Thread: Tamahagane nihon kamisori

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

Um, fellows... tamahagane, sushi knife, sushimen, sushi cutting knives, deba, kazari, yasi, japenese, japanese, master, chef, yanagi, tachi, case, cutlery, martin yan, yan can cook, knife, lifetime warranty, sale, lowest price, set, serrated, bread, ironwood handle

and... The Japanese Knife Company - KNIVES - LAMINATED STEEL - TAMAHAGANE

If this is an example of the kind of steel you speak of, then we need to review a common problem that has been discussed here as to labels that appear on razors. It's a marketing thing, not the steel.

If Iwasaki or others have been licensed swordsmiths there is no question in my mind about the legitimacy of their access to tamahagane. I would not question metallurgical researchers or even well respected good friends of swordsmiths or the master smelter himself Kihara-san. I have samples from both kinds of friend. There really should be an unusual or uncommon reason for that steel being distributed outside the very well controlled chain. This does not mean that lesser quality product from the tatara could not be available. I cannot imagine that the "good stuff" would be lost somewhere.

This does not mean that a toolsmith is prevented from building his own smelter and rightfully making his own steel. That material would also be tamahagane and would not be controlled through the present set of regulations. It would not be official, but if of good quality, it would be respected for what it was rather than looked upon as automatically inferior because of it's manufacturer.

No, that's just the use of a name to sell more, like when you see a bike saddle with turbo-laser on it....

ive never seen a tamahagane kitchen knife

i have seen Tamahagane BRAND kitchen knives, but they are made from Takefu suminagashi .. layered steel

kitchen knifes and tools used to be [and often still are] made from kamaji .. old English wrought iron, with an edge of hard

steel, often swedish

i cant actually tell yet whether this razor im sharpening is watetsu or kamaji .. i have a small collection of kamaji blades

that im SURE are kamaji [well, most of em] including one by a 'named' smith

since its use was so prevalent, i dont see why razor smiths wouldnt also use it

i see aframestokyo Takeshi labels ALL his kamisori as watetsu, but i think he may be mistaken, dunno

Iwasaki and Tamahagane: 　Hide's Export　　: Iwasaki and Tamahagane

Thanks etorix

That form of "supply" is not outside the rules and confirms that the lesser grades of smelted ores are improved locally by those who acquire them. No one would throw any potentially usable steel away, or any of the non-steeled iron as that can easily be improved by carburizing. It's a lot of work, but would be worth it if the supply of good steels became threatened.

I have had the chance twice to work with Yataiki, a toolsmith. The cutting tools we made were all wrought iron and high carbon edges in the kamaji stylee. Its a fascinating study.

If using Tamahagane for other things than swords is illegal – then why cant you buy japanese Tamahagane in it´s raw form from a german vendor?
Japanischer Schwertstahl - Tamahagane | DICTUM GmbH - Mehr als Werkzeug

tok

Originally Posted by tok

If using Tamahagane for other things than swords is illegal – then why cant you buy japanese Tamahagane in it´s raw form from a german vendor?
Japanischer Schwertstahl - Tamahagane | DICTUM GmbH - Mehr als Werkzeug

tok

I am not an expert at all, but I think it may be illegal in Japan. Not Germany.

Still, it sounds weird to me, to outlaw using it on other than weapons but export it. What better way is there to ensure, that people do about anything with it, then to sell it abroad?
And I don´t get the idea why it should be forbidden, anyway.

Yeah. I know what you mean. My personal opinion. I think it was a las that was put in place when it was "relevant" and has just never been taken out. In Canada there used to be a law that non-dark sodas couldn't contain caffeine. Every country has laws that are weird.

Originally Posted by tok

Still, it sounds weird to me, to outlaw using it on other than weapons but export it. What better way is there to ensure, that people do about anything with it, then to sell it abroad?
And I don´t get the idea why it should be forbidden, anyway.

You should take that to the Japanese Government, they are the only ones that can explain the politics behind that law.
But as far as that site goes, we do not know what quality the steel is so just because it says tamahagane that does not mean anything.

Originally Posted by suits123

Yeah. I know what you mean. My personal opinion. I think it was a las that was put in place when it was "relevant" and has just never been taken out. In Canada there used to be a law that non-dark sodas couldn't contain caffeine. Every country has laws that are weird.

Not weird at All,I believe the japanese consider it to be a national Treasure.