IWASAKI RAZOR--- Sanjo Seisakujo was established by Mr. Shigeyoshi Iwasaki and his father, Mr. Kousuke Iwasaki who is a very famous researcher as old Japanese sword revival and sword smith. His life is deeply related with Japanese sword and Tamahagane. His life had started to devote Japanese sword right before graduate college until he passed away. His son who is Mr. Shigeyoshi Iwasaki has also devoted razor and cutlery in entering his life. I visited his house in Sanjo, Niigata in May, and he should be around 80 years old, but he has still enthusiasm talking about cutlery and related things. There were Mr. Mizuochi who makes Iwasaki razor right now, and we had talked story many hours, and we talked about the letter T on the straight razor or and some other letters like 3M or 7M. They remind of some of the abbreviation of the letter means, but some of them, they are not able to remember, and we talked the subject as small talk, so I also forgot what the letters meant. What I remember is some of the letters for hardness of the razors like hard or medium hard or soft. Some of them letters are for whom selling to like barber school students or wholesaler names.
Mr. Iwasaki, Kosuke wanted revival old national treasure level of Japanese sword. He had also researched for Tamahagane which the steel is used for Japanese sword that is the purest steel in the world. He wanted to research old national treasure swords, and concealed documentations, so he went to Tokyo University which is NO.1 University in Japan, and he got bachelor degree with literature, and he had learned maser course, but he changed mind to get into the major to metallography. He thought that he needed to learn metal science field to revive over 700 years old Japanese swords (national treasure class of swords). Eventually, he researched national class of treasure swords and concealed documentations in Shosoin where we are not able to see. He spent three years to study math and others, and he passed the exam, and he went to the same Tokyo University which is NO.1 school in Japan with engineering major in metallography. He got bachelor science degree and master degree with metallography too.
He graduated bachelor in history, and bachelor science and master degrees in metallography. His father was famous cutlery distributor in Sanjo, Niigata, but right before he graduated high school, It was bankrupted, so he had been part time high school teacher for so many years until finishing master degrees. He also became an apprentice for Japanese sword blacksmith and Japanese sword whet master. Near the end of WWII, he had tried to make high quality Japanese swords by government support. Then he established Sanjo Seisakujo which makes world famous Iwasaki Razor right after WWII. He had kept on researching Japanese sword and steels for blade, and he has influenced a lot to Sanjo steel industry in Nigata, Japan, and he has also influenced to steel industry in Japan a lot. He also had been all over Japan to find the secret of Japanese sword making. He had found or been taught over 50 of secrets.
Iwasaki Tamahagane Western Razor had been made for overcome western razor from Solingen Germany (At the time, Western Razor from Solingen, Germany was world famous in their quality and quantity).
Actually, Sanjo Seisakujo beated Western Razor from Solingen, Germany for the quality and performance, however they could not produce their western Tamahagane razor as much as Solingen, Germany.
At that time, Sanjo Seisakujo had Mr. Kousuke Iwasaki, Mr. Shigeyoshi Iwasaki, two of other sons, Mr. Mizuochi ( who makes Iwasaki razor right now), and Mr. Tokifusa Iizuka (who makes Shigefusa Knife), the company was like a dream team of cutlery in Japan. I have heard that Tamahagane straight razor need 6 times more amount of Tamahagane than Japanese Tamahagane razor, and it is single piece of the steel made, so it is very hard to make it.
It was made about 40 years ago or more.
Sanjo Seisakujo will not make pure carbon steel or Tamahagane Western Razor, because the machine to make the handle is broken by flood disaster over 10 years ago. It is very rare vintage straight razor.
Tamahagane straight razor was sold 3500yen 30 to 40 years ago. It is converted like $700 for now. Pure carbon straight razor was 1700yen. At the same time, Tamahagane Japanese razor was 600yen, so Tamahagane straight razor was almost 6 times more expensive than Tamahagane Japanese razor. The pure carbon steel straight razor was almost 3 times more expensive than Tamahagane Japanese razor. It is for professional barber, so it was made as professional equipment. I guess it was a very expensive razor for even professional barber at that time.
According to Mr. Kousuke Iwasaki record, one of barber guy had shaved 1032 people of beards without sharpen whetstone using just leather strap when it became little bit dull by Tamahagane straight razor. Many of other experienced barbers have also shaved over 900 people without sharpening whetstones too.
Tanifuji Fukutaro is the one who taught how to make straight razor to Iwasaki. Circle horizontal three lines is Iwasaki logo.
