Hello and welcome to my blog! Â In this post I will detail the process of making a Japanese plane body, known as a dai, to compete in the annual NYC Kez, hosted by Mokuchi in Brooklyn, NY. Â Kez is short for Kezurou-Kai, which translates to ‘Let’s plane’, a competition …
Hello and welcome to my blog!  In this post I will detail the process of restoring a single iron small kanna referred to as a ‘ko-ganna’.  This plane is a vintage market find that had been used very little or not at all.  Unfortunately some modifications and mishandling happened along the …
Hello and welcome to my blog!   The process of tapping out, known as ura-dashi, is unique to Japanese tools and most commonly used on plane irons.  This post will focus on the efforts I’ve made to chase after an effect of careful ura-dashi maintenance known as Ito-ura or thread edge. Japanese …
Hello and welcome to my blog, today’s post is a recap of Kezurou-Kai Mini 2016, hosted by Mokuchi in Brooklyn, NY.  This year’s 3rd annual NYC KEZ was on Saturday Aug 27th.  Kezurou-kai Mini, or NYC KEZ for short, is a gathering in which craftsmen and enthusiasts come together to celebrate …
Hello and welcome to my blog, in today’s post I will discuss the preparations I have been making to compete in Mokuchi’s 3rd annual Kez. Â I have not previously attended so I’m very excited to be a part of the action this year. Â Kezurou-kai, a Japanese planing competition, is mostly …
Thank you for visiting my blog.  In this series I am preparing the kanna dai, or wooden body of a Japanese hand plane.  The parts of a new plane are each individually made by craftsmen who specialize in a portion of the total process.  The blacksmith’s task is to forge the …
Hello and welcome back to my blog. In this series I will be preparing a Kanna (Japanese hand plane) for upcoming work. The kanna, by Nakano with a dai cut by Inomoto-san is newly made but not quite ready for use. High quality preparation of this blade, made of Hitachi …
This post continues a series in which I’m building a butler’s desk of American black walnut. Â In the previous post interior sliding doors, known as hikido, were created and installed. Â With much of the interior work now complete I can seal up the case. Â I’ve set aside a panel in …
Hello and welcome again to my blog. Â In this post I am in the beginning stages of building a door which will enclose my medicine cabinet. Â I’ve chosen white cypress for this cabinet and have continued along with white cypress for the door as well. This door may like quite …