Sandor Nagyszalanczy, author of Tools: Rare and Ingenious, shares some beautiful Japanese Tools with host David Thiel. These tools are all handmade by a famous Japanese artisan. They are not just tools; each is an individually crafted piece of artwork.
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One of the standout features of a Japanese hand plane is the blade (figure A). The metal often displays extraordinary patterns, a tradition carried down from the art of sword-making. The pattern derives from heating up two differently-colored metals and folding them over and over. Acid-etching and wire brushing enhance the pattern. The cutting edge of the plane allows it to slice very thin layers.
The box surrounding this plane is made of red oak (figure B). Red oak is a valued wood because it comes from trees that are over 300 years old.
Figure A
Figure B
Another plane (figure C) called the 'Evening Calm', is a very fine tool used by very fine craftsman.
An ink line (figure D) is the Japanese version of a chalk line. You can see the cotton fibers soaked with orange ink.
Figure C
Figure D
Figure E
Figure F
Some chisels (figure E) were made using the same type of folding technique seen in the hand planes. The iron used to make the blades was originally employed in anchor chains. The pre-1800 wrought iron has properties that make the chisels strong.
Other chisels are made to be used for specialized application. Each is made with different surface techniques, including etching, hammering and wire brushing.
The head of the boat builder's hammer (figure F) is also made with the folding technique. A nail set is built into one end of the hammer so you can set the head of a nail below the surface of the wood, as you would need to do when building the deck of a boat.
Figure G
This chisel hammer has a hammered surface texture (figure G).
Several of the Japanese tools Sandor has collected have the maker's mark etched into them (figure H). This unusual saw with coarse teeth (figure I) was made for cutting logs into boards. You can see some of the tempering process in the colorations on the blade.
Figure H
Figure I
The other saw in Figure H, was made by a famous Japanese toolmaker. The process for making this saw starts with iron dust. The forging process for a tool like this could take weeks. It's valued at about $15,000 without a handle.
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