Japanese Umeki Chisels feature a crown or ridge down the center of the chisel that is equally sloped away from the ridge towards the sides of the chisel, thinning as it goes. With this side relief, these chisels can make cuts in tight places, which is why they are known as dovetail-style chisels. While not standard bench-style chisels, they are everyday woodworking chisels. Master Takao Shibano uses specially selected Aogami 2 Steel for the cutting base, which he then forge-welds to a softer iron to form the top layer each chisel, extending it into the shank and up into the tough White Oak handle. Overall length: approximately 8-3/4"; blade length 2-1/4".

We are proud to offer the tools of Master Takao Shibano and his Takaushi brand. He is not well-known outside Japan, and our introduction to him was through someone who knew him. He was described to us as “middle-aged in the world of Master Blacksmiths.”

Master Shibano was born in 1949 and is a third-generation blacksmith. He began his apprenticeship under the tutelage of his father when he was 20 years old and has been practicing and refining his art ever since. Unlike many of his fellow blacksmiths who favor either gas or coal, Master Shibano uses an oil fired furnace to work his steel. He operates a one-man shop, which means every tool is his work and is imbued with his spirit. To own a Shibano chisel is a door through which one may pass and begin to understand his spirit and how, through the use of his tools, one may gain insight to beginning the journey toward one’s own masterwork.