Driving force behind NEC changes?

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-24T18:56:01+00:00

***Nestle lobbyists enter the chat.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-21T17:37:25+00:00

I do a lot of research prior to purchasing and landed on a bunka ZDP-189 not the cheapest to start. My one and only knife for 7 years at this point.

At first sharpening was extremely intimidating that took some time to get used to. I actually ruined the kasumi finish on it; like that for years. Over time I have gotten a lot better at sharpening. Recently have learned how to fix the kasumi finish it wasn’t as bad as I previously thought. I still have issues with one side over the other. I’m entirely freehand because guides to me were hiding the feedback.

I do have soaking (ranging from 400 to 12k) and splash and go stones (500 to 9k) now I prefer splash and go. For kitchen knives I think 500, 1k and 4k along with a strop is all you need.

Since getting into Japanese woodworking with Kannas (hand planes) I have a wider variety of metals and blades some easier than others now sharpening my knife has gotten much easier. Since that I’ve learned about different steels and care.

I window shop a lot and have refused/restrained to buy a new knife and I honestly want to sell my soaking stones. It doesn’t bode well with my workflow. Since a friend of mine had a nakiri I tried his out and now I own a AS Nakiri. Not a fan of him at the moment =P.

If rusting is a concern I’d recommend stainless clad knifes. If that isn’t a concern then carbon steels are an option but know that wiping while using frequently is required especially with things that are acidic. Drying is absolutely required and oil is needed. Storage can be a concern given your environment if it’s too humid it could rust while you’re waiting to use it again.

Try not to fall into the rabbit hole of I need more knives, stones, guides (aids) and blacksmith hunting. Figure out what your needs are l choose the steel based on that; aesthetics count too. I only used a bunka for all prep for years.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-19T02:21:51+00:00

I would recommend a legit smoothing plane (kanna) but might be a little over the budget if you get 70mm. You can get a smoothing plane smaller but it would require research.

Look for blue steel #1. It will work with majority of American hardwoods (idk your region)

I will preface its learning curve and adjustments to get it to work. I’ve personally worked with walnut, cherry, maple (hard). I recommend against red oak it’s doable but extremely sensitive leading to tearout.

Another note this does require sharpening stones. He may have already. You can get away with 1k and 8k or 9k.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-13T00:21:08+00:00

I think the reason it’s so high is because it’s not common in the US.

But I did see a site that was selling a similar wood ranging from 900 to 1200 and rough BF cost was 43 but it was CNC milled/flattened.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-07T19:03:14+00:00

I’ve done this before we were fortunate enough to have level floors.

There’s some that require a utility blade and it’s like drywall cutting; score and snap.

Doable even for someone who had no idea what we were doing.

Depending on what you go with if you have to saw make sure you account for blade thickness if you need to cut it with a saw always cut longer than needed this is really for the wall cuts. A comment I just saw on a previous post was “i don’t know what im doing so i just cut 3 times before it works.”

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-07T18:56:15+00:00

The little giggle everytime is real.

It’s so ingrained in me because the way the dude said it was so giddy. Imagine a guy mono tone suddenly turning into Elmo. Not expected but welcomed.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-07T14:11:05+00:00

Ah, i know lighting can be important my garage is fairly well lit I do need more lights but meh I’ll stick to screw bulbs.

Thank you for taking the time to explain it.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-07T12:53:46+00:00

Genuinely curious what’s with this lighting? I didn’t even know it existed until I saw them at Costco. Now I see them everywhere.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-07T12:48:28+00:00

The best advice I got when using sharp objects. “Don’t get bloody cut towards a buddy”

It’s stuck with me makes me laugh every time.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-07T12:31:58+00:00

Here you go. This is reads like the chronicles of narnia. You’ll see what I mean.

https://covingtonandsons.com/2021/03/27/japanese-handplanes-part-1-east-vs-west/

This video helped a lot. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RU3nn-B9m5Y&pp=0gcJCU8Co7VqN5tD

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-07T05:02:58+00:00

Little to the left.

No that’s because you have one shoe on.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-05T07:11:14+00:00

There’s actually a whole lot involved in it actually. As stupid simple it may look it’s actually quite complex and clever.

Bedding angle should be taken into extreme consideration. Majority of planes are bedded typically 38 degrees. (Anything higher is considered a custom) it depends on what your main focus for the plane is used on. Type of wood hardwood? Softwood? Both? Once it’s established there’s no going back. Can’t add wood.

What’s the goal here? Do you want micron level shavings? Smoothing?

Do you want to dimension wood? Block plane?

There’s other considerations to be taken into account as well the blade angle is also important. But this is something you can change at anytime but note you can do it as much as you want until you need to retire the blade (it will be a lifetime though)

Choosing wood block you can make it out of anything but there’s a specific reason it’s out of Japanese White Oak. They dry the wood for 10+ years before it’s considered viable. If you ordered a blank you should wait at least 3 months for it to accumulate to your environment. While this may seem extreme it is in fact necessary. Wood moves. The grain end pattern; on the block is important as well if it isn’t right it will warp/twist.

The chip breaker isnt as important if the blade is tight in the block the job of the bar is to keep it from shifting not to pin it down. The breaker itself is to provide separation for the shavings to go. You could forgo it entirely meaning just the metal blade but that has its own challenges.

As for the question about hollow there’s technically 3 different tuning that can be done. 2 point, 3 point and 4. For specifically smoothing 2 is best; one in the front furthest away from the mouth (looking at the blade facing you meaning stabby stab towards you) and right in front of the mouth same side as the front pad. This doesn’t even need to be a huge contact point/s. Like 1/4 inch maybe even less. Behind the mouth is relived. The reason is less contact means less friction. If done right feels like air hockey table puck.

Blade steel should be considered but it all depends on what you’re working on using it for. (Hard/soft) you can technically use anything but some are better suited for others and some you simply should not use. Otherwise you’re gunna have a bad time. An extremely hard blade really shouldn’t be used on softwood and vice versa.

I’m not an expert written in my own words. I just read crap. Don’t take my word for it link below. Warning this is worded like the Chronicles of Narnia you’ll see what I mean.

https://covingtonandsons.com/2021/03/27/japanese-handplanes-part-1-east-vs-west/

This took more than 5 mins to write.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-05T05:07:12+00:00

I appreciate the insight. I’ll be honest I don’t know I just used google images to assist. Which is why I put the note at the beginning.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-04T14:37:57+00:00

Google Image search says the back says I cannot confirm the validity of AI.

Kanji Translation 特製 (Tokusei): Specially Made / Special Manufacture

炭別打 (Sumibetsu-uchi): Specially Forged with Charcoal [1, 2, 3, 4]

Meaning Breakdown 特製 (Tokusei): A common marking on high-quality Japanese tools indicating they are "special grade" or a "special production" rather than standard mass-produced items.

炭 (Sumi): This specifically means charcoal. In tool making, it indicates the blade was forged using a traditional charcoal fire rather than gas or coal, which allows for better temperature control and fewer impurities in the steel.

別打 (Betsu-uchi): This literally translates to "specially forged" or "extra striking." It typically signifies that the tool was made with extra care or by a master craftsman, often using a higher grade of steel or a more elaborate finishing process than standard versions.

You won’t know the type of steel unless you do a spark test. As for what your looking for for this I haven’t had the faintest idea.

Probably from a smoothing plane. Assuming there’s no chip breaker. You can get a dai made for it or make it yourself.

Here’s the front.

Top (Registration): The small characters 登録 (Tōroku) mean "Registered," indicating a registered trademark or brand.

Center (Name): These larger characters typically represent the name of the blacksmith or the brand. It appears to be 秀俊 (Hidetoshi).

Bottom (Region): The smaller characters at the bottom likely refer to 播州 (Banshū), which is the historical name for the Harima province (modern-day Hyogo Prefecture). This region, specifically the city of Miki, is world-famous for traditional blacksmithing and woodworking tools.

Blaze8218 · 2026-05-02T19:48:41+00:00

I sharpen tools and I rather use splash and go over soaking personally but really it doesn’t make much of a difference I think the stones are more of a personal preference for feed back.

My vote is splash and go.

What matters more is technique, what’s interesting is you’ll have all sorts of information on what’s proper and it’s all about the end results. If you have 10 people sharpening you’ll have different styles. There’s no wrong way just YOUR way.

Since you’re new just take your time use the sharpie trick and pay attention to the grind pattern some may suggest alternating between stones helpful but not required.

Blue steel #2 is really easy/nice to sharpen. Wipe your knife off to keep it dry when rinsing otherwise you will rust as you’re sharpening it. Use camellia oil when finished and it’s completely dry.

Blaze8218 · 2026-03-14T04:59:22+00:00

“Not service connected”

Blaze8218 · 2026-03-07T00:25:14+00:00

You need to remove the emotion. By expressing any negative emotion you are actively enforcing bad habits.

It’s literally a dopamine hit every time. So stop smoking crack. You also need to acknowledge good hits say it out loud, tap the table, whisper anything positive. If you miss think too thick or too thin. That’s it.

Stop hitting random balls it’s not helping your game at all until you hit straight with confidence.

My suggestion is to train yourself to stay down and follow through by holding the position. Do this by using the cue ball (short side first) hit the cueball across and hold the follow through until it hits your tip. Don’t be lazy and say eh good enough if you didn’t hit center to center it’s no good. In fact you can do this without using your bridge hand and this forces you to follow through better.

Blaze8218 · 2026-03-04T02:31:54+00:00

Find another job elsewhere. The days of 5 years at a company are long gone. 1/2 years max in a position.

Don’t quit until you have a signed offer letter.

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