Best Books on Japanese Tools/Usage?

[Matthew Springer]

Since we have a fair number of Japanese/Asian tool aficionados here, I was wondering what books might provide a basic overview of usage and work patterns.

I'm particularly interested in the basic workholding/sawing/chiseling practices since I'm about to build a trestle/timber frame sawbench and figured I might be able to make a planing beam as part of that setup.

It seems like Toshio Odate's book is still the best intro. Should I look at the timber framing books too?

[Brian Holcombe]

Odate's book is very good.

[Stanley Covington]

There are some older books, by Nishioka (a famous miyadaiku) for instance, with useful content, and black and white sketches of mediocre quality, one of which I strongly suspect Odate more or less based his book on. I'm not implying plagirism, but the similarities are disturbing. Nothing new under the sun, and all that rot.

And there are several newer books with excellent pictures and notable contributors to the various chapters. All Japanese language, however. They deal with a wide range of subjects, but are primarily focused on tools, their selection, and maintenance, with some discussion of how to use them, including, in at least one book, how to cut various cabinet joints. The following link is to one such book at Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Kanna-taizen-tsukaikonashi-kezurikata-jiguzukuri/dp/4416809115

For some reason, I am unable to copy links to the Japanese Amazon site which has a lot more information. Perhaps you can do a search by C/P the following words.

鉋の技と銘品大全: プロが教えるカンナの魅力と使いこなしのテクニック


or 大工道具研究会


The only books that I recall having planing beam details are in the older books, and those were discussing jobsite setups. It ain't rocket science.

Stan

[Steve Voigt]

Since we have a fair number of Japanese/Asian tool aficionados here, I was wondering what books might provide a basic overview of usage and work patterns.

I'm particularly interested in the basic workholding/sawing/chiseling practices since I'm about to build a trestle/timber frame sawbench and figured I might be able to make a planing beam as part of that setup.

It seems like Toshio Odate's book is still the best intro. Should I look at the timber framing books too?

It's not an authentic Japanese source but there is some good stuff on working methods, planing beams, horses, etc. in Scott Landis's two books, The Workbench Book and The Workshop Book, both published by Taunton.

[David Wong]

There are some older books, by Nishioka (a famous miyadaiku) for instance, ...

You can read a bit more about Tsunekazu Nishioka, in the book The Genius of Japanese Carpentry (http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/books-by-country/the-genius-of-japanese-carpentry-hardcover-with-jacket) by Azby Brown.

If you have the opportunity, a really excellent japanese language book that illustrates many different tools and there use is 木工具・使用法.
This book is out of print, but there seem to always be used copies offered on amazon.jp. I don't read Japanese, but you can get a lot of information from the illustrations and some use of google translate.

Here are a few photos from the book I copied from an auction site...

343645 343646 343647

[Stewie Simpson]

David; it would be a good thing if they published the book 木工具・使用法. in the English language. I would personally find it frustrating not being able to read this books written content.

[Mike Holbrook]

Thanks for the link Steve. I downloaded the Kindle, e book of Scott's Workbench book, which I am having some formatting issues with. I order the Workshop book as a real book, which I hope will be easier to read. Apparently these two books and Toplin's Toolbox book were offered in various combinations over the years, some available now in used books.

May help me along until Stanley does his translations.

[Stanley Covington]

Thanks for the link Steve. I downloaded the Kindle, e book of Scott's Workbench book, which I am having some formatting issues with. I order the Workshop book as a real book, which I hope will be easier to read. Apparently these two books and Toplin's Toolbox book were offered in various combinations over the years, some available now in used books.

May help me along until Stanley does his translations.

I have seriously considered translating a number of Japanese books into English. In fact, I have relatives here in Japan that could print and bind the books. But the copyright issues are not so easily dealt with.

Stan

[Prashun Patel]

Don't forget Utoob. Jay Van Arsdale had helpful videos for me. Our own Brian Holcombe is also building his own arsenal of videos that I've found helpful. He's lighter on discussion but you can learn a LOT from watching the movements.

[Matt Lau]

Don't forget Utoob. Jay Van Arsdale had helpful videos for me. Our own Brian Holcombe is also building his own arsenal of videos that I've found helpful. He's lighter on discussion but you can learn a LOT from watching the movements.

I think that Stan probably knows more about Japanese woodworking than most of our "experts" here.
I *know* that he has more skill in his pinky than my right arm.

[Prashun Patel]

I wasn't challenging Stan, Matt. There are many good resources and talented and helpful other people. I don't think ranking them is necessary.

[Stanley Covington]

I wasn't challenging Stan, Matt. There are many good resources and talented and helpful other people. I don't think ranking them is necessary.

The last thing I want is to be compared to others. Entirely pointless. Let's compare books.

Stan

[Matthew Springer]

Thanks for the replies. I have azby's book on Kindle and that's what got me thinking about more. The first couple chapters just make me realize how much I don't know, but I guess that's the point. Its astounding that they take the entire temple apart every couple hundred years for maintenance. That's nuts, but completely genius.
Workwise I'm trying to figure out more elegant ways of building heavy duty joinery workhorses that are bleeding into mini timber frame.

I've really liked my mid range gyucho saws for rough work which is what got me down this path in the first place.

I hadn't realized any of this was covered in Landis' books, need to trek to the garage, err, shop.

[David Wong]

If you are interested in building a pair of elegant, but challenging sawhorses, Chris Hall has free plans on his theCarpentryway forum website. Look in the "Joinery" section, under "Project 2: Sawhorse". I started building them, but was interrupted and never completed them. You will have to register for access. Be sure to checkout his blog as well.

[Jeff Bartley]

I'll second the recommendation to check out Chris Hall's work and blog. There you'll also find info on classes that he offers, as well as his books on Japanese carpentry and joinery.
Having just typed that I'm sitting here wondering why I haven't ordered his books.....

[Matt Lau]

I wasn't challenging Stan, Matt. There are many good resources and talented and helpful other people. I don't think ranking them is necessary.


Sorry, Prashun. I didn't mean to come off that way.
I don't mean to rank things either.

I'll shut up and just follow this post.

[Prashun Patel]

haha. I'm sure Stan appreciated the compliment anyway!!! FWIW, I have had personal interactions w Stan and found him to be as helpful as knowledgeable. So I echo the sentiment of your praise!

[Matthew Springer]

Thanks for the ideas, all!

I spent most of Saturday recovering from my cold, chasing my kids and trying to parse the first couple volumes of Chris Hall's Art of Japanese Carpentry Drawing. It's, umm, dense (but gorgeous).
I also found the FWW trestle bench article in Bench Tools. I actually had the book already in my night stand, but had somehow missed it.

[Brian Holcombe]

Chris Hall's writing will certainly keep you busy, it's incredibly comprehensive.

I know Chris using a planing beam and much of his work revolves around fixturing to that.