Thread: Kamisori Every Day?

I use my Kamisoris 5-6 times a week. The other day or two (if I shave) I rotate through my western style razors. I only use the one side to shave. One reason I prefer them is that, for me, they stay sharper longer and I am a complete and utter failure when it comes to honing.

I tried it for a very short period of time. I guess if you learned on one, it would seem the only way to go, but I didn't and it took longer and wasn't any closer than an old dennert branded razor that I found (which surprisingly enough was my second razor). I still have the dennert, but a line about kamisoris rings true in my mind, when I asked someone in japan about kamisoris a while ago (someone who uses one, btw, but one with *real* tamahagane), he said that they are made more for tourists and less for locals.

To me, as an every day shaver, the western razors just seem to be a better every day design. They also have a longer life span (though I'd have reground the iwasaki kamisori without issue) without any significant maintenance and respond to the strop better (which is true both for razors and tools, steels around high 50s or 60 hardness respond better to a bare leather strop than mid 60s hardness.

What strikes me also is how many videos there are on youtube of japanese barbers shaving people with friodurs, which aren't one of my favorite things in the world compared to a good western carbon steel razor.

I don't shave with mine (1) every day, but I can tell you what I like about it. Very much like my beloved 4/8's, the Kami is nimble and very responsive to angle changes. Being able to choke up on it makes it almost too much fun.

Were my house to burn down and were I to start over, I would seriously give thought to a Kami only regime - but the fact of the matter is, I have an awesome little collection of 4/8's that just beg to be used as well. And when all is said and done, I aim to please .

I can't speak to brand having only owned one - but were I in the market, I would really like to try a white steel blade.