Beautifully made. Love the artisan
"Beautifully made. Love the artisan nature of this razor, and the box that it comes it. Super happy with this purchase. The razor looks and feels great - and is really enjoyable to use."
Takami Kamisori Japanese Straight Razor Western Grind
Takami Kamisori Japanese Straight Razor Western Grind
Kamisori Shape
Regular price
$347.00 CAD
Regular price
Sale price
$347.00 CAD
Unit price
per
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Typically Japanese razors are all ground unevenly, with an edge that leans to one side which can be a little challenging to get used to. In an effort to make the traditional Japanese straight razors more accessible to a western user, Takami has crafted a razor that combines the best of both worlds: Japanese ergonomics and performance, with a western-style grind. This means that this razor is quite precise and easy to learn with, but presents fewer of the challenges that traditional Japanese or European straight-razors offer.
Kamisoris are made from incredibly hard steel that will keep their edge longer than most European blades, and the steel is laminated to softer steel to offer protection against chipping and cracking. Each Takami Kamisori is hand forged and individually stamped with Kanji that reads, "Made By Takami"
For even more information about Kamisoris, check out our feature blog!
- All razors are guaranteed shave-ready by our staff.
- For help using your razor, we suggest you take a Straight Razor Shaving Class at one of our stores or feel free to contact us for advice.
- This razor is made from high carbon steel, which is capable of amazing sharpness and great edge retention but requires a little extra care. Be sure to dry your razor well after every use, and oil with Blade Oil or store in a dry place.
- All straight razors must be stropped before use, to straighten burrs and polish the edge for the smoothest shave possible. Be sure to use a good quality strop and accurate technique.
- Honing/ Sharpening should be done on Japanese synthetic or natural whetstones. You can bring your blade into a Kent of Inglewood store to be honed, with the first time free on any blades purchased from us. Razor honing classes are also available at your nearest Kent of Inglewood location.
About Amano san - As a young blacksmith working on his own, Amano san began steel forging and crafting Kamisori (Japanese straight razors) around the time that Kent of Inglewood opened in 2014. In 2015 he began mailing us prototypes to shave will, and report back our results. From the beginning his edges were fantastic, and with some feedback, his blades quickly took the comfortable, balanced blade that you see today. He makes a right-handed, left-handed, and ambidextrous razor all from White Carbon Steel, and are mostly known under the brand-name “Takami” meaning “Sky & Water”.
| Blade Length | |
|---|---|
| Weight | |
| Grind Style | |
| Made in | Japan |
| Brand | Amano san |
Ingredients
Ingredients
Shipping and Returns
Shipping and Returns
Shipping, Delivery, and Returns: What You Need To Know
For Internet orders our goal is to respond in 24 hours and ship the purchase as soon as possible.
Shipments crossing international borders including to the USA can be detained by the country’s customs agency and duties and taxes may be charged. These delays and charges are beyond our control.
International shipments are sent with a commercial invoice for this reason. Customs charges can differ depending on destination and value. Kent of Inglewood, is not authorized or responsible for these charges.
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Customs agency in each country has rights to detain and inspect packages entering the country. When the package is sent to a Customs Agent, significant delay can occur. The delay is beyond our control and Kent of Inglewood, is not authorized to investigate the status of the package. Duties and taxes may be charged according to the value of the products.
Perfume, colognes, and alcohol based aftershaves
Due to international shipping regulations, we cannot send perfumes, colognes and alcohol based aftershaves to customers outside of Canada. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Kent of Inglewood Shipping Policy
General Return Policy
For all return and exchange information click here.
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If there are any problems with your order, please notify us within 48 hours of receipt. Kent of Inglewood will not be responsible for any claims made after 48 hours. For breakage resulting from carrier transit, please keep the entirety of original item(s) as well as all packaging and packing materials for future inspection by carrier. If the package is not delivered within expected delivery date, please contact us immediately. We will start the investigation with carrier. In case of loss of item(s), only insured packages will be covered for replacement.
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We want all of our customers to be very pleased with their purchase. Therefore, all of our products are carefully inspected prior to shipping and packaged appropriately to prevent damage in shipping. If you find you have any problems with your order upon receipt, please contact customer service at hello@kentofinglewood.com within 48 hours.
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Kent of Inglewood makes no representations or warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, without limitation, warranties or conditions of title, or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Kent of Inglewood is not responsible for printing or typographical errors. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.
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Overall rating: 4.8333335 / 5 from 18 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Summary topics
Review topics: ["handle","edge","service","buy","razor","shave","kamisori","blades","grind","strop"].
Review highlights
Reviews
A pleasing and novel western grind kamisori
"The double-sided western grind on this kamisori makes it somewhat easier to use than a traditionally ground kamisori. The blade has a gorgeous mirror finish and the bevel can become remarkably sharp with a good honing (see my note below). It comes in a small paulownia wood box, which is a bit too narrow for practical storage because you risk hitting the blade edges when placing or removing the kamisori from the box. I created the stand in the photo for storage. This model is quite blade-heavy, as the spine above the grind is thicker and longer than many models. The handle is tall but delicately thin, so I wrapped some waxed leather cord around the handle to improve the grip. Overall I find this kamisori to be a bit less maneuverable because of the thickness of the spine, but it's makes for a fun shave and I'm glad to have it in my collection. Excellent service from Kent, it shipped very fast. These might be considered "shave-ready," but they will not give a pleasant experience without additional honing. I recommend using 2 balsa strops, one with 100K grit and one with 200K grit, in order to get a pleasant shave with any straight razor."
AMAZING!
"This razor was a gift and I love it more than life itself :-) I'm am experienced with DE & shavette razors but I wanted a steel Kamisori. I love EVERYTHING about this razor. How it looks, how it feels in the hand, how it shaves. The edge that Kent of Inglewood sent it out with, was superb but I gave it a few runs across a 20K Suehiro stone and then stropped it and it sings. It was intimidating at first but a quick adjustment in technique and I now have shaves as baby butt smooth and comfortable as my Feather Artist Club SS which was my benchmark. A special shout out to Kent of Inglewood for the VERY helpful advice both on their website and that also came shipped with my razor :-) If you have your eye on this razor, do not hesitate for a second to obtain it."
Sexiest razor ever
"I'm new to straights, and I really love this razor. It's sleek, refined, and practical. Though some may find the symmetric grind to be an affront to tradition, it makes for an ergonomic, comfortable shave. No mechanical bits to worry about maintaining, just a hunk of beautiful steel. The single downside is the poor portability. Since the razor doesn't fold, you gotta be careful how you store it. This also makes travel difficult. The provided softwood box is about as good a solution as you'll get, since it keeps the razor from jostling. Of course, the edge will be mildly blunted from contact with the paper wrapping, but it's nothing a little stropping won't fix. For my tastes, this is the best modern razor on the market. Excellent service from Kent of Inglewood, and the hone job was pretty good too."
I’m loving this razor! It
"I’m loving this razor! It is so sharp that I was nervous to use it at first, but I started slow and began with shaving a small section of my face until I got used to it. Definitely a great purchase."
Ultra sharp and a delight
"Ultra sharp and a delight to shave with."
I find the weight and
"I find the weight and size more to my liking than the foldable type. I’m still learning how to sharpen these straight razors but when new they were the best shave I’ve had in a long time."
Very good on off side
"Very good on off side for those right hand people that struggle on left side of face"
I loved it right away
"I bought this after eyeing it for weeks, and could not wait for this razor to be back in stock! It arrived in the evening and i could barely wait for the next mornings shave. I really like the weight and feel of this Kamisori and look forward to using it for years to come!"
Easiest straight edge to use
"Its light and agile, easy to use and cuts like butter"
Q&A
- Hi there, I currently shave with with a feather artist club, if I was to buy a japanese kamisori which would I buy, the Takami or the iwasaki? I shave right handed and use the same hand for both sides of my face, turning the razor around for each side. I'm leaning to the western grind for that reason but some input would be appreciated as when I read your customer questions one answer States that the Tanami is a 50/50 grind and one sais it is a 70/30 grind......? I have all the stones I need for honing from hand sharpening my knives, I hear the iwasaki is more difficult to hone?
- Hey Michael, I kind-of lean towards the Takami kamisori because of the thickness of the handle. I am a pretty confident shaver, but I have a hard time getting around with the thin handle of the Iwasaki. However, the Iwasaki is really beautiful, and honestly, it just takes a bunch of practice! Unlike a kitchen knife, a kamisori isn't a single bevel, so it takes a bit of angle-work, but it will totally shave on both sides. I have honed both styles of kamisori. I think they are equally easy. Some folks feel like a 7:1 ratio on the Japanese grind is most appropriate, but even on a stone, you can hone both sides equally to excellent results; so it really comes down to what you like to do, how dexterous your hands are and what you will feel is more satisfying!
- Hi, Does the kamisori from Amano san come in a box? Thanks
- Hey there, it does come in a wooden box! - Ellie
- As someone looking to purchase my first kamisori, the idea of a symmetrical western grind appeals to me. I see from another user's question that you have described this as more of a 30/70 grind? How is this used if I plan on shaving with both sides of the blade? Would I just shave at different angles? Also, which side is the 30 and which is the 70? I apologize for my ignorance on the topic. Thank you for any help you can offer.
- Hey there! The right face of the Japanese ground Kamisori is typically the one that is hollow ground, and the back side is a little bit concave. The western ground Kamisori you'll see on the website is indeed sharpened at a 50/50 grind, both sides hollow ground so it shave the same way on each side. When using the single beveled variety, you can actually shave using both sides of the razor - you'll just use a different angle for each face. I find that the Japanese single bevel grind feels a little bit more crisp and stable than the 50/50 western grind, but it does take a little bit of getting used to. Let us know if this helps!! - Owen
- Hi! I just wanted to ask two questions about the Amano san razor you have in stock (I realise it is difficult to check the item because of the lock down, no worries if not possible). Firstly, does the whole blade have a mirror finish? Or is there an opaque and a shiny section? Secondly, is it an asymmetrical grind or a balanced western grind? The profile looks traditional (therefore asymmetrical) but perhaps this has a different way of honing it? Thanks for your attention in advance!
- Hey there!Sorry for the delayed response. -The whole beveled section of the blade is mirrored. -The grind is western, but not completely symmetrical, more like 30/70 -You would home is like a normal straight razor. Cheers!