Japanese woodworking and hand tools video

[Bluekingfisher]

Whatever floats your boat.

 

[Droogs]

Nice one Charles, very interesting links, thanks

 

[Trafalgar]

It'll definitely keep your brain busy...

 

[Buckeye]

I prefer the furniture of Sam Maloof to the Japanese style in the video and I would be of the opinion that no matter how the joint is put together if it can't be seen then as long as it is plenty strong enough then I don't really care... but I can still admire the craftsmanship of the joints and 'piston fit' of the furniture in the video and the difference in style of working at a bench and using a plane between east and west.

Some of the woods in the wood yard were interesting also.

 

[D_W]

I've never sat to use a japanese plane, but I will admit one thing - you don't see too many japanese craftsmen who are hobbled over in bad shape and who can't get up from a seated position. You will find many of us in the west like that. Use it or lose it, I guess.

 

[Trafalgar]

Ikea Japan, FWIW:

http://www.ikea.com/jp/en/

 

[D_W]

Ikea furniture will sell anywhere. But some of the middle class there will buy quality. Generally, westerners will not.

Probably because we'd rather buy 100 plastic or fiberboard pieces of junk and there's no tolerance for the idea that we could have fewer and nicer things. Or even just fewer.

 

[Trafalgar]

Huh?

You're turning into Holden Caulfield before our eyes.

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-07-15/ ... ure-makers

I suspect that making custom furniture in Japan is as much a struggle, if not more, than it is in any modern economy. The Japanese appear to devour manufactured furniture as readily as any other industrialized nation.

 

[D_W]

Huh?

You're turning into Holden Caulfield before our eyes.

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-07-15/ ... ure-makers

I suspect that making custom furniture in Japan is as much a struggle, if not more, than it is in any modern economy. The Japanese appear to devour manufactured furniture as readily as any other industrialized nation.

I'm not sure what an article from 1991 has to do with it. Nor am I sure why tansu doesn't count as furniture. I was somewhat surprised to hear Stan Covington and others say that it's not uncommon for people to spend the equivalent of $3k on a small chest. I don't know of anything furniture related that the average american buys that is made by hand (no clue in the UK, either).

Suspecting something about furniture in an apples to oranges comparison doesn't amount to much (which one of us is going to japan first, to look? Not me). Other than the tansu, I don't know what furniture is normally even in a japanese residence - less than half of the space vs. the US, sit on the floor, etc.

I would never guess that the balance of "made" items skews to the US, though. They have blacksmiths with power hammers, what do we have. Fastcap and kaizen foam - lean manufacturing bragging (which started in japan in the first place) ...barf? they have middle class people buying tansu, what do we have? People complaining that amish made furniture is "expensive".

 

[Trafalgar]

"I don't know of anything furniture related that the average american buys that is made by hand (no clue in the UK, either)."

What is an 'average' American?

 

[D_W]

Let's just arbitrarily define it as more than a 10 percent share of households with income within 50% of the median.

 

[Trafalgar]

And you have data on their custom furniture buying habits? No? But you do have it on the equivalent demographic in Japan?

Really amazing David. How do you do it?

 

[D_W]

And you have data on their custom furniture buying habits? No? But you do have it on the equivalent demographic in Japan?

Really amazing David. How do you do it?

Charlie, I have no clue what your goal is here, but I just found the ignore button here and achieved mine.

 

[Trafalgar]

Music to my ears.