Japanese Nankin-kanna, or cabinet makers plane

[Mike Holbrook]

I was looking at Kikuhiromaru kana at Japan Tool and discovered a type kanna I was not familiar with. So refers to these as cabinet makers planes. I found a small description in Toshio Odate's book on Japanese tools. Odate says the planes are probably named after a city in China, Nankin, where they probably originated. Odate explains that these planes look like and are used like Western spokeshaves or drawknives. They look like a typical plane blade in something more like a spokeshave handle.

I am wondering if anyone has used one of these tools and has information to offer?

[Stanley Covington]

I own them and have used them.

The blades are useful, but a Western style spokeshave is a superior tool IMO.

Stan

[Mike Holbrook]

Hi Stan,
The issue I have had is finding spokeshaves or even planes with good curved blades for making things like chair seats and curved edges on raised panels. The western travisher is designed for this work. Good travishers are very hard to find and the best one I know of is not adjustable for depth of cut. I have been wondering if there is a Japanese tool used for these purposes?

[Stanley Covington]

Hi Stan,
The issue I have had is finding spokeshaves or even planes with good curved blades for making things like chair seats and curved edges on raised panels. The western travisher is designed for this work. Good travishers are very hard to find and the best one I know of is not adjustable for depth of cut. I have been wondering if there is a Japanese tool used for these purposes?

Mike:

The tool used for this job in Japan is called a shiho soridai kanna, meaning 4 direction curved block plane. The pictures are self-explanatory.

Stan

[Mike Holbrook]

Thanks Stan, looks similar to a compass plane I have. The compass plane does not have a chip breaker and I doubt the blade is as good as the shiho soridai kanna....

[lowell holmes]

Mike:

The tool used for this job in Japan is called a shiho soridai kanna, meaning 4 direction curved block plane. The pictures are self-explanatory.

Stan

I have a similar plane. I also have two travishers. I prefer the travishers.

I have built four carved seat rocking chairs, so while my preference is not gospel, but I do justifiably have an opinion.

My plane is a 42mm white oak Japanese plane. I haven't experienced any particular issues with the plane, I just have had better luck with the travishers.

My preferred travisher has a larger radius cut and the surface of the wood suits me better.

On the matter of depth of cut, The plane will only function with fine shavings, so the fine shavings made with a travisher are good. I don't take deep cute with any plane, spoke shave, or travisher.
Patience is the key to using them.
I bought one of my travishers from Highland Hardware. It is shown on the link below.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/travisher.aspx

[Stanley Covington]

I have a similar plane. I also have two travishers. I prefer the travishers.

I have built four carved seat rocking chairs, so while my preference is not gospel, but I do justifiably have an opinion.

My plane is a 42mm white oak Japanese plane. I haven't experienced any particular issues with the plane, I just have had better luck with the travishers.

My preferred travisher has a larger radius cut and the surface of the wood suits me better.

On the matter of depth of cut, The plane will only function with fine shavings, so the fine shavings made with a travisher are good. I don't take deep cute with any plane, spoke shave, or travisher.
Patience is the key to using them.
I bought one of my travishers from Highland Hardware. It is shown on the link below.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/travisher.aspx

I have never used a travisher, but my experience with these planes is the same as Lowell's. I ended up using a large gouge, and finished up with the soridai plane.

Stan

[lowell holmes]

A point about carving chair seats. I find that cross grain carving is necessary to shape the seat. I never was able to carve cross grain with the plane.

That doesn't mean that it can not be done, just that I was not able to. The travishers will handle cross grain carving, sometimes with difficulty, but it can be done.

Of course the seats are finished off with card scrapers.

[Mike Holbrook]

Lowell, would you mind posting a picture of the travisher you like best?

I intend to work on the travisher I bought from Ellia, an older Galbert design, as soon as I can get done with a couple other projects. It takes such a fine shaving the way it is set up now that it does little or nothing on rough or concave surfaces. The rest is wood, so I should be able to open the mouth up.

I suspect they deliver many spokeshaves and travishers this way because adding wood back on would be harder than removing it and wear and tear will certainly remove wood. The LN small bronze spokeshave I bought was so tight it would not pass shavings until I opened it up a little. The LN Boggs shave comes with a notoriously narrow opening too. Narrower is easier to use starting out, just like it is easier to take light shavings with a plane, especially in difficult grain.