Let’s see your gennou!

[brian zawatsky]

I have been using a couple cheap factory-made gennou that I re-handled, crude but effective. The other day I took delivery of 2 beautiful hand forged Hiroki gennou from our friend Stan in Tokyo, in 100 monme and 60 monme. (1 monme = about 3.75g)

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Had some time time to make a handle this evening so I saddled up the larger head which I anticipate will be the daily driver. Handle is quartered white ash.


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Post your pics!

[Brian Holcombe]

Nice! Hiroki?

https://brianholcombewoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/fullsizeoutput_9f1.jpeg

[brian zawatsky]

Yes, Hiroki. I love the blued finish. Stan says it is not chemical, but the result of the oil mixture that Aida-San uses to quench during heat treating. I would really love to buy a Kosaburo but my wife would kill me in my sleep when she found out how much it cost. There’s something about hand forged tools that gets me excited lol. I think it may be an illness...

[lowell holmes]

Show Off!
I am impressed.

[Derek Cohen]

Oh well, here are two of mine ...

https://i.postimg.cc/TwZzbWdF/Tenryu-Tsuchime-Shikaku-225-325-gm.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/j2Vt61qs/Gennou6-zpsf3loy3vb.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Brian Holcombe]

Yes, Hiroki. I love the blued finish. Stan says it is not chemical, but the result of the oil mixture that Aida-San uses to quench during heat treating. I would really love to buy a Kosaburo but my wife would kill me in my sleep when she found out how much it cost. There’s something about hand forged tools that gets me excited lol. I think it may be an illness...

The finish on Hirohito is extremely nice. I like his work and Kosaburo equally, both exceptional.

[Dom Campbell]

Nice Hiroki! I have 2 and love them, but this is the gennou I would save in an emergency:

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[Jason Martin Winnipeg]

Those are really nice. I know pretty much nothing about gennou. Are they for everyday woodworking like mortising? Or are they designed for something else?

[Patrick Walsh]

Also Hiroki...

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[Tony Shea]

I don't have a nice one to post a picture of but I really want to get a barrel shaped gennou that is not massed produced. I really like the Hiroki you posted Patrick! I'm not sure where to even look for something like this.

[brian zawatsky]

Nice Hiroki! I have 2 and love them, but this is the gennou I would save in an emergency:

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Nice Dom, who made that one?

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I love your handle design. The one on top in this pic is a total fail- I was trying to make a thin handle for a dedicated plane adjusting hammer. It is too thin in the middle and too thick at the bottom. The other is copper and ca,e from Tools From Japan. I don't know the maker.
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[Rhys Hurcombe]

Newest is a 450g Fukushima Yamakichi shape genno. Rough and ready quince handle. Pretty happy with this. Bit of extra weight I like. I also have a 375 and 570g Tenryu genno. Haven't put a handle on the 570g yet. I like a bulbous handle end. Easy for your hand to just 'slip' down to a comfy spot. Haven't had an issue with the walnut splitting or anything yet. Plus, new handles are fun to make :)
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[brian zawatsky]

Put a handle on the lighter head over the weekend. Decided to make a couple changes on this one since the idea is to have a lighter, more nimble hammer. The handle is a good 1 1/4" longer than its big brother, and much thinner. Chopped a couple mortises yesterday and found that I really like the longer, thinner handle so I'll be re-handling the heavier head in the very near future.

Side by side pics for comparison:

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[brian zawatsky]

Those are really nice. I know pretty much nothing about gennou. Are they for everyday woodworking like mortising? Or are they designed for something else?

Hi Jason. Sorry, I overlooked your post. I'm MILES from being an expert on this stuff so take this with a grain of salt, but as I understand it the style of gennou that I have (rectangular in cross section with rounded corners, flat face and domed face) is called "ryoguchi". The flat end is used for driving chiels and the domed end is used for driving and setting nails as well as for kigoroshi on soft woods.

The thing that sets these Hiroki apart from the cheaper ones that I've used (apart from aesthetics) is the heat treatment they received. The ends are harder than the center, and as a result they have a different feel in use than a regular hammer. This is especially noticeable when mortising.

[Dom Campbell]

Nice Dom, who made that one?

It’s a Kosaburo, 636g. Absolutely amazing piece of craftmanship. As they say ‘they don’t make them like they used to’.