My holy grail, Iwasaki western Tamahagane

Gentlemen, at this point in time I'm at one with the world.

This is the one razor I have sought above all others, made by the legendary Shigeyoshi Iwasaki from the almost mythical Tamahagane.

It looks to me like NOS, there is no hint of wear but a few blemishes that should be able to polish out.
Under a loupe the bevel looks quite beautiful and I hope it was by Shigeyoshi himself. In fact after inspection and tree topping some arm hair I gave her a good stropping to refresh the edge that has been waiting for me for the last 40/50 years. She gave up a fine shave indeed, not as keen as I like but fine enough for most.

I won't go on about Iwasaki as there is enough posts already so it just leaves me to show my pictures.
Please forgive my photography skills.

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The Master himself and Mr Ryoishi Mizuochi.
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Congratulations on your find! It looks splendid.

What an awesome razor!! EXACTLY the look I like. Beautiful. Congratulations.

Congrats my friend! I want one some day....................

Thanks chaps, it took the best part of 5 years to track the right one down. I am as happy as can be!

Mark

Beautiful example of a legendary blade. I hope it gives you many more years of DF shaves !

Great score, Mark
Congrats!

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Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

In fact after inspection and tree topping some arm hair I gave her a good stropping to refresh the edge that has been waiting for me for the last 40/50 years.

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What an amazing razor! It's unusual to see a Iwasaki Tamahagane in nearly unused condition because they were almost exclusively purchased by barbers who regarded them as tools. You're a very luck man! What makes you say that it's 40/50 years old? I noticed that your serial number is 1471.1 and I've been trying to figure out how to estimate the ages of these marvelous razors based on serial numbers. So far, no one I've spoken to knows the age of their razor; I'm looking for a "rosetta razor" with a known age that I can use as a starting point.

Thank you.

Unfortunately it is just a estimate of the age. I have seen a catalogue of the various models that Iwasaki san produced and it is thought to be from around the time i gave.
Short of asking Iwasaki san himself Im not sure if anyone can positively date their razor.

I've been looking for something like this for a very long time. They are, indeed, almost impossible to find. That razor looks exceptional and we'll worth the wait. We should all be so lucky.
Congratulations and enjoy!

Pete <:-}

Thanks for the follow up. I suspect you're right regarding the difficulty estimating the date. What I do know is the workshop was founded in 1946, and according to Mr. Takeshi Aoki of Tokyo A-frames, he spoke with Iwasaki and was told that the first tamahagane western razors were made in 1952. It has also been said that the last of the Tamahagane Western razors was made in the mid 1980's. According to Takeshi, the numbers began in the 500's, and the highest serial number that I have seen was 1901.6. The serial numbers correspond to the batch number. Each batch had 9 or fewer razors. Half of the razors failed to meet Iwasaki's stringent inspections. The number after the period corresponds to the inspection number (so 1901.6 is batch 1901, razor #6). So given that numbering started at 500 and ended around 1900, yours is close to the middle of the production. Assuming production numbers were constant annually, which is a big assumption, that would place the production of your razor sometime in the late 60's to mid 1970's.

Or put more simply, there is no way to know, but your razor is probably 40-50 years old just like you said. At any rate, it's absolutely exceptional example. Congrats on a beautiful razor!

Thanks pete

I was very lucky to find one in such great condition. They do come up on flea bay from time to time but the sellers get carried away with prices.

Below is the list of Iwasaki Tamahagane Western Straight Razors that I've found in the wild. Yours is one of the best I've seen to date.

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...psblj0yxjf.png

Dovo1695

I have corresponded with Takeshi a few times and he was most helpful.
I still find it amusing that in your first post you presented us with one of the most beautiful and significant razor there is by a master forger and you had no idea!
Thanks for taking the time to do your research on dating.

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Originally Posted by petercp4e

I've been looking for something like this for a very long time. They are, indeed, almost impossible to find.

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I probably shouldn't enable RAD, but if you're really looking for one, Takeshi at Tokyo A-frames actually has several of them right now. They range from well used one's to a few relatively unused ones. None are as pristine as markbignosekelly's but there are some great users for sure.

Straight Razor

Congrats on a knockout razor !


Just a fyi, the razors were made by Kousuke Iwasaki not Shigeyoshi who is his son & in business with Mizuo san.

Hey! While you educated fellas are here, I have an Iwasaki and feel most certain it is not one of the more highly desirable ones.

Still, I would like to know more about it?
Only pic I have right now. I could get a better one. Nothing on the backside tang.
Shaves great!
Thanks!


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Originally Posted by onimaru55

Just a fyi, the razors were made by Kousuke Iwasaki not Shigeyoshi who is his son & in business with Mizuo san.

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Shigeyoshi Iwasaki continued producing the Tamahagane Western razors after his father's death in 1967 until the mid 1980's upon the retirement of Tanifuji-sensei, who was responsible for finishing and polishing the razors. I learned this on the blog of Jim Rion, who had the privilege of meeting with Shigeyoshi Iwasaki, and translated Kousuke Iwasaki's barbers manual from Japanese into English. His website Eastern Smooth is a treasure trove of Iwasaki history.

Iwasaki-sensei: Lessons Learned Part 2 | Eastern Smooth: The Blog

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Hey! While you educated fellas are here, I have an Iwasaki and feel most certain it is not one of the more highly desirable ones.

Still, I would like to know more about it?
Only pic I have right now. I could get a better one. Nothing on the backside tang.
Shaves great!
Thanks!


Attachment 250417

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It looks like a really nice example of an Iwasaki Western Swedish Carbon Steel Razor that's been nicely re-handled. I don't know a lot about the carbon steel ones, but I do know that they are very well regarded as exceptional razors. They're less sought after than the tamahagane ones by collectors, but many would argue that's really only due to the relative scarcity of the tamahagane one's, not due to a significant performance difference or craftsmanship.

I can't see the Kanji well enough in the pic, but if it has an "M" on it, that stands for medium hardness. These were hardened to 775-795 Vickers (63 Rockwell) rather than the 800-820 Vickers (64+ Rockwell) that the standard carbon steel Western razors were. This was done to make them easier to sharpen, and were marketed to the growing number of female barbers in the postwar period. They tend to be a bit shorter as well which also makes them easier to hone.

By all accounts, Iwasaki never made a bad razor, and you've got a beautiful one there!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Hey! While you educated fellas are here, I have an Iwasaki and feel most certain it is not one of the more highly desirable ones.

Still, I would like to know more about it?
Only pic I have right now. I could get a better one. Nothing on the backside tang.
Shaves great!
Thanks!

<snip>

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Nice...do you remember what size it is? You realize you're going to have to dig it out and post more pics of that right? :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dovo1695

It looks like a really nice example of an Iwasaki Western Swedish Carbon Steel Razor that's been nicely re-handled. I don't know a lot about the carbon steel ones, but I do know that they are very well regarded as exceptional razors. They're less sought after than the tamahagane ones by collectors, but many would argue that's really only due to the relative scarcity of the tamahagane one's, not due to a significant performance difference or craftsmanship.

I can't see the Kanji well enough in the pic, but if it has an "M" on it, that stands for medium hardness. These were hardened to 775-795 Vickers (63 Rockwell) rather than the 800-820 Vickers (64+ Rockwell) that the standard carbon steel Western razors were. This was done to make them easier to sharpen, and were marketed to the growing number of female barbers in the postwar period. They tend to be a bit shorter as well which also makes them easier to hone.

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I shall post a clear picture of the tang tomorrow.
Thanks for helping! I don't know it's history other than it was used in Japan. The tang is etched and not stamped.
I actually shortened it a tiny bit and rescaled it, as-explained in this thread; http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...l-iwasaki.html.

I should have said the majority of razors were made between 1946 & 1967 by Kousuke sensei.

Tom, all I see is the Maru san mark & Iwasaki name on the tang. Anything on the flip side ?

I can safely say 'nary a thing! :shrug:

I shall look tomorrow morning. I have slept since I last saw it! :rofl2:

Tom
I have a Iwasaki like yours with the etched tanged, mine has the kanji for Tokiwa on the reverse.
Its unusual in the fact it has a stabiliser and i haven't seen that particular model in a Iwasaki catalogue, all i can say is that it is made with Swedish steel and mine is a wonderful shaver.

Dang! Went to work and forgot top get a better pic. Nothing on the backside tang.....
An old workshop pic. .........


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Mark congrats on finding your holy grail razor. Tom great work on that razor, scales are incredible. Here pics of mine hopefully someone can tell me more about it?Looks like the same stamp as Tom's but its on the back side on mine the front got that 3m stamp.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...f66a2434cb.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...bfad30866b.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...70fe3657a7.jpg

Martin - yours looks like it is an Iwasaki Tokiwa razor, Tokiwa would frequently finish some of Iwasaki's razors, on my phone right now so typing is limited, but I posted a similar iwasaki tokiwa a couple of months ago....

The Kanji on the other side of Iwasaki's mark is Tokiwa...as I mentioned, I posted a similar razor...

Martin

As Phrank said the kanji means Tokiwa, Im not sure what the 3 stands for but the M means medium hardness. Yours will be made from Kousuke Iwasakis' modified Swedish steel that closely resembles Tamahagane. Iwasakis' western razors were sent to Tanifuji Fukutaro for finishing.

Here's a pic of my Iwasaki Tokiwa razor....

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Beautiful razor and beautiful photography Phank.
Ive never seen kanji like that before.

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Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

Beautiful razor and beautiful photography Phank.
Ive never seen kanji like that before.

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Thanks - the photo was completely by accident...flicking some filters on the iPhone to get the tang stamps clear.....:D

Thanks for the help guys! I'm wondering what the difference between my razor and Tom's ? Noticing his is etched instead of stamped?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

Martin

As Phrank said the kanji means Tokiwa, Im not sure what the 3 stands for but the M means medium hardness. Yours will be made from Kousuke Iwasakis' modified Swedish steel that closely resembles Tamahagane. Iwasakis' western razors were sent to Tanifuji Fukutaro for finishing.

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At a guess the 3m is an anglicizising of the maru san symbol/kanji. Maru = circle. San= 3

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Martin103

Mark congrats on finding your holy grail razor. Tom great work on that razor, scales are incredible. Here pics of mine hopefully someone can tell me more about it?Looks like the same stamp as Tom's but its on the back side on mine the front got that 3m stamp.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...f66a2434cb.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...bfad30866b.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...70fe3657a7.jpg

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That is Iwasaki Tokiwa made by Tanifuji, I bet it is a very fine shaver.