Inoue Tosuke 井上藤助

Period: Active by 1931
State of evidence: Firm documented in 1931, biography unknown

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.

Known marks

Tosuke Inoue - I Circle — I Circle
Reading
新型・shingatta・new type・ the middle of these kanji a Katakana イwith a circle.
井上藤助作・Inoue Tosuke made

Tosuke Inoue - Inoue — Inoue
Reading
藤助 Inoue , for the maker (Tosuke Inoue)

Tosuke Inoue - registered kinmoji bechu — registered kinmoji bechu
Reading
登録・toroku (registered)
井上藤助・Inoue Tousuke, for the maker.
別註・bechuu・special order
金文字・kinmoji・golden letters The name of the series Tosuke Inoue produced.All letters have a slight application of gold colour, which makes them pop out even more

Tosuke Inoue - tokusen — tokusen
Reading
特選・ tokusen ・ specially selected
特上・ tokujō ・ finest grade
登録井上藤助作・ tōroku Inoue Tōsuke saku ・ registered, made by Inoue Tōsuke

Tosuke Inoue - tokusei reza-uchi — tokusei reza-uchi
Reading
特製・tokusei ・specially made
レザー打・rezā-uchi ・razor forging, a line designation of Inoue Tōsuke
井上藤助作・Inoue Tōsuke saku ・made by Inoue Tōsuke

Tosuke Inoue - Uraume — Uraume
Reading
裏梅藤助・Uraume Inoue ・Inoue being the maker, Uraume is a brand name. (the backside plum)
特級・ Tokkyu ・ high grade
Other Kanjis stamped to deeply / not readable.

Tosuke - New Kinmoji - one steel — one steel
Reading
New Kinmoji ( New Gold Letter)
一本鋼打・ippon hagane da・
藤助作・Tosuke saku・made by Tosuke

Tosuke - R10 — R10
Reading
藤助・Tosuke
R付・ R tsuki・made with rounded spine.(10mm)
Package also states R付 10mm ・10mm Radius
ステン　藤助・Stainless Tosuke　
Inside it shows the old manufacturer's address in Osaka (not active any more)

Sources

『最近理髪器具化粧品商便覧』 (Trade directory for barber tools and cosmetics), 1931 edition, 仕入月報社. National Diet Library Digital Collections: Plate 73, Plate 89.
Japanese auction records naming 井上藤助製作所 and the line レザー打.
Kamisori Harnisch archive: engraving photographs of the pieces listed below.