Oire-Nomi Japanese Hand Made Wide Bench Chisel By Ichihiro Ⅱ - 60mm

Smith name: Yamazaki Isamu (1912～1987)

Steel: White Steel #1

Blade width: 60mm

Blade thickness: Blade Bottom(about 8.80mm)， The blade near the bevel（about 5.20mm）

Manufacture Era: Before 1963

Weight: 248g

Blade Angles: 21°

Total length: 232mm

Neck length: 55mm

Blade length: 55mm

Types of wooden handles: Japanese White Oak（Shirakashi）

Accessories：—

Additional Information:  This is a rare, wide-blade oire-nomi crafted by blacksmith Isamu Yamazaki, acquired from a tool collector. The chisel has only seen use a handful of times, though improper storage by a previous owner led to rust on the ura (hollow back). Fortunately, the oxidation was superficial; all rust has now been removed, and the remaining surface patina/pitting will not affect performance in the cut.

I have given it a clean baseline sharpening, taking both the primary bevel and the back (ura) to 1,000 grit. 

During sharpening, the steel felt quite hard. Yet even at such an acute 21-degree angle (the angle set by the previous owner, which I left unchanged), the steel's burr didn't crumble and flake away like a brittle cracker—which would indicate coarse, overly brittle steel prone to large chips during work. Instead, it formed several continuous wire burrs across the 60mm width of the edge.

Much like the set of Tsuki-Ichihiro chisels I sold previously, this one  is a traditional (classic) Tokyo style oire chisel