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Thread: Metate

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Default Metate

    I've made myself a japanese style saw vise and am dipping my toe in the murky waters of metate.
    Does anyone on the forum have any experience? I contacted mark Grable a few years ago but it's very difficult to stay in touch with him. My initial question is about removing the burrs after filing the teeth. Does anyone know how metate deal with this?
    Any other info would also be greatly appreciated.

    Regards,
    Gadge

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  3. #2
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    I'm not surprised that there has been no response to your question Gadge. As far as I know the only expertise on this outside of Japan is all with Jay Van Arsdale and Mark Gable ([email protected] ). As I understand it, there is also very little expertise left in Japan since the introduction of disposable blades.

    If you bought a top end saw from someone like Mitsukawa you can return the saw to them in Japan for resharpening.

    Odate doesn't have anything to say on burr removal in his book.

    The feather files used for sharpening Japanese saws cut on both the push and pull strokes, so should leave less burr than the single direction files used to sharpen western saws. I find a finishing swipe with the fine diamond feather file leaves minimal burr, then I just remove any residual burr with a light cut through soft wood.

    If I was to try to remove any burr I would probably just run a very fine diamond card lightly down either side of the teeth, tip to heel. I do something similar on a western 6ft crosscut saw that I sharpen, but not on any of my Japanese saws, well not yet!

    Neil (never-metate)

  4. #3
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    Default

    Hi NeilS,

    Thanks for the reply. I have a couple of high end saws which I would be willing to send back to Japan for sharpening but I also have a number of old saws which I would like to sharpen myself. Over the years I've also bought some very old saws with teeth missing here and there just for practising metate. That's what I am doing at the moment. I have been able to get a couple of the old saws cutting pretty well after refining tooth shape, resetting and sharpening. It's a pity there is so little information. I suppose I should look into finding a contact in Japan and arranging some instruction from one of the few remaining metate.

    Regards,
    Gadge

  5. #4
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    Jun 2007
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    Default

    Gadge, from what I've seen, the hardest part of metate is adjusting the taper, not tooth sharpening (although in some configurations, that's no piece of cake either). Also, Mark had to work pretty hard, be pretty good, to convince Yataiki to show him more. Or, he spent months in Japan studying metate. I'm not trying to discourage you, just to let you know this may be a more difficult task than signing up for a week long class.

    Pam

  6. #5
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    Gadge - should you get up to speed on the resharpening side of metate, I have a few J-saws that I would love someone with more expertise than me to get back into shape, particularly for hardwood use. eg....


    From the little I know about straightening and re-tensioning saws, that is a very dark art. I watched it being done on the huge circular saws in the sawmill town I lived in as a child. I know enough to know that's something I could never do.

    Neil

  7. #6
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    Hi Pam,

    Thanks for your advice. I am under no illusion this is something I could pick up in a week. If there were week long classes I would have done it by now. My thoughts were more along the lines of taking 6 months or a year and devoting myself to it. It would cost a lot of money and that much time is difficult to free up but if there's a will ....

    Regards,
    Gadge

  8. #7
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    G'Day Garry - hope you are well.

    I'm sorry I missed this thread, I haven't been getting on this site much of late. I think you have just registered on Chris' Craftsmanship forum yes? The saw sharpening thread on there will get you started. I think another member (Paul Atzenweiler?!) may also be doing some self sharpenning and he is on the forum also.

    See you over there.

    Regards

    Derek

  9. #8
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    Hi Derek,

    Yes, I have registered. Thanks for the advice.

    Regards,
    Gadge

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