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Iwasaki Carbon Steel Kamisori

I've just acquired this lovely vintage Iwasaki but it has markings that I've not seen on an Iwasaki blade before:
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Thanks to [MENTION=34276]Kentos[/MENTION] for translating the kanji whic simply say "Carbon Steel" rather than the more familiar "Tamahagane"
So is this one of Shigeyoshi-san's early metallurgical experiments?
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It came with a wrapper but I don't know if it's related to the razor in any way:
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Oh and guess what? It took an amazing edge...
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ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
Kentos is wrong. The lettering says "Property of Ouch International. Please return."
 
Well thanks to Takeshi Aoki from Aframes Tokyo, we have a definitive answer about this blade.
The kanji say Pure Carbon Steel (Tansoko).
This is a vintage Iwasaki and one of Shigeyoshi-san's many experiments with developing a steel to supercede Tamahagane.

Here's Mr Aoki's very helpful answer:
" 'Tansoko' means pure carbon steel blade in Japanese.

The current pure carbon steel (Swedish steel) model does not have the stamp, but I have seen a lot of those stamp model on vintage Iwasaki kamisori before.

I do not know what is the exactly the steel name, because Iwasaki has tried to use so many pure carbon steel before."
 
Very nice kamisori. I love the wrapping on the handle very much. I would enjoy one like that very much.
 
First shave with the Iwasaki Pure Carbon Steel today:
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That steel's dense and shiny and feels quite brittle a bit like those late 19th Century Silver Steels.

And, like my modern Sweedish Steel Iwasaki, this vintage Iwasaki is quite fussy about angle.
A lot of the other kamisori I've shaved with are quite intuitive and easy going but these Iwasakis seem to require attention to technique. Not really a surprise for something so masterful eh?
And man, what an incredible shave!
 
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