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Bought for $340, selling for $310
Chotaro tailor scissors
Chotaro: 長太郎
Scissors: 鋏
* 240mm size
* 216 g
* 255 mm total length
* Highest end tailor scissors -- supposed to be the best lineage of the successors from the first blacksmith who made tailor scissors in Japan
* Likely the 3rd generation who made the pair I'm selling
* Tokyo made
* Has Tobasami sticker
* No box
Difference between Chotaro and the many other Tailor scissors I've tried:
Peak sharpness is higher. The handle loopholes are slightly bigger and angled better. The smoothness of the movement is far lighter and more continuous. Much much less of the binding that occurs sometimes as the scissors are closed. The blades still make continuous contact with another though. The very tip increases the curve slightly, or pressure against each blade, for stronger contact, so that the tip can still cut without splaying apart. This pair has the higher end hardware I've seen on scissors -- which are nickel colored pivots that protrude farther for more contact at the wrench location when adjusting the blade. Some others have it too, but most don't. As for compared to other Japanese forged tailor scissors -- the curving isn't done quite as well, and the sharpness doesn't seem quite as exquisite, and the lightness in cutting isn't as good. But materially, they are mostly similar, and good enough for most people.
As far as I know, there aren't any direct successors to the Chotaro lineage. But there are related ones still making scissors. If I read correctly, Shozaburo is supposed to have learned from the Chotaro lineage.
These do feel nicer in hand compared to Shozaburo deluxe I've had, and they do cut better by a tier or two. Action is lighter as well. Steel feels like white 1. I haven't sharpened it though, so I can't give any detail on how it is, aside from that it seems very hard and sharp -- and more so than the Shozaburo deluxe.
The scissor blades have minimal rust-- only at one small spot at the cutting bevel at the tip. The pivot does has patina and pitting. The tips have a kasumi on the spine. The blades don't seem to be sharpened much from the user before me. When I bought them, I had learned that the scissors had been adjusted by the then-existing generation Chotaro.
If I have to compare Chotaro to anything, it would be the high end Tokyo chisel and plane blacksmiths, since Chotaro is their peer in scissors blacksmithing.
Information about the third generation Chotaro
http://www.meikoukai.com/contents/town/06/6_16/index.html
Information about the scissor blacksmith lineage
http://the-noren.com/original/tatibasami/chotaro.html
Japan Tool comment comparing Chotaro and Heiji scissors
http://www.japan-tool.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=188
Chotaro tailor scissors
Chotaro: 長太郎
Scissors: 鋏
* 240mm size
* 216 g
* 255 mm total length
* Highest end tailor scissors -- supposed to be the best lineage of the successors from the first blacksmith who made tailor scissors in Japan
* Likely the 3rd generation who made the pair I'm selling
* Tokyo made
* Has Tobasami sticker
* No box
Difference between Chotaro and the many other Tailor scissors I've tried:
Peak sharpness is higher. The handle loopholes are slightly bigger and angled better. The smoothness of the movement is far lighter and more continuous. Much much less of the binding that occurs sometimes as the scissors are closed. The blades still make continuous contact with another though. The very tip increases the curve slightly, or pressure against each blade, for stronger contact, so that the tip can still cut without splaying apart. This pair has the higher end hardware I've seen on scissors -- which are nickel colored pivots that protrude farther for more contact at the wrench location when adjusting the blade. Some others have it too, but most don't. As for compared to other Japanese forged tailor scissors -- the curving isn't done quite as well, and the sharpness doesn't seem quite as exquisite, and the lightness in cutting isn't as good. But materially, they are mostly similar, and good enough for most people.
As far as I know, there aren't any direct successors to the Chotaro lineage. But there are related ones still making scissors. If I read correctly, Shozaburo is supposed to have learned from the Chotaro lineage.
These do feel nicer in hand compared to Shozaburo deluxe I've had, and they do cut better by a tier or two. Action is lighter as well. Steel feels like white 1. I haven't sharpened it though, so I can't give any detail on how it is, aside from that it seems very hard and sharp -- and more so than the Shozaburo deluxe.
The scissor blades have minimal rust-- only at one small spot at the cutting bevel at the tip. The pivot does has patina and pitting. The tips have a kasumi on the spine. The blades don't seem to be sharpened much from the user before me. When I bought them, I had learned that the scissors had been adjusted by the then-existing generation Chotaro.
If I have to compare Chotaro to anything, it would be the high end Tokyo chisel and plane blacksmiths, since Chotaro is their peer in scissors blacksmithing.
Information about the third generation Chotaro
http://www.meikoukai.com/contents/town/06/6_16/index.html
Information about the scissor blacksmith lineage
http://the-noren.com/original/tatibasami/chotaro.html
Japan Tool comment comparing Chotaro and Heiji scissors
http://www.japan-tool.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=188
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