Beautiful axes, Japanese carpentry tools

[robin wood]

One parcel arrived the one with the huge masakari hewing axes

They are quite wonderful. Interesting the way the handle is held in the head, they don't split the handle and drive a wedge in as we do they leave a space at the front of the handle and drive a wedge in there to keep it all tight. The wedges are often a bit longer than the eye so can be knocked back out and the handle removed. Will take some pics hopefully tomorrow.

 

[Tengu]

<Goes and has a cold shower...>

 

[Ian S]

Hi Robin

What sizes (blade cutting length, handle length and weight) are these masakaris?

Thanks

 

[robin wood]

Hi Ian,

Most are 3 foot handles with one short 2 foot. edge is mostly 9" and I just weighed the little one at 7lbs including handle so probably a 6lb head. They are used swinging like a pendulum and when they are up to speed they have huge cutting power.

 

[Ian S]

Hi Robin

Thanks for that.

Yeah, I've watched the video clip and it's incredible just how beautifully easy the carpenter makes it look - such a gentle looking swing of the axe to make such a big cut, clean cut in the wood. Fantastic skill....

Cheers

 

[robin wood]

Well they finally arrived, I unpacked them and took some photos and short dodgy vids.

axes

[video=youtube;9czNMQKi8sA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9czNMQKi8sA[/video]

adzes

[video=youtube;bzGlF0kE3rU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzGlF0kE3rU[/video]

 

[Ian S]

Hi Robin

They all look incredible! I wish I could get my mitts on them.

Cheers

 

[robin wood]

Well Ian I spent the day yesterday playing with them and had a friend popped by so was teaching him Japanese style hewing. It made me think maybe I should hold on to enough of them to run a course.

 

[Ian S]

Hi RobinR

It made me think maybe I should hold on to enough of them to run a course.

Hmmmmm - I suppose that another holiday to Edale could be on the cards then....

Cheers

 

[ToneWood]

...Interesting the way the handle is held in the head, they don't split the handle and drive a wedge in as we do they leave a space at the front of the handle and drive a wedge in there to keep it all tight. The wedges are often a bit longer than the eye so can be knocked back out and the handle removed. Will take some pics hopefully tomorrow.

I like that:
*Simpler than a typical western wedge
* Little risk of damaging the handle, as the handle need not be cut/split for the wedge
* Putting the wedge at the front like also protects the front of the shaft - and I write that speaking as someone who whacked the handle of their splitting maul this weekend .
* Being able to knock the wedge out, potentially allows re-use of the wedge/handle and probably means that you don't need a vice and chisel to get it out - perhaps just a mallet or back of an axe? [Confession: I usually just burn the old handle out on a low flame in a bonfire or woodburner, for as short a time as possible/necessary - but that is probably a terrible heresy, not to be recommended and probably does terrible things to the tempering, etc. of the axe/pick/adze/shovel/grubber/... - although I've not noticed it. Forgive me!]

 

[Corfe]

This is a fascinating thread - thanks for posting