Tool Making with Craftmanship in Chiba Prefecture

—Case Studies of Boshu-Gama Sickle and Formwork Crowbar

Abstract

Based on interviews with Chiba Artisan Tools' artisans in Tateyama City and Kashiwa City, their techniques for making the tools that are in a crisis of disappearing and need to be recorded are summarized as follows.
Boshu-Gama sickle: (1) Forge and weld soft iron and steel, (2) Form the shape of a sickle, (3) Gain strength of blade by making “koba,” (4) Quench and temper with water. Formwork crowbar: (1) Forge and weld square and octagonal steel prisms. (2) Bend the head at a right angle (3) Form the claw at an angle and split the tip (4) Form the tail in the same way. The tail should be angled at approximately 25 degrees. (5) Quench and temper its head and tail with oil and water.
Both work by hand at the delicate processes at critical points, fully using their five senses. However, they use machines for simple but powerful processes. That enabled them to continue even at an advanced age.