The news, and nothing but the news.

Hi all,

Long time no see! Sorry about the lack of activity here, for whatever reason (thank you Bank of Japan!) the store has become quite busy over the last few weeks, and I have not had much time to do much of anything other than keep it ticking along, boxing stuff up and sending them on their way across the sea, along with all the other things I need to do as a human being like eat, sleep and play with kids, not always my own…

Over the next few weeks, you may notice a few additions to the store in the form of new products. Specifically, it’s time to start listing files and rasps. I’ve been putting this off for a while, since these things are so common here, with so many different manufacturers that nailing down a supplier is nearly impossible. So, I’m going to just go with what I can do, and start with the well known and loved Shinto brand saw rasps.

But the rasps I really want to get out there are the more ‘normal’ looking ones, that look like files with fangs.

Why?

Where else can you get a quality rasp, for under US$30? Not including Chinese stuff here, even if they are ‘good’. What I am talking about are rasps that are, occasionally, hand cut. Rasps that cut quickly, consistently and effectively. One that really defines the term ‘wood file’, only because of any tool in existence on this planet, it’s might well be the only true file designed for wood, and do they cut!

But that’s coming up, just not right now. I hope they will be yet another option for those of you who refuse to stick to the straight and/or narrow…

I’m also in the process of adding some saws. A lot of saws. A ship load of saws. Made by a company going by the name “Noko-giri Kobo” they are pointed at the upper/middle/lower middle/upper middle range of replaceable blade saws. Why is the aim so vague? They make a lot of saws. Again, I’ve been putting these off because they are virtually unknown outside of Japan, but the range of saws is so great, I really do need to get them up there for looking at at the very least.

And, it’s also time to really get serious about chisels. I’m sitting on data for nearly 1,000 different chisels, gouges, slicks and similar chisel-esque type tools from Koyamaichi. The true beauty of these is not that they are good tools (they are) or that they offer good performance for the money (they do) but that you can dial in whatever you want on them. Want a Blue steel, multiple hollow Oire Nomi with a witchhazel handle and a faceted ring on the end?

Yep, that can be arranged…

And anything more pedestrian is just as easy.

I just hope that these promises are not hollow ones. I will do all I can to get them up as quickly as possible, but it may well be that I can’t manage it in as timely a fashion as I would like. If I don’t move quick enough, yell at me. It might not help, but it may make you feel better and make me move faster.

Or it might not too.

Thanks for wading through yet more drivel,

Stu.