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Thread: Yariganna

  1. #1

    Yariganna

    Hi all,
    I thought I'd share a few pictures of my yariganna here. I have a blacksmith friend in upstate NY who created the blade for me, and I handled it in some curly maple.






    It's basically a curved, chisel-ground spear blade. Yariganna literally means spear plane in Japanese. It's quite an archaic tool, and I don't think they're in practical use much anymore. However I first became attracted to this tool when I saw it make shavings on a large piece of timber. It left a surface that looked very tree bark-like to me, and I thought it to be more attractive and, as a beginner, more attainable than the perfectly smooth surface found in most furniture.


    Here it is in a pre-shaped handle. There's a pinhole in the tang, and the nail holding it in place was eventually peened and it now acts as a rivet.


    It is carved into sort of a flattened hexagon shape, with appropriate breaking of corners around the tang to provide clearance in use. As you can see from the side, this one has a deeper curve than most Japanese-made yariganna you will find. I believe this may be miscommunication on my part describing it to the smith, but he did a great job with what he had, and the blade works just fine.

    Well, given some practice, that is. I don't quite have the hang of it down yet.


    Being a plane that cuts and not an abrasive, it leaves a great texture on the wood. My technique leaves a lot to be desired, though. With the edge perpendicular to the cut direction, I could only manage short, choppy cuts. With the edge deeply skewed to the wood, I managed to take longer strokes, however, the direction of the cut tended to go in the skew so I couldn't really get it straight, as in this picture:


    I believe with some practice on technique and sharpening the oddly shaped blade, I'll be able to produce much better results. However, I like what this is already, and I'll never get anything done if I wait for perfection.

    Here it is with a fresh coat of finish and reflecting some light, so you can see the texture better.

    I now realize there seems to be a lot of dust or bubbles in the finish. Oops. Using a finish that needs sanding between coats is also tough on this kind of surface, as there are so many ridges. In the future, I may just stick with oil finishes for anything using my yariganna.

    After my first project using the yariganna, I felt I should revise my description of tree bark-like to something more like the gently rippling surface of a shallow, flowing stream bedded with pebbles and small rocks.

    Thanks for reading. Hope it was enjoyable!

    Gary

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    Stone Mountain, GA
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    Very cool! Seems like an exceedingly difficult tool to master, but as you said, the results you're getting already are encouraging. It could certainly be used to great effect on the right piece.

    On the finishing, padding shellac seems like a good option as well for that kind of surface. Also, burnished wax would be lovely, I'd think.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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    Could you forward the name and contact info of said blacksmith? I'm interested in their work and would like to contact them.

  4. #4
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    Fantastic! Thank you for sharing.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    Mid coast Maine
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    Plus one, I too would like the name of the blacksmith. I could put that tool to work.
    Jim
    Ancora Yacht Service

  6. #6
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    Sep 2007
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    Interesting tool and effect, thanks for sharing.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
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    Thanks for the info and photos. I can see that being used in old time small fishing boat building.
    David

  8. #8
    That looks like a very oversize machinist scraper that my dad used to have. I think they were used to scrape Babbitt bearings or something similar. I never thought of trying to use them as woodworking tools.

  9. #9
    I'd also be interested in his contact info. I'm in Albany and would like to talk to him about holdfasts.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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    Can you show a picture of the back of the blade? Is it recessed like a Japanese Chisel? That's key to performance on these kind of

  11. #11
    Whoops, really? I don't have a picture of the back, but it is not recessed like on a Japanese chisel.

    Would you be able to explain the mechanism behind the recess and performance

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Tokyo, Japan
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    1,550
    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Tunak View Post
    Whoops, really? I don't have a picture of the back, but it is not recessed like on a Japanese chisel.

    Would you be able to explain the mechanism behind the recess and performance
    Judging from the picture, you have probably experienced difficulty in taking thin but consistent shavings full-length. The recess makes it easier to angle the cutting edge OUT of the cut when necessary, thereby giving better control. The mechanics are self explanatory.

    It also makes the blade easier to sharpen.

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