The Care and Use of Japanese Woodworking Tools Saws, Planes, Chisels, Marking Gauge, Stones Kip Mesirow and Ron Herman 96 pp, 8.5 x 11", paper, 155 B&W illustrations, ISBN-13: 978-1-933330-13-6, $19.95

Buy this book from: Amazon.com A local independent bookseller The essence of the Japanese woodworking tool is an incredibly sharp cutting edge. Keeping such a tool in good condition demands regular and disciplined maintenance. Using it properly takes dedication and a confidence born of skill and experience. The patient woodworker is in the end rewarded with a satin smooth finish that reveals the natural beauty of the wood. Since this book was first published in 1975 it has become a classic much in demand by crafters and builders. Advanced woodworkers will find it a helpful guide to making a transition to Japanese tools, while beginners are encouraged to use the simple, illustrated text to understand the basics of how and why each tool is used. Kip Mesirow cofounded the Japan Woodworker in Berkeley in 1971, and later Hida Japanese Tool company. He has been to Japan numerous times and studied joinery with Makoto Imai, the highly regarded teahouse builder. His projects include buildings at the San Francisco Zen Center. He now manufactures custom copper light and other architectural fixtures in Vermont. Ron Herman, a landscape architect specializing in residential and estate gardens, has long had an interest in Japanese tools. After receiving a degree in landscape architecture from UC Berkeley, he studied the history of Japanese gardens at Kyoto University. He has lectured widely on Japanese landscapes and has taught at UC Berkeley in the departments of architecture and landscape architecture. Working out of an office in San Leandro, California, he has produced numerous public and private gardens and has been extensively published.