Japanese traditional sharpening for carving chisels.

Making Philosophy - 1 -

Attention to sharpening

In the world of Japanese traditional carving craftsmen, there is a saying "Togi Jyunen" (ten years for sharpening chisels). It is one of the guidelines to become an expert in chisel sharpening. When I first heard the term "ten years," I thought that it was said in order to raise the value of the craftsman's work. However, the reality is that even now, after more than 10 years, I still find many things to notice when I sharpen a chisel, and I feel the depth of it every day.

Even with the same result

However, even in the world of craftsmen, sharpening chisels by machine is already the mainstream. When looking at a completed sculpture, a craftsman can tell if it was finished with a well-sharpened chisel. However, even a craftsman cannot tell whether the chisel was sharpened by a machine or by hand. In other words, there is no difference in the finish of the chisel even if a machine is used. And the machine can sharpen the chisel more quickly. If you were a craftsman, would you use a machine? Or would you grind by hand?

What does not come from efficiency

If there is no difference in the finished product, it is natural to take the more efficient option, and society has developed based on such thinking. However, in recent years, many people have begun to realize the value that cannot be created by efficiency. The recent boom in the handmade market may be a sign of this. We feel a kind of "warmth" in things that have been created with great care. And it cannot be produced efficiently.

Something overlooked

Once one understands the "importance of things other than efficiency," chiseling, which at first glance may seem like a chore, can no longer be taken lightly. And even though it is quicker to use a machine, it only takes a few minutes per chisel. Therefore, we decided to stop saving those few minutes. Since I began to sharpen chisels by hand, I began to use them with great care and cut them with careful attention. It may not be a big change, but it was a big discovery for me.