The Complete Japanese Joinery

If you are interested in Japanese joinery, just about everything and anything you would want to know is here. The book discusses types of wood, the tools required and their use and care, and more styles of joints than I can count. There are 1-2 b/w photos of little value, and the numerous illustrations are all hand drawn with good detail. This is an essential book for anyone interested in the subject, along with "The Art of Japanese Joinery" by Kiyosi Seike. Caveat Emptor: Japanese joinery is an incredibly difficult and high art, and unless you have significant wood working experience, and even then, it is no small task. Most people undergo long and challenging apprenticeships that are a major commitment before they become competant at the art. Special tools with special techniques are essential, as is special and expensive wood. The author says the following about his training: "In my case, the transmission was directly to me from my teacher, over a 5-year period, working 70-80 hours/week. I might add this was thought minimal, but enough to get the basics down. 15-years is thought necessary to become a temple carpenter, the equivalent of 30-years at 40-hours/week." Lenny Brackett of East Wind Inc told me his apprentices are an expense to him for at least the first 5-years, after which they begin to provide some use. With that in mind, this is one of the best books on the subject and I highly recommend it.

This is a late review for me as I purchased this book in 2006. I have lived in Japan for about two years. prior to that I did some work in remodeling and small buildings. I had training in the technology. So when I watched Japanese woodworkers building in a new suburb in southern japan, I was suprised to see more of a timber frame construction process using round timbers. The masters of joinery at work. I thought to myself how strange? As I said two years ago I purchased this book on my quest to understand beauty and craftsmanship. I still use the phrase of the carpenters training manual to bring me to "reality" when I am involved in "More Power!", "More power tools!" It says find a place under a tree and set up your tools. When I read this I laughed heartily at myself. I had been a tool envious "Norm" follower for many years. He always has bigger and better, even when I was catching up! This is about wood. Hand tools! Craftsmanship! And the heart of the samauri wood worker. These joints have evolved and at one time were secrets of the particular trade guild, only taught to people after long apprenticeships. Look at the joints! Get the spirit of working with the wood. Learn secrets of joining. I liked this book so much that when it got lost in my piles, I bought another. Marc Adams of the Marc Adams school uses a phrase he stole from someone. "See one, do one." It's the way of wood!

It's a great book, but a little hard to read. I've read that it's two translated books crammed into one. Still, it's a very nice book to have!

An incredible source of information indeed. While the (very few) pictures are in B&W and very dark, the large number of drawings are of excellent quality. As said in other reviews, it deals mainly with timber applications and not e.g. furniture, but the whole is very detailed and complete in nature. Whether it works out in practice, time and experience will tell. Shipping was very slow, but that is not uncommon to this country (Cambodia). Anyhow, it has arrived, and I am very happy.

I’ve been wanting a copy of this book for more than twenty years. I first found it in my once, second home, the Birmingham Library here in Alabama. Every time I would check this book out, I would dream of building my own custom joinery home and living as simple of a life as possible. Course with a family and knee deep in my American lifestyle, it’s really difficult to find your American dream. But that was mine. Now that I find myself at fifty one, with no children, wife, and the most basic of bills, with no rent or mortgage, I can finally pursue MY American dreams. I remember how difficult everything in this Japanese Joinery book, looked back then. But now it all looks so easy. I suppose wisdom and patience, have finally converged into the definition of a master. But I’m not a master of anything, since I have no affiliations. I’m just a man who’s willing to try anything without fear. I would’ve gladly paid a thousand dollars for this book, in any condition, at this point in my life. If you don’t feel that way also, then maybe this isn’t the book for you. You probably have a different American dream than I do.

This is a fantastic book. A combination of two previous works Japanese Joinery: A Handbook for Joiners and Carpenters , and Japanese Woodworking : A Handbook of Japanese Tool Use & Woodworking Techniques , it combines in one volume most of you need to know to put these joints together. More impressive, the book gives a great idea of how these joints fit together into a completed Japanese-style house, and you see why the complexity is necessary. Caveats for Western woodworkers have been stated elsewhere, but bear repeating. Japanese carpentry arose in a setting where softwoods with clear and buttery smooth grain were the only widely available lumber woods. These joints are largely impossible to use with the more common Western hardwoods. Still, this was a fascinating read and I came away with a much better idea of the principles of house carpentry, as well as frank awe of the craftsmen who put together multi-story temples with only hand tools as though they were jigsaw puzzles. Inspirational to anyone who enjoys woodworking. Highly recommended.

The drawings of each joint introduced are given in a set of various clear and concise drawings. Anyone with some drafting or mechanical drawing experience can read and understand each one. The book starts by educating you in the use and techniques of cutting wood with classic Japanese tools, but you can do the same with good, sharp, and strong Western tools. Some of the joints are somewhat complex, study the drawings well. If you like to get intimate with your wood and woodworking, this book is one of the good ones to have in your library.

This book is beyond detailed. Not just a compilation of Japanese joinery techniques, but it speaks of: the philosophy of Japanese woodworking; types of wood; tool selection, maintenance, and use. For me, as a beginner in woodworking, it has taught me a lot without being too dense or written at a low level (unlike some "woodworking basics" type books). I imagine that anyone could learn a lot from this book. One word of caution: the author does often use the Japanese terms for certain actions and items, which may not be to some people's taste. Myself, I love the Japanese language and his use of the terms help add to the cultural feel of the book.

Really good book, highly recommended to anyone interested in timber framing but also joinery in general.

Much more thorough than I expected, a little daunting but explanations are clear. Japanese terms are written in romanised script, which is good but having the kanji would also be helpful.

Eine wundervolle Sammlung. So würde ich das Buch zunächst beschreiben. Man erhält eigentlich zwei Bücher. 1. Japanese Woodworking von Hideo Sato 2. Japanese Joinery von Yasua Nakahara Man bekommt also dementsprechend also ein dicken Buch. Immerhin 376 Seiten. Im ersten Buch geht es generell um japanische Werkzeuge, deren Nutzung und Pflege. Anschließend beginnt das Buch mit der Erläuterung von grundlegenden Dingen wie z.B.: welches Holz wo verwendet werden sollte. (Vorsicht: Alles auf den Nordamerikanischen Markt ausgelegt. Es wird also mit Nordamerikanischen Hölzern verglichen) Alles ist wirklich schön beschrieben und wird von sauberen Zeichnungen unterstützt. Ein wirklich schönes Buch, man erfährt viel über die vielen verschiedenen japanisches Verbindungen, was mit jedoch ein wenig fehlt, sind die jeweiligen Hintergründe, vielleicht etwas Geschichte. Also das ganze drumherum. Was diesen Aspekt angeht, ist dieses Buch doch sehr nüchtern. Japanese Woodworking Tools: Their Tradition, Spirit, and Use von Toshio Odate ist da viel angenehmer und auch spannender zu Lesen. Aber nicht ganz so umfangreich. Als Nachschlagewerk jedoch zu diesen Thema wohl unschlagbar. Ein wirklich schönes Buch.

As a rank amateur with woodworking, this book can be a bit overwhelming, but I've received a huge amount of wisdom just in the first 40 pages. Anything more will be gravy. :-) I think this book would be really good for a professional wood worker, esp. one wanting to get an idea of the differences in outlook and technique from the traditional western approach.

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