The Bad*ss Heritage of Japanese Chisels

I was learning how to properly setup these chisels and ended up doing a deeper dive into their history... and it was much too cool to not share. Hope you enjoy it!
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SOURCES
Odate, Toshio. Japanese Woodworking Tools: Their Tradition, Spirit, and Use. Linden, 1998.
Ogawa, Morihiro. Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009.
USC Pacific Asia Museum:
pacificasiamus...
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Setting up Japanese chisels
Setting the hoop: • Japanese Chisel Setup ...
Lapping the back: • Japanese Chisel Setup ...
Sharpening the bevel: • Japanese Chisel Setup ...
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Additional disclaimer: I am not a professional woodworker and these videos are made for entertainment and informational purposes. Woodworking has inherent risks and hazards and the content here is not meant to replace information found in official tool manuals and guides. Please educate yourself on best practices and safety measures before operating power and / or hand tools.
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🎥 Subs at time of upload: 29,287

[@dpepsta]

I'm sure it's the central core that is high carbon hard steel and the outer one softer steel

[@elenamakes]

That is incorrect. Here are two excerpts pulled directly from Morihiro Ogawa’s book on the matter, ‘Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor’: “During this process, the carbon content drops to about 0.6-0.8 percent, forming a tough kawagane, or high-carbon “jacket” steel, that will be used to make the exterior of the blade.” “The kawagane is wrapped around a core of soft, low-carbon steel (0.1-0.2 percent) called the shin-game, and the whole is beaten out close to the intended final shape of the sword.”

[@dpepsta]

@@elenamakes don't you want a softer metal outside for protecting a harder more bridle type of steel in the middle that will be sharpen incredibly high. Cause a softer steel will not keep a sharp very long

[@stellarbones]

@@dpepsta The kawagane keeps the edge and fully wraps the shingane core, so the shingane doesn't need to be sharp. It's mainly for shock absorption.

[@joewilson4436]

@@dpepsta you're thinking of knives. Laminated chisels don't have a "core", they have a high carbon (or sometimes HSS) hard steel layer for the cutting edge and a soft steel backing. The soft steel layer makes the chisel more durable and better able to absorb shock and also makes it easier to sharpen, because the high carbon steel takes a long time to wear away.

[@norm5785]

I have a set of Japanese chisels. They were given to me by someone's uncle a long time ago. He had a thriving business in woodwork building and restoration of Japanese furniture. I was speaking with him in his shop, he found out is did woodworking, he said he was just getting ready to set up some chisels. And, I mean set them up from making the handles, putting the rings on and sharpening. He asked if I want to do one from the start to finish and I said sure. It was a wonderful experience. After I finished the chisel, he placed it with the ones he had done, rolled them up and handed them to me. Once you have them sharp, you will only have to quickly lap them to keep them scary sharp. Depending on the amount of use, you will definitely replace the handles (use Red Oak) and the blades will still look awesome. Thank you for sharing.

[@andrewpinson1268]

I thought about buying some Japanese chisels about fifty years ago but went another direction of almost as expensive as those are. I am also completely fascinated with Japanese joinery. It is a good way to develop an appreciation of woodworking skills if you can practice that art. Pleas look into protection from developing carpal tunnel problems. I also got that when I was your age. Good sharpening techniques you have.

[@Jimbo878]

Once the initial setting up is done you have completed 99% of the hard work. I L❤ve my small collection of "Nomi", which I keep "keen" using a Kanna ban, which requires very little effort. Little, but often is the key. Great video, Elena.

[@stevepiechock9234]

This is exactly the direction I thought. You might take. The pro in you shines like the sun. You have the drive and intelligence to take this to a profession. This has become more than a hobby. Thebest is yet to come!

[@steveshapland8846]

Nice bideo, complete with some history Teo points: 1) You only need to flatten the cutting edge and sides of the chisel. The hollow is left in the middle. The sides will adequately rehister the chisel and the hollow reduces the qork needed each time you sharpen them. 2) The core of a sword is the high varbon (hard) steel which retains the cutting edge. The outside is low carbon (soft) steel to provide strength, dampen ahock, and protect the core from breaking.😂

[@Bdbrad71]

Very educational thanks for sharing

[@elenamakes]

Of course, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@Fusion_Woodworking]

I use a diamond stone to flatten water or ceramic stones. It lasts forever and cheaper than sandpaper in the long run. I learned that from Rob Cosman. You may need 2 clamps on the straight guide for wider work pieces. Laminated cutting tools provide higher useage ratio on good material. The back of a chisel does not need to be very hard. But this process takes more work. For modern manufacturing, it may not be a good option. That is one of the reasons that western bench chisels are usually using the same steel for the whole tool nowadays. A side note, traditional Chinese chisels and plane blades are also laminated.

[@elenamakes]

Thanks for the info!

[@twcmaker]

Found your video on KZbin analytics. Seems people watch my video (as recommended by KZbin) after yours. Loved this intro into Japanese chisels. Well done.

[@elenamakes]

Love that :) I also enjoy seeing which creators people are watching before they land on one of my videos.

[@jacktrades5103]

Nice choice with hand sharpening, build up those chiseling muscles. I found those mechanic gloves with the fabric and the rubber grip helps with the wrists, a little. Awesome to see those chisels too, so shiney. 😮

[@elenamakes]

Thanks! It’ll definitely take some practice.

[@christinawaldrop8931]

I loved the history you included with this one! I can’t wait to see what you make with them!

[@elenamakes]

Thanks :) excited to put them to work

[@tacticalskiffs8134]

As you say you can develop hollows in the stones. There are two things to do to minimize this. 1) actually use the whole stone. rub over the edges even if that means the tool is only half on. You have to be a little careful you don't divot the tool, but it comes naturally after a while. The whole idea that one is constantly flattening stones on an external surface is brought to you by the sellers of stone, who hope to see you in their shops again soon. I do it also, but one should aim to reduce the frequency. I don't know what to make of it, but for decades these stones were sold in the US there was no official method to flatten them. Eventually, grudgingly these appeared. I would be curious to know whether that is because they were slow to arrive, or because they were generally not used. Back in the 80s you could spend thousands for a good natural stone. I can't see people flattening those with laps of scrubs, it would cost as much as a good sushi dinner. I think the idea is that the users would wear them flat. To do this you can't only use the center of the stone. For instance, you are using an figure of 8, from what I could see. That means the heaviest use on the stone is dead center, while you are missing most of the rest. One simply can't sharpen with normal stone use one sees, and keep a stone flat. So figure it out. Krenov actually did an article where he lauded his uneven stones. That is a possibly humble brag... 2) My favourite is Scott Neiring's process. you buy two 800 grits, and rub them together to keep them flat. Then one uses the stones in pairs, on up through the grits to keep each other flat. One hears that the world will end because of cross contamination, but I have never seen it. I don't say this is the ultimate, but for a bucket of 4 stones in the corner of the shop, it is a very good system.

[@ericlipps7152]

I have new ones.But the real hours on end of fun is restoring old rare ones that are hard to come by.

[@LouisWorks]

Another cool thumbnail. Great work!

[@elenamakes]

Thank you 😊

[@boinecastillo7455]

I collect a bunch of tiny Japanese chisels for detail work....lol my friends even call me chizel. I loved your video bcuz it makes me think that if we were friends we'd both would be carving away lol .i love carving spoons. Just got some nice aspen wood im going to dry for a couple weeks before i have a go at them with my tools as well. I wish you the best and please don't ever stop creating !

[@walterplaessmann5865]

I’ve been considering a set of Japanese chisels as well so this video is great timing! May I suggest checking out Rob Cosman’s channel for sharpening tools and techniques. He works with western style hand tools, but has a whole series of excellent videos on sharpening that cover everything from how best to hold the tool for control and consistency, progression of sharpening stones, secondary bevels, etc. I found them really helpful to reduce hand and wrist soreness and just getting better results. Takes practice since it’s all fine control work, but it works. Great work with your channel!

[@elenamakes]

I'll take a look at his channel. Thanks!

[@NickGranville]

I love my Japanese chisels. So scary sharp. I would recommend keeping on a hand some cheap chisels for doing the rough work (like mortices, roughing out parts etc) as the Japanese chisels tips can chip. I speak from experience, unfortunately.

[@elenamakes]

I do have some cheap chisels but they need some sharpening as well lol

[@tacticalskiffs8134]

I have been working with these tools since about 1980. You can't lap a chisel on a stone. That is the opposite of lapping. The stone wears away more rapidly than the chisel. I used the kanaban, style iron lap. The result with those is spectacular. but it is very laborious. Back then, even sets of chisels that cost 400 bucks, would come unlapped. It was the tradition. But there isn't any actual reason why they can't be lapped at the factory, and one should check to be sure they haven't been lapped. If they set your handles, maybe they lapped the chisels. I never bothered to set the hoops on all of my chisels. I started out using Japanese hammers for a few decades an one does need to protect the handles when using a steel handle. Over time I got tired of how noisy that is. While I don't particularly like the aesthetic, I moved to urethane carving mallets as they are so much easier on the ears, and work pretty much as well. The hoops aren't such a big deal with them. I certainly enjoy my Japanese tools, but I would not buy them again. If the shop burned down, I would buy a 2x72 grinder and just make my own. The problem with Japanese tools is that they are designed for different woods and projects than are generally used in the US, and while this is not disqualifying, it largely renders their form and capabilities moot. For instance, edge holding is a balance between the rate of wear, and the easy of sharpening. There is no right answer, but I don't think the Japanese format is the most effective. One can't beat their beauty. And I was willing to support the fine craftsmanship since I aspire to it in my own work.

[@tobypass108]

Did you strop your chisels? That’s what makes the difference after stone sharpening (scary sharp). That book is on my wish list. Really appreciated the history.

[@marchingknight11]

Hi Elena Awesome video! Japanese chisels are badass for plenty of reasons beyond just how good they are, and their history is a big part of it. Thanks for sharing!

[@elenamakes]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@dhroen]

Thanks for the learning experience.

[@elenamakes]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dnthasslehoff]

Really nice explanation on the history and kudos for learning to sharpen freehand

[@gunnyoorah1846]

Great job, I understand the method used by the ancient sword smiths. You explain it nicely, thanks .... OORAH!!

[@MH-qq3kj]

Thank you so much for the video. I have never owned a set but someday will have to invest in some. Take care.

[@tacticalskiffs8134]

I think you got the sword stuff wrong. The hard part is the bit that is inserted into the core, and the outside part is the softer material. The soft material in the chisels was typically Iron, though cheaper tools could use low carbon steel. The process does not really affect sharpness, though it could relative to the effect of the stones, which is an overlooked factor. Softer tools will tend to get printed more deeply by the same stones, and react as though they were sharpened by a coarser grit. It can affect edge holding which is important because if one feels required to chase finer grits, then one wants the effect to last longer. The finer the grits not only lead to more time on the stones, but exponentially more time, and eventually is only practical with optics to verify results. But the further one takes it the longer it had better last. The lamination of the metals is cheaper as high quality steel was more expensive, which is the reason that western tools were built the same way. Another reason, less understood is that laminated materials can be hardened in water that would normally induce the process at a rate that would crack the object. You can see this in various Japanese forging videos where the maker is plunging a huge bit into a vat of water. If it was oil it would ignite. But if it was water the bit would crack. Magic!

[@elenamakes]

This sword forging information was pulled directly from Morihiro Ogawa's book "Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor" and I trust he did his research. If you want to read it, it is available for free on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website.

[@patrickfee5065]

Great video very informative

[@DudeSawdust]

This is a great idea for a video. You needed to sharpen those chisel but made it very interesting.

[@elenamakes]

Thank you! 🙏🏻 it’s a bit different from what I’ve done before, so glad it’s being well received.

[@vladimirkovacevic1656]

beautiful chisels,i love japanese tools

[@jimmcnett]

Very informative. I have a question. Not suggesting you are doing it wrong. So I am curious. Do you sharpen going side to side instead of front to back for a reason? Most of the videos I have watched sharpening chisels and using honing guides, the chisels go back and forth not side to side. I love your channel and I am happy to see you grow in your woodworking skills.

[@elenamakes]

All good! I'm still learning but I did it that way because I watched a video by Japanese Tools Australia and the man breaking down how to sharpen the bevel was using more of a side to side method when hand sharpening it. I'll likely get a honing guide as that seems the way to go longterm.

[@tacticalskiffs8134]

The tedium is the point. Hand tool work is tedious. I spent my first year on my knees, sharpening, just like an apprentice. I did get wrist sensitivity, but it was from micro CAD movements with a traditional mouse. I will occasionally wear a velcro wrist watch strap for support. The doctor told me carpel tunnel is worse if one is fat. Gee thanks...

[@bobmartin6055]

Very informative! Thanks for sharing!

[@elenamakes]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ColineRusselle]

That is a great book.

[@PM-wt3ye]

Very nice! But what happens, when you grind through the ~1mm material (3:43) that is left on the back, before reaching the concave part? If anybody uses the chisel more often and has to sharpen them, i would assume this happens quite fast?

[@FreshAnton]

May you link exactly your Chissels? :) Thanks, great Video

[@sylvainhebert698]

Hello from Canada what is the brand of your chisels have a good day Sylvain

[@davidclark9086]

A very well made and informative video.

[@joachimsingh2929]

What do you do when you've sharpened them alot and they interact with the scalloped backside?

[@joewilson4436]

I would consider going to a coarse stone for flattening if you find it’s taking a long time. I consider 1000 grit to be more of a finishing stone. A diamond plate like a DMT 120 or Atoma 140 is pretty typical, but some people like using carborundum powder on a steel plate. You can also use peel-and-stick ceramic sandpaper on a flat surface like your granite plate (just be sure to swap it out often). I have some rolls of 80 and 120 grit and find these to be more aggressive/faster than the diamond plates. If you need to do some serious grinding, a disc/belt sander with 80 grit zirconia is fast. Really really fast, as in very easy to mess it up if you’re not careful. Gotta watch the heat too so you don’t ruin the temper. But if you find yourself restoring some giant old 48mm ootsuskis (framing slicks) that have been sharpened so many times that they're curved in both directions you might start comparing yourself to Sisyphus and his boulders if you try to get them flat by hand. My process is typically 80 grit (belt), -> 80 grit ceramic -> Atoma 140 -> and then Shapton glass stones, 120, 320, 1000, and finally 8000. Note than 80 grit zirconia is much coarser than 80 grit ceramic, and 120/140 grit diamond is much coarser than 120 Shapton, when going between different abrasive types the numbers can lose their meaning - they’re more useful in relation to stones of the same type. Anyway, I will skip the extra coarse grits whenever I can. So brand new mostly flat thin chisels can typically go right to the Shapton 120, but wider chisels usually need a level or three more coarse than that. I’ll typically take 50 or so strokes on the finest stone I think I can get away with, and then jump back a level and do the same if I’m still nowhere near flat. I’ve wasted many an hour stubornly grinding away on too fine of a stone because I didn’t want to switch to a coarse one. When I’m just touching up an edge I’ll usually only do 1000-8000, unless I have some chips I need to grind out

[@elenamakes]

Appreciate the thoughtful comment. Advice is appreciated as I'm still very new to all of this.

[@BeeSharp]

Great story telling! Enjoyed the content, subscribed.

[@elenamakes]

Thank you 😊

[@tacticalskiffs8134]

If you have a corner that is not showing, which means you have to grind out the 97% that is not the corner, you can tap the corner out...

[@jjpiatek3294]

You mention in the video using diamond stones as being acceptable to use for sharpening. I've heard others mention that you can't use diamond stones. Does the book you're referencing support your statement? I'm really curious as to why someone would say you can't use a diamond stone and would like to get your thoughts.

[@triplea25]

Very informative... Japanese joinery is fascinating...earthquake proof no metal fasteners....

[@josealeman332]

Mmnn those look like they are going to need to be work on the back every time you sharpen them, I wander why they are not flat on the back, they are never perfect flat but a least less work when sharpening.:)

[@behrensb1]

Nice! Check out one of rob cosmans videos on sharpening. If you're not familiar with the ruler trick, it will be a game changer for you on plane irons (dont use it on chisels). If you can get used to his sharpening technique concerning locking the wrists and elbows, you'll get fast and consistent results.

[@elenamakes]

I'll check him out 👍

[@BlaBlaBlaInDaHouse]

Great video! Very informative

[@elenamakes]

Glad you found it interesting :)

[@brian_bielanski]

Another great video -- I knew nothing about Japanese chisels... very cool topic... now go take some aleve! LOL

[@elenamakes]

Glad it was interesting! And don’t worry, wrists are doing much better haha

[@miguelchavez8711]

Thank you for sharing this topic with us. :)

[@elenamakes]

Of course!

[@joeharris2074]

I appreciate your respect for these tools. BTW, I think our dogs might be siblings.

[@elenamakes]

Is he also a little cattle dog mix? They're the best.

[@joeharris2074]

@@elenamakesshe is! And yes, she’s the best.

[@tomowens2720]

Who makes the chisel set you bought?

[@glenlongstreet7]

Good teaching.

[@techslfink9722]

Thanks for a very useful lesson! My next stop is Patreon for now to add you to my list!

[@elenamakes]

Thank you ☺️💛

[@techslfink9722]

@@elenamakes you’re very welcome 🤗

[@ranhaber1]

?How much time the poccess took you And after the first sharpening, how much time it takes to sharpen them again.

[@elenamakes]

Unfortunately I did not time it so I can't give you an exact time but the initial setup took awhile but, if you set them well up, a little maintenance sharpen here and there should go much, much faster.

[@user-wc2vp1yg9u]

Great work thanks 👍

[@shuhrat_abdulloev]

GOOD AFTERNOON, the chisel is the right thing for the workshop, how do you like the price of the tool in America?? It is very expensive in Tajikistan🇹🇯🇹🇯🇹🇯🇹🇯

[@elenamakes]

They are quite pricey. These ones, I believe, are mid tier for Japanese chisels as far as price goes.

[@Keithharvey]

Usually much better value than Lie Nielsen or Veritas. It should be very easy to find good second hand chisels as Japanese chisels.

[@aviarior.j7962]

Hola. A comprado unos formones. Japonés muy bueno excelente 👌 para el trabajo de carpintería, saludos del lejano chile .🇨🇱🇨🇱🇨🇱

[@msk1234-wv9sl]

i love you . thanks

[@justdoit6104]

Great work thanks for sharing love u from Iraq

[@birdalkitap]

Çok güzelsin...

[@user-ip3yw8hc1k]

❤💥👌👍👏😎

[@paulpass3813]

🥷🙏

[@ymworkshop6111]

Most Japanese chisels are better suited to soft wood. Such as pine and fir. If you are working with hardwood, Japanese chisels will wear out much faster than Western chisels.

[@rakeshravindran3147]

This is completely false. This depends on the chisel and various other factors, not a East vs West thing. For example just like how A2, pm-v11, CPM-magcut etc.. has different properties (and widely differ in quality and properties on how quickly you can sharpen vs durability), same thing exists for japanese chisels. There are some makes that lasts longer in edge sharpness than pm-v11. And on top of all that, this has very little to do with soft vs. hard wood. Same thing applies for japanese chisels. Ohuchi for example is a bit quick to wear out (regardless of wood type), Tokyo or Kunitoshi, lasts much longer on average. But outside Japan, the access to much of those good ones are difficult and over-priced.

[@farnitureshopalmari6836]

I love your video but you don't even give me a reply plz

[@elenamakes]

Glad you like em!

[@farnitureshopalmari6836]

I really like your channel and your video. your Facebook I'd is