Thread: Tamahagane nihon kamisori

The people that pay those sort of prices have so much money they don't know what to do with it. To them$4000 is the same as $20 to you and I.

Originally Posted by 32t

The people that pay those sort of prices have so much money they don't know what to do with it. To them$4000 is the same as $20 to you and I.

I have to agree with Dylan that an asking price isn't necessarily an accurate indication of actual market value. OTOH, as 32t said, I remember reading an article on Frank Sinatra in Esquire magazine, back in the mid 1960s, which mentioned him dropping $10,000 on the crap table in Vegas in half an hour without breaking a sweat. That was a years pay for a union ironworker in those days. To Frank it was pocket money.

got a link to the auction?

one justification for that kind of money is the actual maker

master blade smith Kousuki Iwasaki who in turned trained his son Shigeyoshi Iwasaki who in turn trained Ryuichi Mizuouchi who is currently making these beautiful blades from the Iwasaki family forge in Niigata, Japan.

they are still being made, tho they dont turn out many in tamahagane, but then they never did

anything tamahagane by a named master commands a premium, if its by Kousuki Iwasaki then id like a pic

btw, tamahagane razors by other smiths exist and can still be got

Originally Posted by etorix

got a link to the auction?

one justification for that kind of money is the actual maker



they are still being made, tho they dont turn out many in tamahagane, but then they never did

anything tamahagane by a named master commands a premium, if its by Kousuki Iwasaki then id like a pic

btw, tamahagane razors by other smiths exist and can still be got

Iwasaki does not produce tamahagane razors anymore. They developed their modified Swedish Steel which they use exclusively now, from what I have heard, it is as close to properties to tamahagane as they could get.

If you got the cash and want something I don't think they will spend years or decades trying to find something for a reasonably price.
They just buy it, so I guess some sellers can get lucky!

Originally Posted by etorix

got a link to the auction?

one justification for that kind of money is the actual maker



they are still being made, tho they dont turn out many in tamahagane, but then they never did

anything tamahagane by a named master commands a premium, if its by Kousuki Iwasaki then id like a pic

btw, tamahagane razors by other smiths exist and can still be got

I'm gonna start making damascus(pattern welded for the purists) billets again and take it from there.

Made a couple dagger sized pieces but they worked out very expensive to produce but a 500 to 700 layer piece large enough for a kamisori is not too expensive.

Unfortunately I can't make real tamahagane(right from a tatar) but the damascus is much easier.

The kamisori do tend to dish up when you harden them though.


John

I have a tamahagane kamisori in size 2, which I think is 60mm. It was made by Shigeyoshi Iwasaki quite a while ago and it's an amazing razor. At the time I bought it from a Japanese collector/dealer the price was roughly in line with the best custom makers so I felt that, while it was expensive, it wasn't crazy expensive. I can see how the price could get pretty elevated if the razor was one generation older, at least to a collector.

The main issue is that the supply of tamahagane has been traditionally dominated by the swordsmiths, who have first, middle and last call over any tamahagane produced by the Shimane smelter. If someone was not part of the sword-tradition they would have to wait until fortune smiled upon them and some was made available. They would also most likely be required to be at the very top of their own guild hierarchy to be eligible for any at all and probably were very good friends with a very good swordsmith to get any of quality. That process would not involve any unethical or monetary variables. It's very interesting how it works. The poorest swordsmith will not get tamahagane of the highest quality and often have to learn to smelt that again to improve it. This restriction also applies to the toolmakers, knifemakers, anyone working in steel or edged crafts.

i dont think obtaining tamahagane was a issue for Shigeyoshi's dad Kousuki Iwasaki

he had an extensive collection of small pieces from many tatara runs

probably for his metallurgy research ..

and according to the reports of visits to the forge, a lot still exists

i think its more likely that Ryuichi Mizuouchi, who is in charge now, prolly doesnt want to bother with it

Originally Posted by 32t

The people that pay those sort of prices have so much money they don't know what to do with it. To them$4000 is the same as $20 to you and I.

We really need to meet some of those people don't we