) a couple of weeks ago. They are close to what I remember from Okinawa in 1964.

Rick

From what I have read, they are normally a carbon steel of some kind for the blade, one sided like Ilija said and curved on that one side, so one side is hollow ground, the other isn't.
There is a member who has one, forget his name but he will pop in im sure

Originally Posted by Tye

Does anyone kow anything about these or even if a person can buy them? Or what kind of steel is used? I'm not talking a Feather of some kind, I mean the single piece of steel with a rattan wrapped handle or something. Thanks in advance.

-Tye

Hey Tye,

Check out the posting "strange "japanese" razor " in the Auction talk section.
These razors are great shaver's and have an added dimension to them. With the fixed handle (once you get use to it) you can 'roll' the handle/blade between your fingers easier (versus haveing a set of scales balance out at an obtuse angle) and have a new direction of shaving (i.e scooping those 2-3 crazy hairs that sit under the nostrils that are tricky to get to sometimes; or that patch right under the bottom lip). So no longer is it just the traditional straight paths taken with your straight razor, you have now the 'scoop'.

The razor is a little different and takes a little getting use to. However, the one I have is of great quality, the heft of your chopper grade razors (i.e. not a paper thin full hollow blade that flexes) and takes an amazing edge.

I have seen some older one's kicking around on eBay and have been interested how they shave...but some collectors (with more money than I) have been grabbing them up. Maybe some time I'll get to test drive one of them too....

I attached a picture of the lil' one that I have (the blade is slightly shorter than your traditional straight razors, but about 6/8" wide)

C utz

Originally Posted by C utz

Hey Tye,

Check out the posting "strange "japanese" razor " in the Auction talk section.
These razors are great shaver's and have an added dimension to them. With the fixed handle (once you get use to it) you can 'roll' the handle/blade between your fingers easier (versus haveing a set of scales balance out at an obtuse angle) and have a new direction of shaving (i.e scooping those 2-3 crazy hairs that sit under the nostrils that are tricky to get to sometimes; or that patch right under the bottom lip). So no longer is it just the traditional straight paths taken with your straight razor, you have now the 'scoop'.

The razor is a little different and takes a little getting use to. However, the one I have is of great quality, the heft of your chopper grade razors (i.e. not a paper thin full hollow blade that flexes) and takes an amazing edge.

I have seen some older one's kicking around on eBay and have been interested how they shave...but some collectors (with more money than I) have been grabbing them up. Maybe some time I'll get to test drive one of them too....

I attached a picture of the lil' one that I have (the blade is slightly shorter than your traditional straight razors, but about 6/8" wide)

C utz

C utz-
Yessss, those are the razors I've been looking for, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. Where did you get them? I saw a similier razor for bid on the 'Bay last night, but the handle was wrapped in rattan or maybe wicker. Those are really nice looking razors. Feather makes something similiar, but if I were to get one like this, I'd like the official deal. Thanks.

-Tye

Tye,
Mine came from a Japanese collector, a friend of the actual "razorsmiths" whos name appears on the blade. There was a website selling them a year or so ago but with the mention that they had stopped for a while because the maker was very far behind on orders. He is an elderly gentleman, a Japanese treasure so to speak who makes the blades by hand. He works at his own pace and eveyone simply lines up and waits.

The single sided aspect of the blade is tough to shave with. It cannot simply be flipped for the opposite side of the face and I have never seen or heard of them coming in "handed" pairs, one for the left, one for the right as has been suggested. They were really designed for someone else to do the shaving on you, not to be used by your own self so the blade setup would not be an issue.

To understand how a one sided bevel works try this experiment. Take a dull butter knife etc... from your kitchen. Put a piece of tape on one side of the blade, hold the fixed handle and pretend to shave one side of your face with the tape side away from your skin. Now try to do the other side of your face, still keeping the tape side away from the skin. The handle must still project from the blade in the same direction so it is either right in front of your nose as with a conventional straight or, when doing the other side of the face, right in front of your ear making a severe backhanded condition.

Not so easy.

Tony

Yep, Not easy at all. Like trying to learn to shave with both hands.

I think I either got mine from Tony, or the same guy he got his from. I do not recall....

I DO like mine though.

C utz

Well, damn.

It seems a lot of the stuff I want I'm about a year late in looking for. Oh well, something will turn up sometime. Thanks for the replies gentlemen. I appreciate it.

-Tye

Well awhile back I obtained several of those Tesuke Razors for several people here. If there are people still interested sound off and I'll see if my contact in Japan is still able to obtain them. They are very high quality razors. Difficult to use because of the one sidedness but they will reward you with a great shave. As I recall they cost about $90 or so or in that ballpark amount.