It is not quite as big as the National Hardware show in Vegas each year (which used to be much bigger when it was in Chicago). In many ways, a woodworking/DIY trade show is a trade show the world around…they are all shrinking.

I asked for the reasons and the popularity of pre-fab houses was at the top of the list. Also, IKEA is hugely popular here–young Japanese families can buy an entire room of furniture for the cost of ONE high-end plane or chisel set. Lastly, it appears the people here don’t have much time for anything but work and family. Sound familiar?

I am having fun demonstrating the Jointmaker Pro and I would say there is a profound appreciation for the accuracy and the clean cuts. Don’t get me wrong, we are not on our third order book, or second…you get the idea, but the reactions are genuine and many can’t believe how easy it is to do accurate work. The soulfulness of the process (very little noise) is greatly appreciated. Lots of gasps and smiles.

My demo unit is set for my height which is radically different from most here. We rigged a step stool and now I can coax just about anyone to try the JMP. The reactions on peoples faces is worth the trip. I am trying my best to be a good Yankee ambassador and we are having fun. Here’s an amusing story…

I stopped by an educational booth and made my very first pair of chopsticks with hand planes. Elapsed time was maybe two minutes. The booth attendant asked me my occupation and I replied “business executive”. This created quite the stir because they have never seen such a “confident” business executive use hand tools.  They really struggled with this and through an interpreter I explained that I used to be a woodworker. This knowledge put everyone in the booth at ease and there were many smiles and sighs of relief.  Afterword I invited them all over to the Jointmaker booth and this was the highlight of the day for me and I would like to think for this group as well.

Even in Japan, businessmen are presumed to be incompetent…

–John

My cell phone does not work here but the camera does. Here are a few (crude) tradeshow pics from the Land of the Rising Sun…

Trade shows all look the same. Not as many pony tails here however…

This lady could not cut dowel with her hand strength. She was so excited when I showed her how to use the clamps. She must have made a half-dozen passes, each drawing a big smile from the onlookers.

This creature caught my eye–it is made entirely of woodworking tools.Wingspan is close to 10 feet! The feathers are hand saw blades, the legs are auger bits and the face and face feathers are all knives. If this thing ever fell over on a cow…instant hamburger.

I didn’t think so…this stuff only happens to me.

It’s a conceptional metaphor folks (raccoon:nocturnal carnivore in bed, John:Japanese toilet)–but these Japanese toilets are something else. I found a Rosetta Stone kiosk in the hotel mall and have had some luck translating the instructions for the 17 knobs and switches on my toilet.  Notice I said “my toilet”? This is personal.

Keep in mind I don’t speak a stick of Japanese but one of my translations for the very last knob is…”grind”. Grind is a verb–what the hell is the subject?  Never mind, the math is easy; “Grind” on any toilet means “homesick” in English.

The Jointmaker Pro is in the booth and tomorrow (which is really today in the US on account of the way time gets messed up when you fly great distances) is ready to go.  So, I opted to try and check-in early at my hotel which is really late in the US, and stumbled upon another lesson in foreign culture.

My room is on the 44th floor of a hotel that overlooks a bay with guys fishing in boats. A great deal at $65.00/night if I could figure out my room key and/or I liked boats. Fortunately there was a female Japanese staff member in the hall and our conversation went something like this…

“Excuse me.” (Which I am sure translated means “YO mama!”)

I demonstrated without words that my key did not work. (There were more red lights on my door than in the streets of LA after the Lakers last NBA championship.)

She flipped the key over, pushed it in, the lights went green and the door opened!

You are probably thinking that I felt really stupid. However in order to feel that stupid, one must obviously not feel stupid, or moderately stupid at some point which of course is a stupid concept. So what did I do?

I took the palm of my hand and slapped my forehead–the universal signal of stupid according to the Three Stooges.

And then, in perfect English I was asked,

“Does your head feel OK?”

–John

I checked into my hotel last night completely exhausted. Room is small but very clean and features a cowboy-hard bed which I like. The furniture is small–really small. How small? Thanks for asking–I watched part of the Olympics and can confirm the cantilever of my legs off the end of my bed is about the same length as the three meter spring board. The desk chair seat is shorter than a paint can and the first time I sat down I almost dislocated all three kneecaps. If you are in the right mood and without jet lag I suppose this could be fun.

The problem is the bathroom.

There are more buttons on the side of the toilet than on my kitchen blender. Therefore, I have intelligently decided to forgo using this device–too many mental images for someone who forgot to bring their anti-anxiety pills.

So today I am going to drive around and look for a construction site and find the Japanese equivalent of an American blue room.  Nobody needs a fancy toilet–what were these people thinking?  I don’t care how much gas costs or the value of my time and fully understand the door may not close. My mind is made up.  This should prove once and for all to all eight people who read my blog that deep down I am a full pedigreed American woodworker.

Spread the word please.

I would write more but I’ve got to go.

-John

“Check out that thing–it is the biggest waste of cash in the builiding.”

“What is it?” his friend asks.

“It’s an upside down handsaw that costs $1300 bucks–you can accurately cut wood for $20 or less.”

I had heard enough.

“Have you seen this thing work?” I asked.

“I watched videos on the internet and nobody can believe the price. The guy that invented this must be crazy.”

“Well, I’m that guy and I am crazy–but not when I work. Would you like to see it live?”

His friend steps forward and spills the two most expensive words in the English language, “I do.”

Over the next 10 minutes I demonstrated compound miters, dovetails, and showed a couple of new discoveries that I want to video in September. Then I grabbed a 1/2″ diameter dowel and asked the judgmental skeptic if he would like to try the Jointmaker Pro. He came around to the other side of the saw and I described what he needed to do to cut the dowel without clamps and to keep it from spinning in his hand during the cut.

His first cut was awkward and I stopped his cut before he could trash the blade. But the second cut was perfect, and so was the third. Right before his fourth cut his friend asked to try. His first attempt was without flaw and neither could believe the smoothness of the cuts. Both were smiling.

We talked about applications, creativity, and my thoughts about the conception and the prototype design cycle. The crowd around the saw was now five.

One of the newcomers asked, “Have you sold any of these saws to schools for the blind?”

“Not yet.”

He handed me his attendee card to swipe for follow-up information and that prompted the remaining four to fish attendee cards out of their badge holders.

After I processed all five, the skeptic asked me how long our $995.00 special would last.

“September 15th.”

As he was walking away I barely heard him say to his buddy; “My wife is going to kill me.”

-John

Two noteworthy tidbits; we plan on shipping in late fall and our special introductory rates will only last a couple of more weeks. (Late fall means before the holidays using the Economaki calendar.)

The next stop for the Jointmaker Pro is the International Woodworking Fair August 20-23 in Atlanta. I will be demonstrating in the booth of the firm we contracted to make the Jointmaker Pro components–booth number 8874. Please stop by and introduce yourself–this should be a fun show.

The following week the Jointmaker Pro debuts in Toyko. I will be demonstrating in the booth of the company that makes the Jointmaker Pro blades–I am looking forward to the trip and some good sushi. I am a bit troubled about leaving because I have a 14 year old dog that…well, you dog people know where this is headed. I love my dogs and I sure hope my trip is trouble free in this department.

If you followed all the buzz regarding the Jointmaker Pro on the internet a few months back you undoubtedly came across the bile of many who had a great laugh at our expense regarding this new tool. Here is a refreshing update;

I have been contacted on two separate occasions by web forum participants who were actively leading the chorus of boo’s regarding the Jointmaker Pro…and get this–they both apologized!

This occurred after seeing the Jointmaker Pro in action during one of my demonstrations. Both agreed that their behavior was sophomoric and/or irresponsible. Now get this–both of these folks placed orders for the Jointmaker Pro! I know this is a little thing but sometimes the smallest gestures have the largest significance. One thought my blog rants about the “Woodworking Taliban” was funny but also dead-on and he wanted out. I thought to myself, this is just like raising kids, you have no clue they are listening until years later. Anyway, their sincerity was moving.

I spent a great deal of time in July trying to reduce the cost of the Jointmaker Pro and was successful by almost $50. Guess what happened? During that same time the price of the metal increased $45. Go figure.  For those of you who may be in the world of manufacturing, I have NEVER seen such a market. Between daily price fluctuations and all out shortages, it is very troublesome.

I won’t be posting again until the first week of September and my first post will be a Sneak Preview of Commemorative Tool #15. It is a never-before-seen device that …

–John

Our .5″ R crown kit is the number one HP-6 sole/iron kit. The 1″ R will be equally popular because now you can crown edges on much bigger cases and cabinets. And as you can see from the images below, it is a splendid detail when used creatively. A crowned edge is not only beautiful and sensual, it is also not easy to do with a router–nor would it be perfect. Crowned edges are not only food for eyes and hands, they are also problematic in a good way–you will likely never go back to boring, square edged projects that any seventh grader can replicate.

The last of the multi-bead kits (there are now four) is the most interesting to me because it creates texture that is both small, interesting, sensual and rich.  Both sole kits will be available on our website by the end of the week–here is an early look at some images from the shop.

Let me know what you think!

–John

Note to Auto-Order customers: look for a parcel on your step in the next 10 days.

In the sample above the .1D multi-bead was run down the center of the stock and the 1″R crown was used on the corners. Did we mention NO SANDING?

The .1D multi-bead is small enough to bend cold. Pictured above are a couple of ideas for texture elements. This is a rich detail that cannot be reproduced with a router or shaper because the width can be as wide as you want. The results are perfect and a stunning way to create depth.

The richness of wood combined with texture is unbeatable. It is a shame that many woodworkers do not understand the importance of shadow. Here are a couple more ideas for you to ponder.

Because you can leapfrog previous beads, no power tool can match these results. With the HP-6v2, the depth of the beads is self-governed by the sole, not you. Consistent results are easy.

Mixing texture and color can be powerful–it is also easy for it to be overbearing. The ideas, however, are endless.

Same concept, different results.

Adjacent faces cut off at 45 degrees. The results are beautiful if thoughtfully applied.

I believe the HP-6v2 is the most versatile plane you can own. Your work will never be the same once you incorporate texture into your efforts. And when done tastefully, you will have made a difference.

I have been working on Commemorative Tool #15 for the past couple of months and have been completely absorbed with my muse. Obviously I am done or I would not be typing away at the moment.

A couple of associates have peeked and each asked what prompted the conception of this new tool. A better query might have centered around why I am always late with the Commemorative Tools (this one is for 2007).

Blame it on Alfred Dunhill.

Although I have never smoked, Alfred Dunhill’s maxim is the the only guiding light I use when designing our Commemorative Tools–and most of our other tools as well. You may find value in it as well;

“It must be useful. It must work dependably. It must be beautiful. It must last. It must be the best of its kind.”

This quote is a brutal taskmaster–and the best of its kind.

-John

Silent woodworking is alive and growing.

The folks at Popular Woodworking magazine have conceived and orchestrated a woodworking event like no other. Woodworking in America promises to be an extraordinary gathering of hand tool enthusiasts and tool makers in Berea, Kentucky.

Today I spoke with Megan Fitzpatrick at Popular Woodworking and she offered the following;

“Our goal is to provide an unparalleled gathering of some of the biggest names in handtool woodworking, from tool makers to master woodworkers, and in a variety of traditions (western and Japanese). “Marquee” names include…well, just about all the speakers. The most well-known are Roy Underhill, Frank Klausz, Mike Dunbar, and Mike Wenzloff.

In addition to the 40 sessions, the “marketplace” is more than just a venue for makers to sell their wares — it’s more of a “show and tell” atmosphere, where attendees can stop by the various booths and ask questions, use the cool tools, and get personal instruction from the actual makers.

We’re very excited, gratified (and very pleasantly surprised) about the immediate and widespread interest, and hope we’ll be able to offer many more of these types of gatherings in the future.”

Michael and I are excited to exhibit our tools and I am honored to join the other speakers to help make this a very memorable weekend for all. There are 37 unique workshops (and 3 repeats) and as of today, approximately 400 woodworkers have signed on! The list of exhibitors is impressive–and there is not a router in the bunch!

As part of the awareness for this event, The Woodworkers Resource is hosting a series of interviews with the guest speakers. As of this writing there are two posted, one with Michael Dunbar and the other with that guy from Bridge City Tool Works talking about their tools and the Jointmaker Pro… click the link to listen.

All the hotlinks above are a wealth of information and registration is still open. I think this will be the most talked about woodworking gathering of the year and if at all possible please consider joining us–this is going to be fun!

–John

Here’s a direct link to the YouTube video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTVKQgOqZSo&fmt=18

Also, the Bridge City forum is now open. This is a moderated forum where you can ask woodworking questions or share information regarding our products. The location for entering the forum is at the bottom of our home page. Click on “Community Forum”.