Michihamono is a small maker of carving knives and chisels in Miki City, Hyōgo, Japan's traditional home of blacksmithing and hardware. The company began as a subcontractor making sickles and gradually turned its skills to carving tools, which are now its speciality.
Michihamono tools are used for an unusually wide range of crafts: carving Buddhist statues and Noh masks, Kamakura-bori lacquerware, woodblock printing, seal engraving and even eraser-stamp carving. Its high-speed steel blades are heat-treated by specialist firms, and each tool passes through several craftsmen in turn, from shaping and grinding the blade to fitting the handle and final inspection.
Alongside its carving tools, Michihamono makes the Hiyokko range of sickles and runs CARVY, an antenna shop in Tokyo. Its tools suit both beginners and professional carvers.
18mm HSS Bowl and Spoon Gouge
18mm HSS Bowl and Spoon Gouge
Designed to aid makers of Noh masks, an extremely demanding traditional carving craft, his 18mm curved gouge is designed for excavating across and with the grain while leaving an exceptionally clean surface. It's HSS blade is of exceptional quality, able to be resharpened and capable of taking an edge for an exceptionally long time. The long timber handle provides ample space for hands of all sizes to manipulate the tool with control.
Spoon carvers, vessel makers and whittlers will enjoy it's great cut quality and ease of use. To sharpen, we recommend touching up the outside bevel only, and leaving the interior. This tool can be honed with strops or buffing wheels. For those without those resources, we recommend cutting into some scrap wood to match the profile of the blade, and adding slurry from a medium waterstone (we find the #1000 Cerax works really well). By running the bevel across the matching profile impregnated with sharpening compound, an excellent edge and finish is able to be achieved.
This tool ships with the blade dipped in protective lacquer. We recommend removing the lacquer with methylated spirits or other solvents, but please note that anti-rust care measures should be observed.
This is my first time carving and using a gouge. It was awkward at first but once I figured it out it was perfect! Creates beautiful curves.
The gouge is a real joy to work with, complements other carving tools to achieve great results and also great to use on its own if it's the only gouge you have for spoons and bowls. Highly recommend picking one of these up.
The gouge has been amazing and the service terrific. One of the best sites to buy beautiful tools for creative work.
Fantastic tool that is beautifully made and is sharp from the retailer. The long handle provides both good grip and good leverage for a scooping motion when carving bowls. Hand carving is a demanding past time but a well made tool definitely helps and I have no regrets about buying this gouge
This is my first time carving and using a gouge. It was awkward at first but once I figured it out it was perfect! Creates beautiful curves.
The gouge is a real joy to work with, complements other carving tools to achieve great results and also great to use on its own if it's the only gouge you have for spoons and bowls. Highly recommend picking one of these up.
The gouge has been amazing and the service terrific. One of the best sites to buy beautiful tools for creative work.
Fantastic tool that is beautifully made and is sharp from the retailer. The long handle provides both good grip and good leverage for a scooping motion when carving bowls. Hand carving is a demanding past time but a well made tool definitely helps and I have no regrets about buying this gouge