Japanese Carved Family Altar Inori-gumo
Making Philosophy - 1 -
Attention to sharpening
Even with the same result
However, sharpening chisels by machine is the mainstream today. Most of the traditional workshops are equipped with the sharpening machine. When a skilled craftsman sees a completed work, he knows whether it was finished with a chisel that cuts well or not. However, he does not know whether the chisel was sharpened by a machine or by hand. This means that there is no difference in the finish whether it is used with a sharpener or not. And it is faster to use a sharpener. If you were a woodcarver, would you use a sharpening machine? Or would you sharpen it by hand?
The loss by efficiency
Probably, many people will answer that they use a sharpener. I am a craftsman, but I do not have any sharpening machine. I sharpen all my chisels by hands.
That may seem irrational, but there are reasons to do so. I mentioned that using a sharpener makes sharpening faster. But it only takes a few minutes per one chisel.That is a difference of about ten minutes per day. However, I recognize it only ten minutes per day. Instead, I am concerned that we will lose something important for that.
Something overlooked
Sharpening is itself a job for a Artisans doing traditional carving. Understanding chisels that cut well is our growth. Through the iterative process, we acquire them logically and sensibly. The sharpening machine will help woodcarvers to cut the chisels better. But there is no deep discovery that I sometimes experience. Therefore, using the machine means "sacrificing growth to gain a few minutes" in other words.As a result, I decided to sharpen all my chisels by hand.
Keep doing
Compared to carving, sharpening looks so boring, it may seem uninteresting. But, Sharpening has a history that goes back thousands of years. Nowadays, machines have replaced many processes, and I use many power tools such as band saws and drills. However, as a Japanese woodcarver, I do not use machines for chisels and their care. Sharpening chisels by hand" is a kind of "sacred routine" that must not be violated as a craftsman who is responsible for woodcarving culture.
For more information, click on the article below.
Making Philosophy - 2 -
Making Philosophy - 3 -
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In the world of Japanese traditional woodcarving, we have the phrase, "Ten years for sharpening". It is a kind of guide for new apprentices until they can sharpen their chisels that cuts well. When I first heard the phrase "10 years," I had just started my career as a sculptor. And thought it was an exaggerated expression. I thought it was just a way to increase the value of craftsmanship. I didn't understand anything about it. After a few years, I realized that "10 years" was not an exaggeration. Even after more than ten years, I still find many discoveries when sharpening chisels.
Sharpening by hands
