Chisel Timber Material

[thumbsucker]

Hi

I am looking at handle material for Japanese chisels. does anyone know what グミ Silverberry & 牛柄 Cowskiller timbers are?

[NeilS]

Hi

I am looking at handle material for Japanese chisels. does anyone know what グミ Silverberry & 牛柄 Cowskiller timbers are?

Appearance wise, see halfway down this page.

I don't know anything myself about those woods.

I'm not sure if either of these two Wiki entries are any more helpful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_umbellata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_angustifolia

Augustifolia is also known as Russian Olive in Australia, where it is grown as an ornamental garden plant. It is potentially an invasive weed in our native bushland, so if you can find a few and cut them down you will be doing the bushland a favour.

Cowskiller is a mystery. Interestingly when I searched on the kanji characters it gave cow skin images. (but applied to more than cows, more like the word 'pied'). No idea what to make of that.

Traditionally the Japanese used the fruit tree woods that grew in the mountains. The woods used now are substitutes for those woods that are no longer available in quantity, although cherry is still used for knife handles.

I reckon the Japanese makers would die for some of our desert acacia woods. If those darker wood colours don't suit you, and you are not going into a production run where you need volume, then there are plenty of lighter coloured fruit woods here in backyards and orchards. I have used loquat. Another option is the wood of any of the nut trees, although they tend to be in the darker colours again.

Thumbsucker, if you are intending to make your own handles then it would be great to get some WIP posts.

Neil

[thumbsucker]

Niel I came across an interesting Japanese tool website and they listed the two woods as options on their custom chisel order. Plus the usual Oaks, Ebonies, Boxwood, Sandalwood. But the two グミ Silverberry & 牛柄 Cowskiller I have never heard of.

Neil while I have you - I have not forgotten about your loan - it sits in my bedroom, nagging me to use it. However I have been busy with non wood stuff and I also feel some performance anxiety, the kind a bloke feels when he is with a very pretty girl for the first time.

[NeilS]

Neil while I have you - I have not forgotten about your loan - it sits in my bedroom, nagging me to use it. However I have been busy with non wood stuff and I also feel some performance anxiety, the kind a bloke feels when he is with a very pretty girl for the first time.

Take your time. But don't hesitate to give it (a nomi) a real hard run.

A pretty girl is pleasant to look at but it's not until you get closely acquainted that you will know if she lives up to the promise... she may just be highly intelligent, witty, generous, artistic, extremely successful at her job and have a lovely personality... or to your disappointment not even be a girl

Neil

[Sawdust Maker]

Take your time. But don't hesitate to give it (a nomi) a real hard run.

A pretty girl is pleasant to look at but its not until you get closely acquainted that you will know if she lives up to the promise... she may just be highly intelligent, witty, generous, artistic, extremely successful at her job and have a lovely personality... or to your disappointment not even be a girl

Neil

hmmmm

[sinjin]

Hi Neil thanks for the Link to that site..impressive.