Is it true that micro bevels are rarely used in Japan? If so, why not?
Does it have anything to do with the concave back on many Japanese chisels?
Janet
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Replies
Not sure why, or even if, "micro bevels" are not used in Japan, but I doubt that the concave backs have anything to with that.
You may be thinking of 'back bevels' but no one IMO uses those on a chisel. Chisel are mostly used for paring and you want the end of the flat back side to register to your work. A bevel would defeat that purpose.
A micro bevel is on the face side and is just a narrow honed area on the end of a chisel rather than having to hone (polish) the entire ground face. The same is put on plane blades for the same reason. Check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F7q5WGb4ZA
A back bevel is on the back side of plane irons and is used to minimize having to polish the entire back face of the blade.
Forrest
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