German vs Japanese hewing

The most common way the German carpenters hew a beam is to start by cutting a series of v-shaped notches along its length. They do this by working in a pair, taking alternate cuts at each side of the notch, which is very efficient and quite remarkable to watch (video here). Then the wood between the notches is removed, leaving a flat surface:

 

The Japanese method is to do a series of relief-cuts into the log in just one direction, rather than removing a notch, then slice off the surface by swinging a large axe like a pendulum. This is achieved by standing bare-foot on top of the log which is equally as remarkable to watch (video here).

 

Both methods seem to be equally efficient, and clearly the regional axes have developed according to the way in which they are used ... or maybe the way the axes are used dictates their style!

Comments

[Don Wagstaff]

Actually, the scoring technique is not particularly Japanese in any way and is used commonly in American and European hewing. It would be interesting, though, to define what, if anything, truly distinguishes Japanese hewing from that originating in Europe.

Don Wagstaff