Gränsfors Bruks are a very small company and do not normally offer sponsorship so we consider ourselves very privileged to have been given some tools by them to send out to Japan. The Japanese really appreciate high quality tools and Gränsfors' are superb; hand-forged and designed by people who use them. In return for their generosity I shall be providing them with photos, and hopefully video too, of the tools being used on the project.
We now have most of the tools from our tool list and by the end of next week the large crate will be sealed and they will begin their slow voyage by sea to Japan, hopefully arriving by the time we get there in August. The reason so many tools are needed is because there will be a large number of Japanese carpenters working over a short period of time on the European paviliion. Whilst they could work with their own Japanese axes, part of the point of the project is that everyone gets to experience the tools and techniques of the others' culture.
I will write more about Gränsfors Bruks later because the story of their company is fascinating, but in the mean time here is some video of Robin using one of their Swedish carving axes which were developed in association with the great master spooncarver Wille Sundqvist and are superb for spoon carving.
N.B. there is no audio on this video due to WMG falling out with YouTube
A good way of spending 25 mins is to watch this brilliant lecture from Gabriel Branby CEO of GB here:
http://www.dolectures.com/speakers/speakers-2009/gabriel-branby
Posted by: Nigel Townshend | 29 April 2010 at 07:29 PM