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The ALL Kamisori Info Thread (Or at least to expand on Kento's Kamisori Korner)

They have NOTHING to do with that Masamune. Don't waste your money on one thinking there is a connection.

Not that they're bad razors, I almost bought one a while ago. Not because it had the name Masamune on it though.
 
Great info, thank you! Now a question... Is there such a critter as a left-handed kami, or at least one with a symmetrical grind?

Some Tosuke razors say, "England Steel." I don't know the story behind it. I know it's not steel from Sheffield, England.

Just a guess, but 'England Steel' may be a reference to the Bessemer process...
 
Great info, thank you! Now a question... Is there such a critter as a left-handed kami, or at least one with a symmetrical grind?

Yes and in fact someone posted one recently.

That said, in my opinion both omote and ura shave great. I actually prefer the ura for some parts of my face.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
In ancient times a guy name Telly had a Japanese blacksmith make up a few oppositely ground Kamisori.
 
Yasuki steel is great, it's typically a very high grade carbon steel with various grades, varying from "nothing but carbon added" to having tungsten and chromium in the mix. It can be extremely hard.

My understanding is that kamisori were bimetallic with a harder tamahagane edge and softer steel over that providing the bulk of the razor. Tamahagane is generally (but not always) a very high quality steel and the name refers both to its origins (reduced from iron sand) and its method of manufacture (done so in a specific type of furnace) more than its actual composition, at least from what I can tell.

More "modern" kamisori (like the kamisori-ground folding straights like I like, but also some traditional straight ones) are typically monometallic and Yasuki steel is as good a steel to make them out of as you can buy anywhere in the world. Certainly equalling or (often) exceeding Solingen, Sheffield, or Swedish. It is also common in high end Japanese kitchen knives.
 
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Just when I thought I was getting a handle on all this you go and throw ^^^^ that into the mix....dang...lol
 
Thanks to [MENTION=8604]kelbro[/MENTION] for directing me to this awesome thread.

It's excellent to build a good knowledge base about kamisori - they seem so mysterious initially and I am growing to love them more and more.

I have so many questions about the stamps, handle wrappings and histories of the makers.

Iwasaki is well documented but what about the history of Henkotsu, Tosuke etc?
Where are the photos of their forges.

I got so fired up that I started a couple of threads about kamis and Iwasaki:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/486993-Please-Tell-Me-About-This-Kamisori

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/495128-So-Please-Tell-Me-About-Iwasaki

So it's really great to have now found this one [emoji3]
 
So how about this style?
Fixed decorated handle but unimetallic with a symmetrical grind, like a kami and a Jwest had a baby [emoji3]
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This is the first one I've seen of this kind.
 
Newbie and not sure how this works, but I'm trying to post a few images and ask for advice if
1.This can be restored to shave ready?
2. Rough cost of restoring?
3. If I bought for $120 is it worth it?
Looks to me that it is an older, Swedish steel, Iwaski.
(Tried posting on the general site but no replies so will try here).
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