| So far we have looked at two different brands of | | | | makers chisel. These are carpenters tools made to |
| bevel edged chisels one American and one English. | | | | be struck with a hammer, designed to be used on |
| Now we need to consider the Japanese. When these | | | | large sections of softwood. Furniture makers need |
| blades became popular in the West I was one of the | | | | more delicate tools than the standard Japanese chisel. |
| first to advocate their use. This is because of the | | | | I do have a few of these in my toolbox and I will |
| hardness of the blade and the sharpness of the | | | | continue to use them but I mix them with lighter |
| cutting edge. These edges were as sharp as the cold | | | | Western blades. |
| rolled steel blades that we were used into the 1980s | | | | A problem we have seen is the disappearance of the |
| and 1990s, the difference was that they held their | | | | small highly skilled Japanese blacksmith. Most of the |
| edges between five times and eight times longer. We | | | | chisels imported to the west are made now in small |
| know this because I did a test in my workshop, we | | | | factories and the quality is not as high as we are |
| took a piece of maple and asked an apprentice to | | | | used to getting from the old master blacksmiths. |
| pare back with a sharp blade and see how much he | | | | When I was in Tokyo I was taken to meet a |
| could pare before the blade lost its edge. Not a | | | | blacksmith, his workshop was probably smaller than a |
| terribly scientific test I know but it was the best we | | | | one car garage. He worked there with his 83-year-old |
| could do. | | | | father. I asked him to sell me a marking knife, he |
| These blades are harder I believe, they are closer to | | | | asked my name and then proceeded to carve into |
| the old-fashioned cast steel or crucible steel of the | | | | the handle the symbols that indicated that this knife |
| tools made before World War II. These were blades | | | | is mine. Then he turned to his father held the blade |
| that had been heated and hammered. Their | | | | to his forehead and showed his workmanship to the |
| construction is laminated steel they have a hard | | | | old man. And the old man gave an appreciative grunt. |
| surface which forms the cutting edge and the | | | | Dad was the quality control department, the |
| bottom of the blade laminated onto a soft steel | | | | blacksmith was asking the old man "have I upheld the |
| which forms in the body of the tool. This laminating | | | | standards and values of your life's work," the old |
| process requires heating and hammering. | | | | man was acknowledging his son's achievements and |
| Although these blades if you buy them from a small | | | | congratulating him on his workmanship without giving |
| maker are absolutely superb in their edge holding | | | | him an inch more. All in a grunt. |
| capacity, I don't think they are the ideal furniture | | | | |