Making a Japanese Chisel Handle

[@MisterVikter]

Look Ma, no lathe!

[@aarondavis156]

Still my favorite woodworking channel. Somehow you and Paul Sellers, I watch these videos a few times a year!

[@rootvalue]

I always love how you give a quick background and then get straight to the point. Your video style rules. No fluff, no filler. All meat!

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Thanks sir!

[@amezcuaist]

I did just this job yesterday before I saw the video. I guessed the handles were not turned on a lathe . I was replacing an old handle which had been broken at the edge of the ferrule. When you fit the end hoop the inside front edge should be filed at 45 degrees to compress the wood but not to jam and start splintering . The handle will very gradually get shorter . That`s the way they do it .Cutting around the edge to fit the hoop I drew a line all round with a felt pen .That way you help to can keep the shape circular .

[@Chain21SAW]

Love your videos , note on the fit of the handle , it’s important that the wood handle touches the chisel shoulder not just the ferrule edge otherwise when you use hammer the force goes through the thin edge of the ferrule and isn’t transmitted to the chisel .. particularly important with tataki nomi

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Yes you're right. I should've shown that and now that you bring it up I didn't. Thanks for the correction

[@michaelpage7691]

I was about to make a handle up for a chisel...I started to watch this thinking a wood lathe would be involved... hallelujah...just a craftsman doing it the old way...good on you. I shall now use your method. 👍🏻🇦🇺

[@mc4kvb]

Thank you for this good video. Nothing like using real tools to make a beautiful tool. I enjoy your videos very much. Thanks for sharing.

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Thanks Becky, glad you enjoy the work. I get roughly 1 day a week to actually do some work so I'm glad you enjoy the result.

[@josephKEOarthur]

no drill press, no lathe.. much respect on making it work for your own!

[@charlestompkin6772]

Great video! I just made a handle out of black locust for a Genno I picked up in Tokyo this past November! It is an incredible species of wood. What region are you located in?

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Thanks for watching! I like my privacy so I'd rather not disclose my location. But I will say that at the time I made this video I was living in the central US

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very good! Thank you.

[@ClintRoseCarving]

Brilliant video as always and a wonderful result, love it!

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Timber Anew arigato!

[@coltius]

Great video! Where did you get the ferrule and hoop at? I've been looking for a source online but haven't had much luck.

[@amezcuaist]

I had the same problem .I bought some thinner steel ferrules meant for the tips of walking sticks . They are the right shape but not as thick .

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Hida Tool

[@SethsProject]

Love these videos! I need to build me some small sawhorses, and a small bench like that :) Also, where did you get the ferrule, and ring?

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Thanks sir. Ferrule and ring came from my friend too.

[@borp6912]

Lemongrasspicker do you know where to get extra hoops for when you find chisels that are missing them? Not sure what the Japanese name for them are

[@Lemongrasspicker]

If you just need the hoop. Go to Hida Tool's website and type in "chisel ring" there's a company called Fujihiro that makes good replacements

[@danwittmayer6539]

Love this video! I'm grateful for the demonstration how to make a chisel handle without a lathe. How do make your ferrules & hoops?

[@Lemongrasspicker]

My friend had the ferrule and sent them with the blade. Thanks for watching!

[@JakeMcNaughton]

I generally make them out of pipe forged over some sort of mandrel. Copper's easiest if you don't have a forge as it can be worked cold and annealed easily with a propane torch. I could record a video of that if you're interested. I was planning on doing it someday anyway. You can also just cut a length of pipe and use that without modifying it in a pinch.

[@amezcuaist]

Steel tube with whatever outside diameter you like. Get 3mm thick .That can be shaped and rounded easily .

[@garenne0169]

nice job, and only with hand tools !!! what is the name of your knife for carving, i believe it's a mora ?

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Thanks sir. It's a Mora 120, I made the handle some time ago.

[@garenne0169]

Lemongrasspicker i love the handle too 👍🏻😁

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Arigato!

[@LittlePetieWheat]

What is the Chinese characters name for the pliers you hammer into the bench to stop the wood moving when planing`?

[@Lemongrasspicker]

I don't know actually lol

[@Mikhandmaker]

nice look!

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Mikhandmaker thanks sir!

[@carlcooper3525]

I guess I am talking about your other knife. The one you showed on your other video with the axe and other tools.

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Carl Cooper oh yes, that one is a Helle Nying. Had that thing for years. Good fishing knife.

[@johnhaywood6358]

Hi, nice video!

[@Aubreykun]

As far as I am aware no asian woodworking uses a lathe, so you did this pretty traditionally!

[@Aubreykun]

Yep, and most rounding is done once everything is assembled. There are actually Japanese, Korean and Chinese spokeshave equivalents for this purpose, as well as planes used to get into corners and against level-changes. Chinese and Korean woodworking includes more carving chisels for ornamentation as well. PS: if you were wondering, I've not see many Japanese carving chisels beyond the very short, thin-bladed types and a few round-back chisels that work like gouges. Intricate carvings don't seem to be as big a part of traditional Japanese furniture compared to mainland Asia, from what I know.

[@pcka12]

There definitely are Japanese lathes! See Fine Woodworking articles etc

[@Aubreykun]

+Pat Very interesting, I just did a little digging on that since I'd never seen it mentioned before, but I had seen sources on other asian furniture say as such. With the spokeshave equivalents being roughly similar across the three cultures I presumed that Japan was similar, but it seems that you're right (yet also looks like they weren't commonly used for furniture like western lathes?) This video was useful as well as reading some other things: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH23e3x-n9Sibtk (contains a shot of an illustration of a 2-man cranked lathe near the beginning, and a demo of a doll being made on a motorized one but no views of the mechanisms.) And I think you were referring to this article? : www.finewoodworking.com/2007/07/01/culture-clash (Which has some more information on use, but again, no illustrations of the lathe itself.) From what I'm seeing it looks like turners in Japan traditionally were not furniture makers, and have been mentioned as being very secretive (making their own tools and such). Being the source of wooden household items (for lacquerware production and otherwise) it makes sense, but it's unfortunate that the info seems to be difficult to find as a result. Kind of like how information on western mill builders looks to be scarce. It's an area that bears further investigation by people with better Japanese language skills than me (I'm only good with coaxing meaning out of using machine translations.)

[@JimDockrellWatertone]

Sweet! I like it!

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Thanks sir!

[@nyetloki]

*checks video speed setting* : Normal No, he really does speak that fast

[@carlcooper3525]

Is your knife a helle nying knife 55?

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Yes it is

[@StuartChignell]

Are they not both ferules?

[@Lemongrasspicker]

They could be. It's easier to call them by different names for clarity sake.

[@StuartChignell]

Fair call. Good call even.

[@StuartChignell]

Could I suggest you get a hatchet for projects like this. Rough shaping with a hatchet really speeds up the process of getting the stock down to shape.

[@Lemongrasspicker]

For stock this small that is a bad idea. I like my fingers attached to my hands. It's better to take it a little slower than to risk injury just to save a few minutes.

[@Aubreykun]

Chinese woodworking uses a single bevel hatchet for that. Also, Lemongrasspicker: tongs and clamps, my dude.

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Go for it! I've always wanted a decent Japanese hatchet. Haven't gotten around to acquiring one yet

[@MadScientistProspecting]

I've restored a couple but I've given them away. Kept on returning to my German one. Need to fix that. As in get and keep a good user.

[@carlcooper3525]

I your video tools for beginners you show the helle knife, now you you have mora knife. .??????

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Carl Cooper I have both. I use my Helle knife for fishing and some carving. But the Mora I use for most carving jobs

[@joferzly]

so so.

[@Lemongrasspicker]

?

[@Poshypaws]

Looks as though this individual wants to commit harikari with a Japanese chisel. How bloody daft some people REALLY are!

[@Lemongrasspicker]

k weeb