{"product_id":"usubori-chona-japanese-traditional-wooden-mortar-craftsman-tool-by-miyoshinagamichi","title":"Usubori-Chouna Japanese Traditional Wooden Mortar Craftsman Tool by Miyoshinagamichi","description":"\u003cp\u003eSmith name: \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMiyoshinagamichi (三善長道)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteel:\u003cstrong\u003e Tamahagane\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJigane: \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese traditional iron\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlade length: \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e116mm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlade width: \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e69mm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWooden handle length: \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e150mm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTotal length: \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e160mm \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eManufacture Era: \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAround the end of the 20th century\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlade Weight: \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e495g\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccessories:\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Original wooden handle\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditional Information: \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eU\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003esed. It's a classical style Usubori-Chouna. In the article shown in the last two pictures, I found highly reliable blacksmith information about this tool. This article is from the book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003ca style=\"color: #00aaff;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/tenmoku0701.myshopify.com\/products\/aizute-katari-highly-valuable-information-about-blacksmiths-in-the-aizu-area\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e「Aizute Katari」\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e page 144. The mark \"長“ of this Chouna is consistent with the mark of the chisel on the left in the picture. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAccording to the article, this blacksmith “\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color: #00aaff;\" href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E5%88%9D%E4%BB%A3%E4%B8%89%E5%96%84%E9%95%B7%E9%81%93\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMiyoshinagamichi \/三善長道\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e” faction continued from the mid-17th century to the mid-Meiji era in Japan, a total of 11 generations. The main business of the Nagamichi blacksmith faction was making samurai swords, and they were famous swordsmiths. Since the Meiji era, the demand for samurai swords has dropped sharply, and coupled with the sword ban in Meiji 9, the 9th and 11th generations. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNagamichi began to make tools in the Aizu area from Meiji 6.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis chouna is most likely the work of the \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e9th and 11th generation blacksmiths (they were father and son, working together).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRegarding the steel. I found it to be sticky and hard when I sharpened it, which may be related to its intended use - mainly working on wood ends. Based on my experience, it's most likely tamahagane , and the jigane part is very soft when sharpening, which is most likely using traditional Japanese iron. In addition, the burrs produced when sharpening it can be removed intact like \"silk threads\"，shows that the microstructure of the chouna steel is very uniform and has almost no impurities.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e※ When the blade needs to be sharpened, tap the end of the wooden handle to remove the blade.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAt 24:25 seconds in the video below, the mortar craftsman begins to use \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUsubori-Chona (Recent popular styles).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003ca style=\"color: #00aaff;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5nrtJf7RFwE\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAmateur interview with a Usu (mortar maker for Japanese traditional food \"MOCHI\") in Hirabayashi, Yamanashi Prefecture, where Usu-making has continued for over 700 years (from the Kamakura era, two periods before the Edo era).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e臼（Usu） is a wooden container. It has a bowl-like shape dug into the end of a full length of log that can withstand a beating, as the video below demonstrates.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00aaff;\"\u003e\u003ca style=\"color: #00aaff;\" href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/FzIh1Y71VzM?si=2LIW00SW_wRx0ZU0\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehttps:\/\/youtube.com\/shorts\/FzIh1Y71VzM?si=uOanQTXYQUe0wReo\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TENMOKU","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47045048893678,"sku":null,"price":30000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0692\/0162\/5326\/files\/nagamichichona.jpg?v=1759928076","url":"https:\/\/tenmoku0701.myshopify.com\/zh\/products\/usubori-chona-japanese-traditional-wooden-mortar-craftsman-tool-by-miyoshinagamichi","provider":"TENMOKU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}