Thread: Tamahagane nihon kamisori

Why on earth are these so expensive-just saw one on ebay for over $4000(and I'm guessing its US$ as well)?

It WAS an Iwasaki razor and I understand that no more are being made but that is still a bit steep for a small piece of pattern welded steel.



John

I sold one last year,not for that kind of money tho,but is one of the last on the planet.

Was that a BIN or the actual selling price. As with all razors (or anything on ebay), BIN prices reflect what that seller wants, not what buyers will pay. And even if it was a selling price, those are reflections of the top one or two bidders, not the general public.

And all this is really the root of why we don't do valuations here on SRP. Selling prices reflect what a specific person or persons value an item at and nothing more.

Originally Posted by jadekayak

Why on earth are these so expensive-just saw one on ebay for over $4000(and I'm guessing its US$ as well)?

It WAS an Iwasaki razor and I understand that no more are being made but that is still a bit steep for a small piece of pattern welded steel.



John

the sad part is in Japan they sell for 600-800 usd
eventhough they are not very common

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 mainaman

the sad part is in Japan they sell for 600-800 usd
eventhough they are not very common

The tamahagane ones?
Because those are pretty expensive, tamahagane being more expensive than gold.