Hi, I'm curious if anyone recognizes who the maker of this chisel is:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6...665d0b50da.jpg
Jchisel by Christian Castillo1, on Flickr
Thanks.
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Hi, I'm curious if anyone recognizes who the maker of this chisel is:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6...665d0b50da.jpg
Jchisel by Christian Castillo1, on Flickr
Thanks.
I asked my wife to help translate. It looks like the characters are 文殊四郎 (monjyu shiro). Cannot exactly tell if it is a brand or a person's name.
This link seems to indicate it is a brand - http://www.kikuichi.com/ They have an english page, but no chisels that I could see - http://kikuichi.net/
This link seems to talk about it like a person's name - http://mkmedia.exblog.jp/17141933/
Hi David, does this picture help you a bit more? Thanks for you and your wifes help so far.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6...d104d5f8d6.jpg
IMG_0504 by Christian Castillo1, on Flickr
How about offering up some more information about it?
Like where it came from, how much it cost, etc, etc.
David, I got a different second character.
文 珠 四郎
Doesn't make much, if any real different since the reading seems to be the same anyway.
As it is, the like goes to the knife maker Kikuichi, and the name on the chisel doesn't even match that but has enough there to avoid too much suspicion but also enough to try and bank on the reputation of Kikuichi.
Stu, who's spent too much time on this already...
(I'd be very, very surprised if the chisel was anything better than mediocre. Probably ok to use, but it's not some fabled treasure.)
Mee, too, especially if it uses the kikuichi name. can't see the front side of it, but it looks like a pedestrian midrange chisel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart Tierney
A bit of time being struck across the grain in hardwood would tell its story a bit more quickly.
Hi, I bought it from ebay, got it for 30$ shipped, the seller said that he purchased it back in the 80's from The Japan Woodworker catalog. That is all the information I have on it, it is unused, and I figured for 30$ it wasn't too much of a gamble.
With all the buying on ebay, the price means close to nothing, depending on the seller and how much s/he knows about Japanese tools. Most of the sellers I've seen there know nothing about what they're selling; therefore, the item being sold could be a fantastic hierloom/tool as well as a piece of garbage.
I'd be surprised if you can't get $30 worth of use out of it. I think I've only gotten one japanese chisel that I wouldn't give $30 for, and I've gotten many of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Christian Castillo
If you can give some pics of the bevel, socket/neck and that hoop, I might be able to better evaluate what the thing is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Christian Castillo
Surprising, I'm finding I can usually pick a decent chisel in a few seconds just by what it looks like, and not what name is on it...
If no pics, I think it's probably worth $30 but I don't think it's a bargain at that price.
Stu.
Christian,
Why not send an email with a photo of the wrapped handle and a photo of the makers mark(at the top of the blade)to Fred Damsen at the Japan Woodworker. He would have no trouble indentifing it for you, if in fact he once sold them. It appears to be an economy chisel but might still be pretty good. It's definitely not some great chisel from a highly regarded maker, if that's what you were hoping.:)
My wife can't recognize the first character on the left. She thought those characters could either be a name, or say "made by" and a name. She is not sure. Sorry...
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Wong
耒宝山人造 ?
These ones? I think the reading on the first is 'rai' or 'suki', and from a quick google has something to do with digging/plowing.
Stu.
As requested, I hope this helps, thanks for the help so far everyone.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7179/6...cc3f6af847.jpg
IMG_0505 by Christian Castillo1, on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6...dcb6f03fbd.jpg
IMG_0506 by Christian Castillo1, on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6...3dd0402f78.jpg
IMG_0507 by Christian Castillo1, on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6...13095d087d.jpg
IMG_0508 by Christian Castillo1, on Flickr
Hoop looks nondescript, but ok.
Neck, the gap isn't as tight and clean as it could be.
Hard steel looks a little thick, but ok. The upper surface looks 'as forged' which is fine in a top end chisel, not so great in a medium grade chisel. Not a kill-joy thing, but it's something that should be noted.
No stamp.
As I suspected, it's worth $30.
Sharpen it up and use it. It's still a chisel. ;)
(And thanks for the pics. Never stop learning!)
Stu.
Hi, it actually does have a stamp, but the lines of the stamp are so thin, that its barely noticeable in the picture. None the less, I fully plan on putting it through its paces and for the price, I wasn't expecting anything great either, just something to hold me over till I splurge. Thanks for the help everyone.
I have a very different attitude, Christian. If I spend more than $10 on a Japanese chisel on ebay I expect something great, even if it requires a bit of work to get there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Curtis
Me too.
I never look on eBay for chisels... :p
(Who's nearly memorized my favourite chisel makers phone number because I don't know how to make speed dial work on the home phone... :confused: )
zero-nana-ku-yon, hachi-ni, ichi-yon-zero-ku. Actually got it right. :eek:
Stu.
Still, as we (probably all of us) expected, a mid-range chisel, fortunately not a flat across lamination.Quote:
Originally Posted by Christian Castillo
15 minutes of working time cutting endgrain will tell you what you need to know. It'll either be a good workable chisel or it'll be a chippy booger. Odds are it'll be a good workable chisel.
if it turns out to hold an edge a lot better than a good O1 western chisel, then I'd consider it a big win. otherwise, a lot of the factory made mid-range chisels I've seen hold their edges just a little better than a good O1 chisels with similar looking failure at the edge after a long period of use. The bad ones don't.