A Japanese hand plane, also known as a kanna (鉋), is a traditional hand tool used in Japanese woodworking. It is similar to a Western handplane, but it is typically smaller and has a more acute angle on the blade. The kanna is used for planing wood surfaces and creating smooth finishes. It is also …
Japanese ‘Saw’ or nokogiri (鋸) The Japanese hand saw has become very popular amongst woodworkers. In this article I want to share with you my thoughts on the Japanese woodworker’s hand saw and how you’re one. I will set out how they are different from our popular Western and European woodworking saws. It’s not to …
What is a Nomi Chisel ? The Nomi is a Japanese tool that western woodworkers would call a chisel. The Japanese chisel is not the same in every way as a western chisel. Like western chisels, the Nomi is made in many patterns to suit different woodworking tasks. A Nomi is a type of Japanese …
‘Hammer’ of Japan or ‘Genno or Gennoh’ (玄能) The Japanese hammer is called a Genno and is used to impact chisels, setting a plane iron and as you would expect driving nails. Japanese Genno vs the Western Hammer The hammer has a fundamental task to drive nails and to bash stuff but there is more …
The Ono (斧)or as we in Western cultures call it ‘The Axe’ is a Japanese tool and a weapon but also a tool for felling trees and processing of timber. Japanese carpenters are highly skilled with the ONO As a woodworking blog, my interest is how this tool can be used in woodworking. Not just today …
In Japan, the Adze is called a Chouna. The Chouna is one of those tools that is used by skilled native Japanese artisans for woodworking but predominantly reducing and shaping the face of wooden sections. Chouna or Japanese Adze is superseded by the Saw The long saw has reduced the need for the Chouna. This …
Woodworking itself is one of the oldest art forms in existence; Japanese woodworking is one of the earliest known forms of the craft to ever be in existence and used for building homes and furniture. Japanese Woodworking is Considered Art Japanese architecture is predominantly timber or bamboo construction using special jointing techniques that do not …
Whether you’re trying to add new elements of style and personality into your home or want to improve its inherent value, wood finishing is a great way to do so. When it comes to choosing the right wood finishing material for your home, there are two options for you to choose from. Hardwood and softwood …
Woodworking bench planes are 200mm (8”) to 600mm (224”) long, for example, a Stanley Bailey No7 is 22” in length yet a No4 smoothing plane is 8 to 10 inches. What is the length of woodworking hand planes? The length of a hand plane is different for each model, for instance, a block plane is …
As we move through 2020 and faced with the prospect of a deep and protracted recession we as a people must prepare to look at things differently. This situation is profounded by the fact that global warming is melting the ice of the Northern Hemisphere. We can help reduce global warming by reusing instead of …