I love to see the immense skill in how traditional crafts were practiced, generally. Often, though, the safety features lacking in traditional shops give me pause.
This video combines both: great craftsmanship by a traditional, old woodworker in Japan, and tools that I can hardly bear to watch in use. The giant trimming knife at 2:06 to 2:45 in the video just blows my mind in the latter respect. How anyone made to age 87 with two hands and ten fingers still attached operating that machine for the purpose she does, escapes me. I think and hope that the video frame rate is reversing the apparent direction of rotation, so the thing is at least cutting against the table as a stop, but even so, I wouldn't even try to use it. Leaning into the circular saw with about 12" radius of completely unguarded blade is even more frightening, but something about the slicer really gives me the willies.
On the other side of the equation (the skilled craftsmanship), the son turning the tea caddies with his hand made, obviously meticulously sharpened tools, no fixed tool rest, and wooden friction chucks (including the caddies themselves) was a joy. Such simple tools, and skill in using them, to create an elegant and simple, functional product. Made my Sunday morning.
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Originally Posted by Mark Hennebury
