Thread: Nagamasa Kamisori

It is Tamahagane uchi. Not much else I can tell you.

Thanks, Jim.

I have a few ponderances concerning kamisori. Maybe I can get some of that cleared up without hijacking the thread lol.

I have gained little experience through swords. I would not expect to see them actually engrave tamahange on the blade, just the smiths signature. Now I do not know kanji, nor what things are regarding the kamisori production in japan. But given a razor is what it is, I would not expect it to be made in japan and not be made out of either tamahagne, or osohange (smith made tamahagne, recycling of the metal in slag from making a sword, a common source for apprentices to make their own). On japanese swords the signature is out the outside, the omote side. the ura side stays closest to the body. even in the way a sword is displayed, it is signed such that the signature, the omote side, faces outward. that is another point of confusion, i have read in here that you shave with the omote side against the face. that seems really contradictory. now onto a little more about omote being outside. a common cutting medium is tatami-omote, the outside covering of tatami mats.

Originally Posted by LameBMX

I have a few ponderances concerning kamisori. Maybe I can get some of that cleared up without hijacking the thread lol.

I have gained little experience through swords. I would not expect to see them actually engrave tamahange on the blade, just the smiths signature. Be that as it may some razors are inscribed "tamahagane"( see pic below.)
Now I do not know kanji, nor what things are regarding the kamisori production in japan. But given a razor is what it is, I would not expect it to be made in japan and not be made out of either tamahagne, or osohange (smith made tamahagne, recycling of the metal in slag from making a sword, a common source for apprentices to make their own). Apples & oranges here really. Swords compared to kamisori & even kataba kitchen knives have different construction. The latter 2 are made of a lamination of iron & then whatever the smith chooses, Swdish steel, blue or white steel etc etc.
On japanese swords the signature is out the outside, the omote side. the ura side stays closest to the body. even in the way a sword is displayed, it is signed such that the signature, the omote side, faces outward. that is another point of confusion, i have read in here that you shave with the omote side against the face. that seems really contradictory. now onto a little more about omote being outside. a common cutting medium is tatami-omote, the outside covering of tatami mats.
It is somewhat confusing. Kitchen knives are signed on the omote. Chisels too are signed that way The signature on swords is on the outside also known as the front side (omote). The edge position however will change if it is Tachi or Katana so there it can be an arbitrary term. However the working side of a single bevel razor is technically the front side. So the back (ura) of a tool is different to the back of a sword. You would rarely use the back of a chisel against the work surface as it would dig into the job. Same with kamisori. Yes, many of us do use both sides but you may understand the chisel comparison. Why the kamisori is signed on the ura I do not know but on kataba kitchen knives, wood chisels, planes & kamisori the non ridged side is the called ura.

Link here shows setting up the ura on a wood plane. You can see it is the flatter side. Ura-dashi (tapping out) | Tools ::