Hira-ganna Japanese Smoothing Plane by Yamamasa - 70mm

Brand name: Yamamasa (山正))

Smith name: Unknown

Steel: Carbon Steel

Jigane(Iron part of the blade): May be “Honsui”

Blade Width: 70mm

Blade length: 111mm

Blade thickness: The blade near the bevel(about 5.00mm)，Top of Blade（about 7.70mm）

Additional Information:  Used, it comes from a retired carpenter in the Kanto region. The blade is an Usu-zukuri (thinly made) type. The blade is crafted with a high-quality iron base (jigane), which is likely to be "Honsui".

I have re-sharpened this blade, finishing the bevel with an Uchigumori stone and  the ura with a natural Suita whetstone. During the sharpening process, I noticed that while the jigane (soft iron base) is not quite as soft as traditional watetsu , it is still significantly softer than comparable modern soft steel. The cutting steel itself is quite hard.

However, during sharpening, I discovered that the steel's grain structure near the tip appears slightly coarse, likely due to local overheating during its original forging process. If you find this to be the case during use, I would recommend grinding back the tip by about 2mm.

The dai is crafted from high-quality Japanese white oak and shows minimal warping. Regarding its unique uragane (chipbreaker), please refer to the additional information provided in this item.