By Using His Hands and Ancient Technology, an old Master Craftsman Has Devoted a Life for BENTWORK

I visited Nagiso Town, a place covered by forest. There, I witnessed the work of master woodturners, which made me feel as peaceful as the beauty of mystic nature and the power embedded in wood. I plan to show you some areas that relate to woodturning like this. However, last week Mr. Takayuki sent me an interesting old document about bent woodwork and holy crap, I'll show you that first. Magamono or wagamono is a technique for creating household appliances by bending thin sheets of shaved lumber into a circular or oval shape and by sewing its joints with the cherry bark. Commonly used woods are the wood of the cypress tree or Japanese cedar. Magamono produced in Odate uses Akita cedars that I have shown several times before. The magamono technique appeared more than 400 years ago and was a distinctive cultural mark of the Kiso region, Nagano Prefecture. Products made of the magamono technique are lightweight, durable, and handy, so they have become one of the most widely used handmade items, even in today's age. In these Japanese woods, woods from the cypress tree of Kiso, Kiso Hinoki, is the most compatible material for the magamono technique. However, to preserve this rare raw material, it is now used in conjunction with Sawara cypress wood, Sawara Hinoki, which is highly waterproof, enhancing the durability of the product. It is said that people started to make a living with magamono techniques in the Edo period. Kiso Hinoki cypress was valued as the best material in Japan. A strict forest preservation policy was enforced to protect the Kiso Hinoki. However, in this special video, you're going to see the whole thing from hundreds of years ago. Turnback, a magamono, was made entirely from Kiso Hinoki and by using only ancient tools and wood from the cypress tree. Be careful of the direction in which the material is split. The quality of the finished product depends on the material. This split material is called kure. Depending on the condition of the kure, it is decided which part of the product is to be used. which parts are easy to split, which parts are not, and which parts are easy to crack. We use this material for the floor board and the floor board. We use a chisel to cut the center of the kure. The thickness of the board should not lean to one side, but should be evenly split. If the thickness of the board is leaning to one side, rotate the board to correct the leaning. Repeat this process and split more finely. Always put a blade in the middle of the opening and split it in half. Split to a slightly thicker place than the thickness of the product to be made. This state is called a chisel board. Next, to flatten the split surface of the chisel board, use a scraper to scrape. Put a chisel on the chest, raise the front of the chisel board, and lower the front to fix it. Hold the edge of the material with a chisel, and use a line to cut in half. After cutting, change the direction of the material and cut the remaining half. And to align the thickness of the chisel board to a certain extent, decide the thickness using a ruler. Use this mark as a guide and scrape carefully. In particular, when shaving both ends, which are called chisels, be careful and scrape thinly. Use this scraped chisel board as a side board. This work plays a major role in the quality of the finish, and it is one of the things to be most careful about. And the side board is thin enough to be thick at the top and thin enough at the bottom. This is to prevent distortion and damage after the product is finished. At the same thickness, the bottom of the vessel looks wider, so it is designed to look better. In addition, the inside of the chisel board is slightly curved. This is so that it will not be forced by the knife when hot things are put in. Next, we will start bending the side board. Put it in boiling water for about an hour and let it boil. When the side board of the material has softened, stack two sheets and wrap them around the chisel and bend them. Chisels are made of hard wood such as water-dried wood, and have a leather or belt on them. Wrap the material between the chisel and the leather. The reason for stacking two thin sheets is to minimize the distortion of the wood. There are various types of chisels, such as round-shaped, small-sized, and shell-shaped. Hold the bent material with a pair of scissors so that it will not be bent. Hold the side of the pair of scissors with a small-shaped mouth and shape it. Let it dry naturally in the sun for 2 to 3 days. The narrow side board used for the lid is folded with a few sheets of material and bent with a chisel. Then, put it together in a mold for bending and let it dry. Next is the bonding work. Rub the rice grains with a glue stick. This is called side glue. Divide the dried side board into one piece. Put the seams together and glue them with side glue. Press the glued surface firmly with a pair of scissors and a mouth. The side glue dries completely in 7 to 8 hours. After applying the side glue to the narrow side board, tie it with a straw to fix it. The straw is used so that it can be pressed evenly and does not take up space, unlike a chisel. When the side board is dry, sew the seams together with Yamazakura leather. This Yamazakura leather is called Kanba. It does not stretch and does not rot, so it is suitable for sewing. Around August, I went into the mountains, scratched the trunk of the Yamazakura, peeled it off at an appropriate width, dried the leather, cut off the outside and inside of the leather, and used it thinly. For sewing, use a chisel to make a hole in the glued part, and sew it up through the Kanba. This work is considered a woman's job, and the people around the house cooperated to make it. This completes the side board. Next is the work of making a bottom board and a lid. Use an honest chisel, which is usually used in reverse, to make a subtle Kanba. This bottom board and lid are made of two to three boards, and are glued side by side. This is to prevent the board from fraying or wrinkling. The gap between the board and the glued part is made so that there is only a little gap. This is a technique to make the side board firmly and firmly glued. The glued board is raised vertically to dry. When it is dry, the surface is finished with a plane. In the case of a round bottom board and a round lid, use a chisel to drop the bottom board and lid to the required dimensions. Next, attach the bottom board to the side board. There are two ways to attach the bottom board. The bottom board is attached to the side board with instant glue. Be careful not to make it too loose or too hard, and fit it in and shape it. In the case of a round bottom board, first, a round chisel is used on the bottom board. First, draw a line vertically and horizontally on the bottom board. Shave off with a chisel. Attach the top side to the side board. This method is a very strong way to attach. In addition, the bottom board, which can be stacked like a heavy box, is processed with a chisel and attached with a chisel method. Check the condition of each one and finish it with a chisel. Glue the side board to the lid. Attach the bottom board to the side board. And finally, check the overall fit and finish it. Shouichi Tsuchikawa is actively working on making products that match the new era while taking care of the traditional making of bent items. When I got a bent item, I just wanted to catch up with my father's work. I was full of that feeling. When I started to be able to do my own job a little after several years, I still have a strong feeling that I can finally raise my head and walk. Bending a thin board without breaking it requires proficient skill. Pieces made from Kiso Hinoki Cypress are just gorgeous. After you use Magamono, you will realize how good it is. Some people come back to us to have their long-used Magamono repaired after several decades. It keeps well for a long time. Put some rice in Magamono and the rice will also keep well. And wood is highly bacteria-resistant. Just visit us to pick up Magamono and appreciate them. The Kiso Lacquerware Museum and Kiso Kurashino Kogikan Museum display and sell Magimono.