Oire-Nomi Japanese Hand Made Bench Chisel Set By Hironobu

Brand name: Hironobu(博信)

Smith name: Unknown

Steel: White Steel

Blade width: 42/36/30/24/18/15/12/9/6/3mm

Weight: 223/191/171/136/123/107/88/76/68/56g

Blade Angles: about 24°

Total length(42/36/30/24/18/15/12/9/6/3): 

210/196/215/212/210/210/209/205/206/206mm

Neck length:  about 46mm

Blade length(42/36/30/24/18/15/12/9/6/3):

50/48/52/50/50/50/50/47/47/47mm

Blade thickness(Blade Bottom/The blade near the bevel): 

42mm(about 9.5mm/5.6mm）; 36mm(about 9.6mm/6.0mm）

30mm(about 8.5mm/4.5mm）; 24mm(about 7.2mm/3.9mm）

18mm(about 8.4mm/4.3mm）; 15mm(about 7.9mm/4.4mm）

12mm(about 7.1mm/4.2mm）; 9mm(about 6.7mm/4.2mm）

6mm(about 6.0mm/3.8mm）; 3mm(about 6.2mm/4.0mm）

Types of wooden handles：Japanese White Oak（Shirakashi）

Accessories：—

Additional Information:  They are used, sourced from a retired carpenter in the Aichi region. The transition between the neck and the ferrule of these chisels features the classic Kansai-style treatment—“擦り合わせ/suriawase" .

Two things impressed me deeply about this set of chisels. First is the exceptional craftsmanship. Even the wider chisels aren't forged as thin as most typical Kansai-style chisels. Furthermore, the chamfering (mentori) exhibits a distinct vintage style reminiscent of the Meiji period, where the bevel tapers off and disappears right where the blade meets the neck.

Most importantly, it's the feedback from the steel during sharpening. When I was sharpening the 36mm chisel, the steel's feedback was strikingly similar to that of a Kiyotada. The burr formed during sharpening was wire-like and highly elastic. (For comparison, Ichihiro chisels, which utilize a harder Shirogami No. 1, also produce wire burrs, but they feel noticeably stiffer). I firmly believe that this anonymous blacksmith's skills have been overlooked by history—which, sadly, has always been the norm for most highly skilled masters.