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Well with a fair bit of luck I finally managed to hunt down a true Japanese Tamahagane western style folding Kamisori razor, and I'm well chuffed, should be arriving sometime next week, a NOS 13/16 can't wait to get my hands on the razor, a very rare find.
What is Tamahagane or Traditional Japanese Steel ? « Samurai Sword Shop
Jamie
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Jamie,
That looks awesome.
You'll have to post that in SOTD mate, and tell us what you think of it.
Certainly different and very interesting.
~Paul
I will do Paul, when she arrives I'll certainly give her a SOTD try out, if she shaves as well as my other folding Kamisori then I'll be more than pleased.
Jamie.
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Nice, very nice!
your putting together a very nice razor collection congrats
Jamie those are fascinating razors!
I like these black scales. That might be a hunting object for the next year.
But I am not a collector.
But I am not a collector.
But I am not a collector.
But I am not a collector.
...
...
...
:p
Thanks everyone, long before I started shaving with a straight razor I use to collected knives and custom folding knives, and that's where my love for Japanese steel kind of came from, I recently sold off most of my collection, but still carry a little Spyderco Urban with Japanese VG10 steel, I also kept a little Japanese Moki in strawberry jigbone also in VG10, the big difference between knife collecting and straight razors are, most of the better knives most people own end up being draw queens, where as every razor I own gets used, now that's something I really love about owning and collecting vintage straight razors.
Jamie.
Now you just need a J-Nat to go along with your Tamahagane razor. :tuQuote:
Originally Posted by celticcrusader
From VG-10 to Tamahagane is one big step!
You ain't got no Jnats, you're kidding right?
Jamie,
authentic Tamahagane was used for Kamisori, and Western Iwasaki, on western style kamisoris and factory made straights factory made tamahagane steel was used. I do not have any source of that info, but unless it was a marketing trick it is reasonable to think the steel used was similar in composition. The razors made from that steel are typically hardened more than usual and take very good edge.
I found this on Tamahagane and Iron sand; 靖国刀 - トム岸田 - Google Böcker
Hi Stefan, do you have any info on the makers mark?Quote:
Originally Posted by mainaman
Jamie
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Jamie,Quote:
Originally Posted by celticcrusader
I am not familiar with the mark, and have never seen it, but you can ask your vendor for the translation.
Interestingly enough I was told a bout a month ago that current tamahagane production yields very low grade product that is unusable for razors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemur
The steel is just not good enough to produce fine edge.
That's probably true of the current supply of Tamahagane, but as with anything vintage more than 40 or 50 years old as with this razor I would imagine this would not apply. Anyway when the Japanese are today producing steels such as the worlds finest steel CLA189 the same used on their Rockstead knives, ZDP189 and VG10 I doubt even the finest Tamahagane ever produced with live with CLA189.
Jamie
Vintage is vintage once it is made it is there to stay.Quote:
Originally Posted by celticcrusader
This razor however is not made form Tamahagane made in the traditional way by a bunch of guys around a Tatara somewhere in Japan, it is made in the Hitachi factory. The traditional tamahagane was used for swords(mainly)/chisels/planes/knives/ and razor but only certain smiths would have access. It was/is a very big deal to get good tamahagane, as one run would produce a few kilograms out of ~10 tons of raw ingredients. And not always one would get good quality steel from each run.
I would not call VG-10 fine steel by the way.
Holy moly, those are nice.
A sweet find for sure and what a great looking razor! Enjoy!
I managed to find out the makers name Ryujin, I know they made Tamahagane razors and that's about it, any other info would be welcome.
Jamie
Just an update on the razor, the maker is written with a bit of calligraphy and it reads Ryujin. The first kanji is Dragon, and the second one is God. So it is the Dragon God, quite fitting to own a razor called the Dragon God, when my countries flag and figure head just happens to be a dragon.
Jamie.
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