Craftsmanship in Wood

The gloves are all about keeping dirt and oils from the skin from getting onto the wood.

You mean somewhere on a Japanese Daiku message board there's the thread, "Check out my Bitchin' Oxy Bags"?

Well, there are sites like these:

http://toolmania.shop-pro.jp/?pid=60823873

http://www.dio-group.com/tools/belt.html

And for all tools American, there is always this site:

http://american-tools.jp/index.html

Apologies if this divergence if too far off course, but I'm wondering how did Ming Dynasty Chinese work? Workbenches or planing beams? Not just carpenters but cabinet makers and such.

durbien wrote: Did you carry western tools in western bags, or was everything Japanese?

I still use my fathers old hand-me-down custom made leather pouches, with a mix of western and japanese tools. The difference being that my father still carries every tool he could conceivable need (thus requiring shoulder straps), and I try to just carry the few tools I need for the specific work for the day, keeping the rest in bags or boxes nearby. I did modify my bag to hold a sashigane when I need it, keeping the long arm up against my thigh, and the short arm more or less safely concealed in the bag.

everythingsings wrote:I did modify my bag to hold a sashigane when I need it, keeping the long arm up against my thigh, and the short arm more or less safely concealed in the bag.

That's a good idea - I have a small one that may be a good candidate for that treatment. I don't think my thighs are long enough for a full size square, though!

Chris Hall wrote:The gloves are all about keeping dirt and oils from the skin from getting onto the wood.

Thanks - I guess I can't use "That's how they do it in Japan!" as an excuse when I'm lugging around sopping wet, waney 2X anymore..

Chris Hall wrote:Well, there are sites like these:

Wow. You mean everyone over there isn't dressed like a Shinto priest?

Love all the Chinese "American" tools.

I wonder if the squares and tapes are Metric, Shaku, or Inches (almost wrote "Imperial", heh). I noticed in some Japanese "DIY" magazines there was lumber specified in inches (e.g. "4x4") which I thought strange. Maybe it's not so strange after all.

durbien wrote:I noticed in some Japanese "DIY" magazines there was lumber specified in inches (e.g. "4x4") which I thought strange. Maybe it's not so strange after all.

In Australia we changed to metric in 1975. I'm very glad we joined the rest of the world but still use the old Imperial measurements informally when it suits us. Lumber is one example, the sawn lumber sizes convert pretty easily 3x2" = 75x50 mm; 4x4 = 100x100 mm. We generally still use imperial when speaking of people's height (e.g. 5'10"). Also with fish; it sounds a lot bigger to say it was 4 and a half pound rather than 2 kilos

Australia sounds a bit like Canada in that respect. People use some metric measures comfortably, with some imperial measures thrown in here and there, body weight being pretty common.

All measuring systems are artificial constructs, each system coming with pros and cons.

The US is a bit of a rare bird sticking with imperial measures for so long, and its history in that regard is quite interesting. Ah politics...

A recent book by John Marciano details the events which unfolded, and is well worth the read:

http://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Happened ... 1608194752

As to Japan, since the Kobe earthquake of '97, the 2x4 construction industry has gained a foothold, and is termed by the Japanese ツーバイフォー (reads, roughly, as "tsuu-bai-fuo--", as close as the Japanese language allows the words "two-by-four" to be pronounced).

There is of course an industry association for 2x4 construction:

http://www.2x4lumber.jp/

Thanks for the book link Chris. Sounds like a good read as I've often wondered why the US has held out so long.
Aparently the only other two countries to continue using the Imperial system are Liberia and Berma.