Need Saw sharpening

For any members in the US or Canada (Anywhere really), I have several very nice Japanese saws that I would like to have put in top notch condition. Without having to send them to Japan, does anyone know of anyone who can perform a really good sharpening service for me? I have a Mitsukawa traditional kataba, a Mitsukawa rip Dozuki, and an Asakura ryoba. The ryoba and the kataba need it most. Theyre not in bad condition by any means but they could perform better, this I know and the ryoba I would like to have set up for hardwoods.
Mark Grable no longer performs his metate service, spoke to him last summer and he said his eyes are no longer up to the task. So, any suggestions anyone? Thanks
Im half tempted to buy a file or files and start to learn this myself but it would be a very long time Im sure before I would be able to touch my kataba and dozuki.

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Originally Posted by planebill

For any members in the US or Canada (Anywhere really), I have several very nice Japanese saws that I would like to have put in top notch condition. Without having to send them to Japan, does anyone know of anyone who can perform a really good sharpening service for me? I have a Mitsukawa traditional kataba, a Mitsukawa rip Dozuki, and an Asakura ryoba. The ryoba and the kataba need it most. Theyre not in bad condition by any means but they could perform better, this I know and the ryoba I would like to have set up for hardwoods.
Mark Grable no longer performs his metate service, spoke to him last summer and he said his eyes are no longer up to the task. So, any suggestions anyone? Thanks
Im half tempted to buy a file or files and start to learn this myself but it would be a very long time Im sure before I would be able to touch my kataba and dozuki.

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Mark has stopped? Oh dear...

I've got to reply to an email for you in the next day or three, so I'll get you some details then, ok?

Short version, Mitsukawa-san will do metate on Mitsukawa saws (and it's not expensive, shipping is the big cost) and there are a few good folks here in Japan (of course) that'll do the job as well.

Stu.

Couple of options:

1) send them to Hida, who can then send them wherever in Japan, or the US for that matter. That's certainly true for the Mitsukawas. Might want to call them first.

2) Alex Gilmore, at thejapanblade.com and thejapanblade on ebay, has piles of files. It's actually quite simple to sharpen most rip saws; so that's where I would start.

Pam

PS Oops, sorry Stu, your message snuck in there while I was writing my reply. My message was not intended to contradict yours.

Thank you Stuart, I'll be watching for your email. Yes, Mark has "retired" from the metate biz. At least that's what he said when last we spoke. He said his eyes just weren't up to the task. I actually tried to call him a few days ago anyway, just to see what was what,in case he has changed his mind. Got no answer.
Will Mitsukawa not do metate on non Mitsukawa saws? Interesting news, if I understand correctly. I do firmly believe I have been the victim of a fraud by a very very reputable tool dealer in Japan who runs a very high end tool shop there and who many readers of this forum and others have surely heard of. No, I will not mention who it was here on this forum. I really never would have thought that this would happen but from the very minute I got my ryoba saw back from metate I immediately suspected that nothing had been done to it. The teeth were supposed to be pitched for hardwoods and then sharpened and they had not, at least not that I could see. $75 plus shipping down the drain. So that's why I was looking for a trustworthy recommendation from a forumite.
I will be looking forward to your email.
Pam, Hida sends saws to Mitsukawa, which is what Mitsukawa-san instructed me to do, I have already spoken with him about it but as Stuart said, the shipping(not to mention the time) is pretty costly so I was hoping to find a "local" source for my sharpening.
Thanks for the tip about Alex though, I had not thought of asking him.
I would like to give it a go myself but that would be something to do to an ebay saw, not my real saws.
Thanks to both of you.
Bill

Hi Bill,

Still not emailed, but unfortunately you're not the first to have that experience. I'm pretty sure I know as many details about your problem as you do...

Mitsukawa won't do anyone else's saws. I asked, he told me no. That's not third hand information, I asked him myself and he told me himself. The nice bit is that doing his own saws isn't expensive, and if you wanted any of his saws done by him, I'd probably have you send them directly to him, and he'll send them to me with a routine shipment of saws and I'd get them back safe and sound.

As far as hardwood specific goes, I have a 240mm hardwood specific saw here at the moment and I can assure you that his saws are actually not that 'nice' when freshly sharpened. A few burrs on the teeth, the hardwood specific teeth are not at all normal shaped (it's easy to see the difference) and they take a few good cuts to settle down. A freshly sharpened saw may or may not need a little time to settle in, depending on who's done the work, but a freshly sharpened saw most certainly SHOULD behave very differently to a worn/blunt saw.

All is not lost however. Apparently there's a fellow from Miki who makes routine trips to the UK, who's name escapes me. I know his vaguely, but apparently he knows me. He's supposed to be very good at it, and that's his profession, so he'll take any saws and sharpen, repair and modify as needed. I'd get them done locally, but the last one in town retired a couple years ago, and most of the local stores now send them off to the main island. Shipping is cheap enough now to do that, no problem.

And if you need files, I've got dozens of them. All sizes, fine and coarse, just laying around. We've made arrangements recently with a file making company in Hiroshima who make the files, it's just that I haven't had a chance to get them listed properly. We're also in talks with a very large file making company also from Hiroshima, who also happen to make metate files. The difference between the two is the big company makes thousands of different files, the smaller company we're already working with is more home-spun and a LOT better presented. Really nice stuff.

And you wonder why I'm stopping orders for a week? It's for stuff like this!

Stu.

No problem, I know you are a busy guy and business needs to come first so don't worry about me.
I spoke to Mr. Mitsukawa as well and he basically told me the same thing so the well known vendor who told me that he would/had sharpened my non Mitsukawa saw just straight up lied to me, repeatedly, and charged me for both the shipping it to him and the sharpening, not to mention having him change the teeth for use in hardwoods. I just wrote him an email and politely told him that he has been found out and that I would like to have my money back. Im sure I probably wont get it but oh well, it made me feel better to let him know that I know he is less than honest (something I always thought was a hallmark of the Japanese culture and an ideal I always admired and respected about the Japanese. I know, I know, they are not all like this.) and that I have , albiet belatedly, found him out.
I completely agree, and know firsthand, that a sharp saw with quality metate performed, should and does perform better than a worn saw, even when freshly sharpened and improve after a short break in period.
Perhaps sometime in the future we can work out something with getting my saws sharpened as at least you have a base of loyal customers who testify that you are at least honest and trustworthy. (I really hate getting on here and bashing someone but this whole deal has really chapped my ass.) They are really going to need it soon. I really love the few quality saws that I own. Perhaps, if you have the time and inclination, to detail some prices for me.
If you would like to throw in a few different files with my chisels I will not be upset. ;-)
Why you were suspending orders had never entered my mind, its none of my business. I hope you make some good progress in updating your site, I enjoy visiting it and watching it grow. Good luck. I just hope I am able to place my order before you take the "break".


Best Of Luck

Bill

After reading what Stu had to say today and having the memory brought fresh into my mind and getting angry all over again, I decided to email said vendor to request a refund of my money as I said I had. Well guess what? After seriously doubting the return of the money (it was over 9 months ago) I got an email from him and a deposit of my money to my paypal account.
Now I feel about an inch tall. I swear, I have the most guilty conscience on the planet.:?:(:~
Especially having talked so bad about the guy. I am really annoyed with myself. This can't be normal. Now, I have no doubts about the work not having been done so why do I feel this way? I don't know but I did get my money back but still need sharp saws.

Yeah, I bought several trashy saws on ebay to practice on; but all of them were better than they looked. :) Nevertheless, practice I did, and I now feel confident about my ability to sharpen rip saws, large and small. Now I just need for one of my really good saws to go dull.

What I can't do at this point is dimension the thickness, don't even have more than one sen for the job. Wonder if Mark would consider giving classes.

Pam

Pam,

Now, is a sEN THE TOOL USED FOR THE SCRAPING OF THE PLATE? iSNT IT THE SAME TOOL CHISEL SMITHS USE FOR MAKING THE HOLLOWS ON THE BACKS OF CHISELS? Shoot, sorry about shouting.Where in the world did/would a person find one of those?

Yes.

I think they're used for hollowing chisels, or something similar, but won't pretend to "know" this. I've seen a couple or three on ebay, one of which I bought. This is shaped like a draw knife with an interchangeable sen device mounted in the center; so if I ever try this, I'll get some sen made to fit.

I suspect they're readily available in Japan, so it might be a request for Alex on his next buying trip.

Pam