Does anyone recognize this Japanese Chisel maker?

[Christian Castillo]

Hi, I'm curious if anyone recognizes who the maker of this chisel is:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6949392709_665d0b50da.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6949392709/)
Jchisel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6949392709/) by Christian Castillo1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/50072175@N07/), on Flickr

Thanks.

[David Wong]

I asked my wife to help translate. It looks like the characters are 文殊四郎 (monjyu shiro). Cannot exactly tell if it is a brand or a person's name.

This link seems to indicate it is a brand - http://www.kikuichi.com/ They have an english page, but no chisels that I could see - http://kikuichi.net/

This link seems to talk about it like a person's name - http://mkmedia.exblog.jp/17141933/

[Christian Castillo]

Hi David, does this picture help you a bit more? Thanks for you and your wifes help so far.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6812005558_d104d5f8d6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6812005558/)
IMG_0504 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6812005558/) by Christian Castillo1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/50072175@N07/), on Flickr

[Stuart Tierney]

How about offering up some more information about it?

Like where it came from, how much it cost, etc, etc.



David, I got a different second character.

文 珠 四郎

Doesn't make much, if any real different since the reading seems to be the same anyway.

As it is, the like goes to the knife maker Kikuichi, and the name on the chisel doesn't even match that but has enough there to avoid too much suspicion but also enough to try and bank on the reputation of Kikuichi.

Stu, who's spent too much time on this already...


(I'd be very, very surprised if the chisel was anything better than mediocre. Probably ok to use, but it's not some fabled treasure.)

[David Weaver]

(I'd be very, very surprised if the chisel was anything better than mediocre. Probably ok to use, but it's not some fabled treasure.)

Mee, too, especially if it uses the kikuichi name. can't see the front side of it, but it looks like a pedestrian midrange chisel.

A bit of time being struck across the grain in hardwood would tell its story a bit more quickly.

[Christian Castillo]

Hi, I bought it from ebay, got it for 30$ shipped, the seller said that he purchased it back in the 80's from The Japan Woodworker catalog. That is all the information I have on it, it is unused, and I figured for 30$ it wasn't too much of a gamble.

[Jack Curtis]

With all the buying on ebay, the price means close to nothing, depending on the seller and how much s/he knows about Japanese tools. Most of the sellers I've seen there know nothing about what they're selling; therefore, the item being sold could be a fantastic hierloom/tool as well as a piece of garbage.

[David Weaver]

Hi, I bought it from ebay, got it for 30$ shipped, the seller said that he purchased it back in the 80's from The Japan Woodworker catalog. That is all the information I have on it, it is unused, and I figured for 30$ it wasn't too much of a gamble.

I'd be surprised if you can't get $30 worth of use out of it. I think I've only gotten one japanese chisel that I wouldn't give $30 for, and I've gotten many of them.

[Stuart Tierney]

Hi, I bought it from ebay, got it for 30$ shipped, the seller said that he purchased it back in the 80's from The Japan Woodworker catalog. That is all the information I have on it, it is unused, and I figured for 30$ it wasn't too much of a gamble.

If you can give some pics of the bevel, socket/neck and that hoop, I might be able to better evaluate what the thing is.

Surprising, I'm finding I can usually pick a decent chisel in a few seconds just by what it looks like, and not what name is on it...

If no pics, I think it's probably worth $30 but I don't think it's a bargain at that price.

Stu.

[Chris Vandiver]

Christian,


Why not send an email with a photo of the wrapped handle and a photo of the makers mark(at the top of the blade)to Fred Damsen at the Japan Woodworker. He would have no trouble indentifing it for you, if in fact he once sold them. It appears to be an economy chisel but might still be pretty good. It's definitely not some great chisel from a highly regarded maker, if that's what you were hoping.:)

[David Wong]

My wife can't recognize the first character on the left. She thought those characters could either be a name, or say "made by" and a name. She is not sure. Sorry...

[Stuart Tierney]

My wife can't recognize the first character on the left. She thought those characters could either be a name, or say "made by" and a name. She is not sure. Sorry...


耒宝山人造　?

These ones? I think the reading on the first is 'rai' or 'suki', and from a quick google has something to do with digging/plowing.

Stu.

[Christian Castillo]

As requested, I hope this helps, thanks for the help so far everyone.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7179/6963250651_cc3f6af847.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6963250651/)
IMG_0505 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6963250651/) by Christian Castillo1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/50072175@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6817130188_dcb6f03fbd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6817130188/)
IMG_0506 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6817130188/) by Christian Castillo1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/50072175@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6817131032_3dd0402f78.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6817131032/)
IMG_0507 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6817131032/) by Christian Castillo1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/50072175@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6963251521_13095d087d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6963251521/)
IMG_0508 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50072175@N07/6963251521/) by Christian Castillo1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/50072175@N07/), on Flickr

[Stuart Tierney]

Hoop looks nondescript, but ok.

Neck, the gap isn't as tight and clean as it could be.

Hard steel looks a little thick, but ok. The upper surface looks 'as forged' which is fine in a top end chisel, not so great in a medium grade chisel. Not a kill-joy thing, but it's something that should be noted.

No stamp.

As I suspected, it's worth $30.

Sharpen it up and use it. It's still a chisel. ;)

(And thanks for the pics. Never stop learning!)

Stu.

[Christian Castillo]

Hi, it actually does have a stamp, but the lines of the stamp are so thin, that its barely noticeable in the picture. None the less, I fully plan on putting it through its paces and for the price, I wasn't expecting anything great either, just something to hold me over till I splurge. Thanks for the help everyone.

[Jack Curtis]

I have a very different attitude, Christian. If I spend more than $10 on a Japanese chisel on ebay I expect something great, even if it requires a bit of work to get there.

[Stuart Tierney]

I have a very different attitude, Christian.


Me too.

I never look on eBay for chisels... :p

(Who's nearly memorized my favourite chisel makers phone number because I don't know how to make speed dial work on the home phone... :confused: )

zero-nana-ku-yon, hachi-ni, ichi-yon-zero-ku. Actually got it right. :eek:

Stu.

[David Weaver]

Hi, it actually does have a stamp, but the lines of the stamp are so thin, that its barely noticeable in the picture. None the less, I fully plan on putting it through its paces and for the price, I wasn't expecting anything great either, just something to hold me over till I splurge. Thanks for the help everyone.

Still, as we (probably all of us) expected, a mid-range chisel, fortunately not a flat across lamination.

15 minutes of working time cutting endgrain will tell you what you need to know. It'll either be a good workable chisel or it'll be a chippy booger. Odds are it'll be a good workable chisel.

if it turns out to hold an edge a lot better than a good O1 western chisel, then I'd consider it a big win. otherwise, a lot of the factory made mid-range chisels I've seen hold their edges just a little better than a good O1 chisels with similar looking failure at the edge after a long period of use. The bad ones don't.