Inoue Tosuke 井上藤助

Inoue Tōsuke is one of the most frequent names in our archive. 井上藤助 is the name of a firm: the firm name 井上藤助製作所 (Inoue Tōsuke Seisakusho) appears in Japanese auction records.

The house is documented in the 1931 edition of a Japanese trade directory for barber supplies. Plate 73 shows a kamisori under the mark 藤助印 with the registration stamp 登録 and the grade 別上. Plate 89 shows 井上藤助特製 next to the brands Moritaka Masamune and Goromaru.

Marks and words found on Tōsuke blades:
井上藤助作 ・ Inoue Tōsuke saku ・ made by Inoue Tōsuke
藤助印 ・ Tōsuke-jirushi ・ the Tōsuke mark
登録 ・ tōroku ・ registered
登録商標 ・ tōroku shōhyō ・ registered trademark
特製 ・ tokusei ・ specially made
特選 ・ tokusen ・ specially selected
別撰 ・ bessen ・ separately selected, a grade word
別上 ・ betsujō ・ special top grade
別註 ・ betchū ・ special order
実作 ・ jissaku ・ genuine work
二丁掛 ・ nichōgake ・ size mark
新特許出願中 ・ shin tokkyo shutsugan-chū ・ new patent pending
レザー打 ・ rezā-uchi ・ a line name of the house
みがき ・ migaki ・ polished finish
金文字 ・ kinmoji ・ gold lettering

Life dates, place and the size of the workshop are not documented in any source we have found.