Thread: Where to buy a kamisori in Tokyo?

Dear all,

A relative of mine will be going to Tokyo next week and he kindly offered to look out for a kamisori to bring back for me.

I had already posted my question in the SRP "Japan" subforum several days ago but I think it's currently not very busy over there ...

Could someone here provide me with some up-to-date tips on where he could go looking in Tokyo. His Hotel is a little outside (Hotel New Otani Makuhari) but he'll be going into downtown too. He's no straight razor expert so proposing a store where conversation in English is possible would be great.

And I'm looking for a rather basic kamisori, so no tamahagane or other fancy stuff.

Can anyone help me out ?

Thanks in advance
Jörg

Kamisori are very rare birds in Japan. Practically no one uses them there. Most are made and exported. If you want to look there is a chain of upscale hardware stores in Japan and there are some in Tokyo (the name escapes me) but they are very well known. You might start there. Maybe someone will come along who knows the name.

I spent some time in the Tokyo area last year and found almost nothing of interest. We walked past a junk - survivalist type storefront and on a whim went in. With my very limited Nihongo, I explained what I was looking for. The shopkeeper went to the back of the store and came out with a NOS Hoshi Tombo. It's a straight razor with an asymmetric grind like a traditional kamisori, but set into western style folding scales. It was still in its wrapping paper. She wanted the equivalent of about $70 American for it which I gladly paid. Other than that one item, I found nothing else. Also, I'm sorry to say, I now have no idea where this store was. It shaves like a dream, by the way.

Where are two shops, located between Tsukiji market and Ginza area, both have Iwasaki kamisori in stock:
Hamono
32,000 yen or ~$400

Kikufuji
25,620 yen or ~$320
27,720 yen or ~$350
18,900 yen or ~ $240

Enjoy your stay in Tokyo.

It may actually be cheaper to buy one of the swedish type steel 50mm kamisoris from aframestokyo, and save the trip for japan to get nifty things like the carbon steel pocketknives shown on the link above. I think they are about $250 there, and come with a nice little paulownia box and some sort of literature that you're not going to be able to read if you don't read japanese.

You, me and everyone else who doesn't speak japanese or have price context won't know in japan if a shop is reasonable or if you're just paying another $150 for something just because that's what they're asking.

Same thing with natural stones. There are some that are super cheap there at markets, festivals, etc, and some at high end knife shops that are marked up just waiting for people to pay a high price.

Thanks for all your input guys - much appreciated !

My relative's just came back - without a kamisori... I gave him your tips but told him not to get an Iwasaki as I could them here in Germany for a good price. So, he asked around, found nothing and came back...

I'll probably have to watch the US ebay site.

Cheers
Jörg

Howdy!

I live in Japan now, and I've been thinking of cruising some of these places on a Saturday. Tokyo is about a 60 minute train ride from my place.

ducaati

Originally Posted by pipzz

Where are two shops, located between Tsukiji market and Ginza area, both have Iwasaki kamisori in stock:
Hamono
32,000 yen or ~$400

Kikufuji
25,620 yen or ~$320
27,720 yen or ~$350
18,900 yen or ~ $240

Enjoy your stay in Tokyo.