 |
| Photo A |
You
won’t need many tools to start carving woodblock panels for relief printing. You
probably could get by with an Xacto knife and the gouges that you use for sign
carving. But if you want to do some intricate work in the tradition of Ukiyo-e
woodblock printmaking, a few Japanese carving tools are a worthwhile investment.
An assortment of some of the traditional tools is pictured in photo A.
Video about Japanese woodblock printing
Video about Japanese woodblock printing
There
are many different types of Japanese carving tools used for woodblock carving. Most
of the individual tools are comprised of three parts: a hard wood handle; a
brass ferrule; and the cutting blade.
Some
of handles used in making professional grade carving tools are comprised of two
parts, as shown in photo B. The handle
comes apart by removing the brass ferrule, exposing the blade. This feature
allows the blade to be easily adjusted or removed for replacement.
 |
| Photo B |
Hangi To Carving Knife
In
woodblock printing, the first steps are to transfer the pattern to the wood
panel and then to cut along the outline with a carving knife. This knife has an
angled blade and looks like a woodcarver’s skew chisel.
The
traditional Japanese Hangi To carving knife utilizes a single bevel blade. One
side is flat. In cutting the wood, this side should be against the wood that
will be retained. The beveled edge is positioned toward the waste side of the
wood. Both right hand and left hand carving
knives are available.
For more detailed information read my story about Japanese Hangi To Carving Knives.
For more detailed information read my story about Japanese Hangi To Carving Knives.
U-Gouge
After
a design is outlined using a traditional Japanese carving knife, the
next step in carving a woodblock panel is to remove much of the waste wood
using a Komasuki U-Gouge. These gouges are very similar to the large
woodcarving gouges used in sign carving. While these Japanese gouges are
available in several sweeps, a 8# sweep gouge is frequently used. The #8 sweep
allows for deeper cuts, than shallower #3 or #5 gouges. In removing waste wood,
you will want deeper cuts as the distance between the outlines increases. The
deeper cuts allow for the paper sagging in large open voids in the woodblock
and prevent the paper from being contaminated with ink in these areas.
Bull Nose Chisel
After
removing most of the waste wood between the outlines, use the bull nose
chisel to carefully remove the remaining waste wood adjoining the cutlines. Aisuki bull nose chisels with a flat blade are available in a variety of widths, including 1.5mm, 3mm
and 6mm. The narrower chisels are a good
addition to your tool collection, because they allow for removal of waste wood
in tight spaces.
V-Parting Gouge
For
cutting very fine lines, you may consider buying a couple of Sankaku To V-Parting gouges. These are especially useful when carving the fine lines of hair or the streaking lines of rain.
Several
other types of Japanese tools are available. An excellent source of tools and materials
for relief carving is:
McClain's Printmaking Supplies
15685 SW 116th Avenue PMB 202
King City, OR 97224-2695
800.832.4264
International: 00.1.503.641.3555
Caveat emptor!
As
with most purchases, you get what you pay for. Japanese carving tools are made
of different grades of steel. The better grades are comprised of two types of
steel which are laminated together. One layer, which forms the cutting edge, is
made of very hard, high carbon steel. The other layer, which serves as the
backbone of the blade, consists of softer and lower carbon steel.
In
making the best professional grade tools, the two layers of steel are hand
forged. In hand forging, the two layers are heated and physically beaten with a
hammer to fuse the steel. It is believed that this process makes a very hard
cutting edge even harder.
The
two layers of steel can also be fused together through automated factory
processing. This manufacturing process produces very high quality steel used in
manufacturing more affordable knives, chisels and gouges. The lowest grade of
carving tool is made of a single type of extruded steel.
In
terms of performance, the higher grades of steel are harder and will hold a
sharp cutting edge longer. In my opinion, you should buy the best grade of
carving tool that you can afford, if you intend to seriously pursue woodblock
printing.
RELATED ARTICLES
What is Relief Printing?
What are Ukiyo-e Prints?
How Japanese Printmaking Influenced Western Art
The Evolution of Color in Japanese Woodblock Printing
The Division of Labor in Ancient Japanese Print Production
Checklist for Relief Printing with Oil Based Ink
Japanese Carving Tools for Woodblock Relief Printing
Japanese Carving Knives for Woodblock Printing
Safely Carving Woodblocks, Woodcuts and Linocuts
Linocut Tips
Japanese Papers for Printmaking
How Japanese Mulberry Paper is Made
How Handmade Papers in the West are Made
Selecting a Brayer for Relief Printing
Selecting Wood for Relief Printing
Selecting an Ink for Relief Printing
Inking the Woodblock Panel
Clean Up After Relief Printing
About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 400 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published. Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon.
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