New Push Chisels and a Marking knife

[brian zawatsky]

Nice chisels Ken. You could accuse me of being a Stan C fanboy as well

At the risk of hijacking your thread, here are a few pics of a 54mm atsunomi that i just took delivery of this morning. An absolute monster! Stan had to have it forged, still received it in under 3 weeks. White steel, forged by Usui-san of Sukemaru fame.

AFDFCC9A-1FDB-46E5-82A7-9C480A7A77DB.jpg 7686F9AA-164F-4980-A3F1-F205822218B6.jpg 6345896A-0A26-4D82-B049-706F2A123D35.jpg

[ken hatch]

Nice chisels Ken. You could accuse me of being a Stan C fanboy as well

At the risk of hijacking your thread, here are a few pics of a 54mm atsunomi that i just took delivery of this morning. An absolute monster! Stan had to have it forged, still received it in under 3 weeks. White steel, forged by Usui-san of Sukemaru fame.

AFDFCC9A-1FDB-46E5-82A7-9C480A7A77DB.jpg 7686F9AA-164F-4980-A3F1-F205822218B6.jpg 6345896A-0A26-4D82-B049-706F2A123D35.jpg

Brian,

It's never a hijack when posting photos of your chisels .

You are correct it looks like a monster, beautiful but big.

ken

[ken hatch]

Hehe, post photos when you get a few stones.

Oh Brian, you done started Phil down the path to ruination, his bank account will never be the same .

ken

[Phil Mueller]

Ha! So far the chisels are like free. I hate carrying coins. When I’ve purchased something with cash, the change goes in a jar. Low and behold, after a year there was just enough to cover the chisels.

Then, glory be, Stan’s sharpening tutorial he sent me, suggests he is a very practical man. MAYBE a finishing nat, but my current minimalist set up may work out well.

[Brian Holcombe]

Nice, you really don’t need to spend too much. The small sized stones are fine, all that matters is the quality of the edge.

[Phil Mueller]

You’re right, Brian. One of things Stan points out is that short strokes (1-2”) is a good method. At least for those of us getting acclimated to free hand sharpening. I noticed you did that as well in your video. At the time, wasn’t sure if that was just to even out the wear on your stone in certain spots, or not. But it certainly indicates that a smaller stone can be all that is needed.

Sorry Ken, I have no intention of turning this into a sharpening discussion. When a chisel comes from a craftsman who’s spent decades on his craft, just want to make sure I treat them well.

[Jeff Bartley]

Brian Z,
Once you have some time with that atsunomi I'd love to hear about it! I have a set of chisels that Stan and Chris Hall helped identify as 'contractor grade' chisels. I like them but I'm itching for a little better steel and a little heavier build. Before reading Stans blog I did t even know the atsunomi existed! Jeff

[Brian Holcombe]

You’re right, Brian. One of things Stan points out is that short strokes (1-2”) is a good method. At least for those of us getting acclimated to free hand sharpening. I noticed you did that as well in your video. At the time, wasn’t sure if that was just to even out the wear on your stone in certain spots, or not. But it certainly indicates that a smaller stone can be all that is needed.

Sorry Ken, I have no intention of turning this into a sharpening discussion. When a chisel comes from a craftsman who’s spent decades on his craft, just want to make sure I treat them well.

I vary it depending on what I'm doing, but for a finish stone it is typically short strokes. It can be harder to conduct short strokes on smaller width chisels, so for anything really small I will use a long stroke going forward only with a lot of pressure behind the bevel.

Similarly if I have to flatten a curved bevel i'll do the same thing.

[Tony Zona]

So . . . how does one go about learning what chisels are available, and what they cost?

[ken hatch]

So . . . how does one go about learning what chisels are available, and what they cost?

Tony,

Drop Stan an email and ask. Stan will reply with a list of what he has in stock or if you know what you want just ask if he can get it. Remember this isn't really a business like one of the big Japanese retailers but a work of caring for the smiths and love of Japanese tools in general.

ken

[Tony Zona]

Thanks. ����

[Michael Todrin]

Jeff,

I got a couple of Atsu-nomi from Stan six months ago and they are fantastic. Nicely balanced and weighted. They take a fabulous edge and hold it forever.

[Mike Allen1010]

Great/horrible thread- let's review the facts:

Do I have more chisels than any one person could reasonably need- Yes.

Is a pairing chisel that needs to be exceptional sharp for cutting a shoulder on lay out lines for precision sawing and cleaning out dados groves etc., one of the most used chisels in my shop- again Yes.

Would it be great to have a premium tools for a frequent, critical task - of course yes- best rational for indulging in tool lust ever (eg. "I need the tools because I'll use it a lot for important stuff")..

Is there a charmic benefit in buying a tools that supports true masters of a disappearing craft- duuuh- of course Yes.

Finally, will I be e-mailing Stan for the perfect pairing chisel of my dreams--- ....... inevitably Yes.


I'm helpless in the face of rational temptation, --- that and Mexican food. Ken I blame you - YeaH that's right I SAID IT - Hatch you are at fault here! I demand recompense in the form of Mexican food and Tequila next time you're road tripping through San Diego. OK maybe that was a little harsh---.... how about I spring for chow/booze at the dive, hole in the wall taqueria of my choice? There- I feel better now - off to the SC Blog!

Cheers, Mike

[brian zawatsky]

Brian Z,
Once you have some time with that atsunomi I'd love to hear about it! I have a set of chisels that Stan and Chris Hall helped identify as 'contractor grade' chisels. I like them but I'm itching for a little better steel and a little heavier build. Before reading Stans blog I did t even know the atsunomi existed! Jeff

I will be happy to, Jeff. As far as the work of the blacksmiths that Stan is associated with, I can say that I have: a 10 pc set of oiirenomi, 3 mukomachinomi, 3 usunomi very similar to those posted by Ken, and a wide 38mm mitsu-ura usunomi (triple-hollow ground back) that are all very hard, take a keen edge, and hold it very well. So my expectations are that the atsunomi will behave similarly

[Frederick Skelly]

Randall,

The old Smiths that make these sort of high quality chisels are retiring and dying off monthly. Stan opines that within 5 years, there will only be mass produced chisel makers left. As the older Smiths disappear, younger Smiths are not rising to take their place. So, if you can afford them, you would do well to start buying them as you can, even if you don't need them. Stan works face to face with his Smiths, and collects and ships the chisels when they are done.

Dang it Pete! I wish you hadn't said all that! I've been trying to avoid buying Japanese chisels, or at least putting them off and hoping I'd lose the desire. Now, I can't procrastinate any more. There goes at least $500.

Thanks man!