Thread: Japanese saws - are they cheaper in Japan?

John,
Was there earlier this year and actually bought a saw which was a bit cheaper than here - enough to make it worth while. I didn't see too many hardware stores around though. The one I went to was at Miyoshi, near Nagoya. The guy in the shop didn't speak much English & I speak no Japanese, but we managed. Also, there's a Sunday market in one of the temples at Nagoya where there were lots of Japanese style moulding planes. I picked up a good shoulder plane there.

Do a search on these forums for 'Kawagoe' for a place that has top quality saws, chisels, planes etc. The guy there speaks good English & is very friendly & helpful. Not cheap, though.

Hello Kids Damien here. I'm back in Japan now working hard. To answer your question , it would be difficult to locate a tool shop near Narita as traditionally it was not a tool making area. As for the Carbatec crap , stay away from it. If you need any help in sourcing quality tools here let me know as I'm the bloke who lives 3 minutes from Kawagoe. Groovy Damien.

Alex, Damien

Thanks for the pointers. I'll not have time to move too far from the hotel and the temple so I guess if I get lucky, I get lucky. I read somewhere on the net that there is a little hardware shop down a back alley somewhere near the temple, maybe I'll stumble across it. I'll not be able to wander too far though, since the missus will be 6 months gone by then!

Cheers,
John

John have fun and dont be afraid, the Japanese people are very friendly and often timid of western people. Damien.

John

If you are new to Japanese saws, then my advice to you is to buy the saws locally. The "Z" range of saws are very cheap (around $50) and cut superbly. Japanese saws gain their reputation for exellence from their ability to cut a thin kerf and to cut straight. This is possible because the blades are very thin and do not have much, if any, set to the teeth. Taking this a step further, this is only possible because the blades are kept in tension by using a pull stroke, and not a push (which would just cause them to buckle - that is why Western saw blades are so much thicker). Because Japanese saw blade teeth are thinner, they are more fragile and are easily damaged. It is not possible to sharpen them oneself since the steel is too hard. For this reason the blades are disposable. Break a tooth or teeth and buy a replacement blade. Are you going to be able to do this to saws you purchase in Japan? Now, there are also expensive Japanese saws with non-disposable blades, These require being sent back to Japan for resharpening. They are really only bought by very experienced woodworkers, who need to keep several on hand for backup. Is this what you are after?

Sorry to rain on your parade, but perhaps you are not aware of the above.

Regards from Perth

Derek