Henkotsu Kamisori, へんこつ, NOS Restored Vintage Japanese Straight Razor and handmade wooden box

Beautiful vintage Henkotsu (へんこつ) straight razor (Kamisori) NOS - New Old Stock. with original packaging. Directly imported from Japan and restored by us to a hair-popping quality and sharpness.
The razor was made in the Showa period and has a length of 14.3 cm, width of 2 cm, length of cutting edge is 4.1 cm and the weight is 30.8g
Medium sized Kamisori a bit on the heavier side.

Similar to the traditional Samurai sword, this Kamisori was hand forged out of 2 layers, the cutting part is made of high carbon steel and the supporting layer of Iron.
The steel layer is brittle and hard, while the Iron gives the right flexibility.
Both layers are not stainless, so always keep your razor dry after your shave and protect it with a thin layer of oil.

Why is this blade not stainless?
Stainless blades are made of an alloy that will prevent it from staining, but also will make it less hard.
High carbon steels, like the cutting layer of this Kamisori, have a much higher hardness and will keep their smooth shaving quality for much longer before having to sharpen them again.

The blade handle is partially blued by us, to protect it from rusting. Bluing is similar to the protective coat which the razor had after being quenched in the time it has been made. Bluing forms a thin layer of magnetite (Fe3O4) on top of the iron.
After Bluing we have attached a brand new rattan wrapping handle. a very traditional approach.

The Kanji / Katakana read as:
へんこつ・Henkotsu・ the maker brand can be found. The こ (ko) looks a bit like an ホ(ho) but is just an old way of writing.


The blade comes wrapped in red linnen in a handmade wooden box.
The box is handcrafted by us out of real Japanese hinoki wood, a wood used over centuries for temples and shrines in Japan. We hand-planed the wood for a better surface with traditional Japanese planes (Kanna).

Engraved on the lid is an Ukiyo-e woodblock print of Utagawa Kuniyoshi's"
Tiger (Tora): Kashiwade no Omi Hatebe", from the series Bravery Matched with the Twelve Animals of the Zodiac (Buyū mitate jūnishi) from around 1840. The Tiger is part of the asian Animal Zodiac system, 2022 is the year of the Tiger.

Great gift and perfect place to store and protect your Kamisori.

Please Also note, in Japan, Kamisori are not only used to remove mens beards. They are commonly used to remove fine facial hair of women, sometimes it is seen as a skin-treatment as also old skin cells are removed in the process.

To ensure that you will get the razor shave ready we use our own specially made protective Kamisori sheaths. The razor edge will not touch anything during the transport. You can use the sheath also after delivery for a safe transport on your travels.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding this wonderful Kamisori. We are happy to assist you.