This Iwasaki easily goes for north of $2000. Because it is NOS, the owner does not give a price but asks to be contacted for a quote. The maker is legendary as is the special tamahagane steel at Rockwell 67C. I'm not sure I would be willing to give up the bucks, but I sure would love to own this razor.
How much $$$ is too much for a straight razor???
- Thread starter camoloc
- Start date
And yet...if you shaved with it, it would no longer be NOS. This razor should be in a museum maybe, if museums cared about what we care about. If you wanted to shave with an Iwasaki Tamahagane, that experience is available for far less, especially with patience. Yes, you'd probably have to do some work on a partially used-up razor to make it great. Does that matter?
Can you please forward me the details of the seller? Actually you better not...
The question isn’t:
How much is too much for a razor like that?
The question is:
How much is enough?
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True but any wear on the razor would have been put there by you. I find scratches and marks much easier to live with when they are my scratches and marks.
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Seller's site is in the lower left hand corner - don't forget your checkbook!
While it may not be a $2000 Iwasaki, I just ordered a custom from Drew Dick.
Value, as well as beauty, is definitely in the eye of the beholder.
Value, as well as beauty, is definitely in the eye of the beholder.
Yeah I think I’ll stick with my user grade Swedish Steel Iwasaki for now.
One day I might sell off my collection and buy one of these to use as a single everyday razor. I don’t think it gets much better than this in the razor world.
People often get hung up on the cost of a single item when the cost of the total collection is much more important. Personally I’d happily sacrifice quantity for quality. I’m sure that there are plenty of people here with $2k of razors in their den. The same people then say that they would never dream of spending that much in a razor. You already have.
One day I might sell off my collection and buy one of these to use as a single everyday razor. I don’t think it gets much better than this in the razor world.
People often get hung up on the cost of a single item when the cost of the total collection is much more important. Personally I’d happily sacrifice quantity for quality. I’m sure that there are plenty of people here with $2k of razors in their den. The same people then say that they would never dream of spending that much in a razor. You already have.
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Your swedish steel razor is likely to be indistinguishable from a tamahagane razor in terms of shaving.
Japanese used Swedish steel because in their opinion it was so similar to tamahagane.
I am guessing it is a bit like driving a new car off the lot feeling (though I do not think the NOS Iwasaki Tamahagane has the new car smell). I would prefer a lightly used Iwasaki Tamahagane. I have been checking Japanese auction sites, the last two very good condition Western Iwasaki Tamahagane razors were sold for north of $1500...the market is becoming pretty competitive (and not in a good way).
Yeah. If I understood correctly, the family is no longer making them and there weren't many to begin with. It's like buying a Ferrari which was still designed by Enzo Ferrari. It's not like they are qualitatively better cars, they just have that aura of 'designed by Enzo Ferrari' that the others don't have.
I have both. They are both excellent, but IMO the tamahagane is better. Some days, I think it's just a tiny bit better; other days, it seems a whole lot better. That may be more about variations in my sensitivity from day to day; hard to say.
I use a cold-water shave, and with the tamahagane it feels as though I can sense it as every individual hair cuts. There is also a bit more control of the sort that you get when you use a Method edge compared to stones-and-strop, that feeling that you are using a precision tool and can take on more subtle tasks. The edge also feels a bit harder against my skin.
The tamahagane also takes more strokes on the stone to take off the same amount of metal.
Yes western grind Iwasakis are not being made anymore. Not sure when exactly they stopped making tamahagane razors. I remember reading somewhere that their tatara was damaged during a flood or a move and after that they just stopped making them. It would explain why we see Swedish steel Kamis but no more tama kami coming out from the shop.
I was lucky enough to find one
NOS, sticker, paperwork on rice paper, box. Unusual serial number. xxxx.0
Was it worth the price? It was to me.
Pics are few years old, I had to tilt the camera to avoid reflections, the picture of the razor doesnt look great.
I was lucky enough to find one
NOS, sticker, paperwork on rice paper, box. Unusual serial number. xxxx.0
Was it worth the price? It was to me.
Pics are few years old, I had to tilt the camera to avoid reflections, the picture of the razor doesnt look great.
Attachments
Jealous!Yes western grind Iwasakis are not being made anymore. Not sure when exactly they stopped making tamahagane razors. I remember reading somewhere that their tatara was damaged during a flood or a move and after that they just stopped making them. It would explain why we see Swedish steel Kamis but no more tama kami coming out from the shop.
I was lucky enough to find one
NOS, sticker, paperwork on rice paper, box. Unusual serial number. xxxx.0
Was it worth the price? It was to me.
Pics are few years old, I had to tilt the camera to avoid reflections, the picture of the razor doesnt look great.
View attachment 1241155View attachment 1241156View attachment 1241157
jackgoldman123
Boring and predictable
Interesting point: Quantity v quality
Stopped me in my tracks. Long time ago an ex-girlfriend sold me on the idea of quality. But since its been a long time and she's long gone I wonder about quantity. Depends on the item(s)? I immediately think of a slew of Fender/Les Paul, etc guitars I'd love to own.
Lefonque
Even more clueless than you
The tradition of blades is rich in most cultures. Our blades connected us to some of those cultures. It can be reflected in the cost of many artisan makers of straight razors. In some ways we buy into those traditions.... I will call my blade Excalibur 
I agree. But when I look at blades today, I do not see rich tradition in the making. Do we assume they felt the same way 100 years ago? Like it was just some tool.piece of nothing. Then 100 yrs later it morphed into art?The tradition of blades is rich in most cultures. Our blades connected us to some of those cultures. It can be reflected in the cost of many artisan makers of straight razors. In some ways we buy into those traditions.... I will call my blade Excalibur
I said earlier, that a day's pay (cash take home) is about what we're willing to pay. Giving up a week of work feels uncomfortable.
But my other thought is that it's probably what you made during most of your life. When we're older, it usually increases but I don't think we become crazy spenders.
It's the Bill Gates effect. When he was the world's richest man he was asked if he'd even pick up a twenty dollar bill on the ground.
He said absolutely. He only became wealthy late in life. All his habits were developed before then. He said he still feels "oh my god, look, that's a twenty dollar bill!"
But my other thought is that it's probably what you made during most of your life. When we're older, it usually increases but I don't think we become crazy spenders.
It's the Bill Gates effect. When he was the world's richest man he was asked if he'd even pick up a twenty dollar bill on the ground.
He said absolutely. He only became wealthy late in life. All his habits were developed before then. He said he still feels "oh my god, look, that's a twenty dollar bill!"
So here is another aspect to all this. I am looking at a razor that I want. It is about $350 plus shipping. I can afford to buy it. But I am questioning if I should spend so much. I have plenty of razors and I don't need this one. But I kinda want it.
So here is the new aspect: If I buy it, I will save myself days of pondering if I should buy it or not. So buying the razor gets me two things: The razor and the relief of having made the decision.
Anybody else ever feel this way, about a razor, about something else?
So here is the new aspect: If I buy it, I will save myself days of pondering if I should buy it or not. So buying the razor gets me two things: The razor and the relief of having made the decision.
Anybody else ever feel this way, about a razor, about something else?
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