Tool Guides

Cutting wood with a hand saw starts before the first stroke: mark your line and secure the wood. Here's how to start, continue, and finish a cut, plus tips for partial cuts and angled cuts.

Learn how to grip and pull a Japanese hand plane (kanna), read the direction of the wood grain, and approach rough planing, chamfering, and finishing.

Unlock the full potential of your Japanese Ryoba saw. Learn the vital differences between rip and cross-cut teeth to achieve professional woodworking results.

Discover why the Dozuki saw is essential for precision woodworking. Learn about its unique thin blade, fine teeth, and how to use and maintain it for flawless cuts.

Are you familiar with the function of a chip breaker and how to adjust it on your Japanese hand plane? When properly set, the chip breaker prevents issues when planing against the grain, ensuring the fibers are cleanly cut rather than torn or ripped from the wood's surface.In this guide, we'll explain the role of the chip breaker and how to adjust it for the best results. If you're not familiar with the parts of the plane, check out our article How to Adjust the Blade of Your Japanese Hand Plane for an in-depth breakdown of each component.   What Is a...

  Welcome to our tutorial on using Japanese chisels, where we'll explore the role of the Katsura (chisel hoop) & how to adjust It working with it. We'll break it down step by step so that it's easy to understand and put into practice.   1: What is Katura? The top of the striking chisel handle has an iron hoop. We say it "Katura" in Japanese. Its primary function is to reinforce the wooden handle to prevent splitting when struck.   New Japanese striking chisels need to have the hoop adjusted. If you skip the katsura-setting process and start using the...