very interesting find. This is a New Old Stock Hanamasa or New Hanamasa Kamisori with a new Azuma packaging. We kept both parts together. The packaging lets us trace back the Kamisori to 8th December 1956. The packaging contains a small recommendation slip from Hyogo prefecture Machinery & Metalworking Industry Advisory Office, recommending the Azuma Kamisori. Now there might be a link between Hanamasa and Azuma but thats nothing we could verify. In any way, this is a beautiful post war Hanamasa in almost perfect condition. We added a rattan handle and Urushi lacquer. Finally we sharpened it as always with our Nagura stone progression - it is shave ready out of the box.
Box Design
from the series "Ten Types in the Physiognomic Study of Women (Fujin sogaku juttai) (Kiseru)" from around 1802-1903
An Ukiyo-E Print by Kitagawa Utamaro
Materials
Steel・鋼: Yasugi Steel - Hitachi.
Jigane・地金: soft iron・極軟鉄
Handle Wrapping: Japanese Rattan, Urushi lacquer
Box: Paulownia Wood - Japan - paper box original
Kamisori Wrapping: Japanese silk fabric
Measurements
Length: 150mm
Head width: 18 mm (5/8")
Length of cutting edge: 45mm
Weight: 35,4 g
a medium sized Kamisori
Engraving
New Hanamasa ・ 花正 ・ maker's mark (正 *masa* within a radiating sun motif)
Yasuki Steel ・ 安来鋼 ・ yasuki-kō ・ Yasugi steel (Hitachi, Shimane)
Care Guide
・strop the Kamisori before each use, we offer strops in our shop.
・wipe dry with a towel after each use
・you can also apply some camellia oil to protect the kamisori from rust
・After a few months it might be necessary to hone your razor. Start with the finest possible stone >10.000 grit
