Japanese tools: Part four Chisels

I’VE SAID IT BEFORE

The real working part of any chisel or blade is the meeting of two facets of a piece of steel. The keener that this meeting is, the sharper the instrument, and the easier the chisel will be to control.

Japanese chisels, or nomi, have an unfounded reputation for only being suitable for softwoods. Although traditional Japanese woodwork is generally done using softwoods, these wonderful chisels work in any woods, the same as their Western counterparts.

Japanese chisels come in a variety of styles, usually based on their intended use. Most are tanged and have a tapered ferrule where the tang enters the handle. If a chisel) on top of the handle, it can be struck with a steel-headed Japanese hammer. If no top hoop is present, the chisel is intended to be pushed by hand (not struck) and may have a longer handle to facilitate this hand use.