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Sosaku Knives
'Sosaku hanga', or 'creative prints', is the term generally used for modern printmaking in Japan, in which the artist handles every step of the process himself, as distinguished from 'dento hanga', or 'traditional prints', where the work is divided among specialists.
The tools seen on this page are commonly used by these modern printmakers, so they have come to be known as 'sosaku' knives. The blades are 'buried' in a long handle of soft white wood. As the blade wears down, the handle is whittled back to make room for sharpening. Over time, the knife becomes shorter and shorter ...
Just as with the knives of traditional pattern, the blades are made from a high-quality two-part steel: a high carbon portion which holds the cutting edge, laminated to a softer steel which provides strength to prevent blade breakage. The same basic four blade types are available as the traditional pattern:
- Hangi-toh: standard cutting blade
- Hira-toh: Bull-nose chisel
- Sankaku-toh: V-gouge
- Maru-toh: U-gouge
For the U-gouges, six different curve styles are available (illustrated in the table below).
V-gouges come in three different angles (90, 60, and 45 degrees).
A very large selection of sizes is available - select the ones you wish to order from these pull-down menus and then use the 'Add to Cart' button. (Most common sizes are marked with *)
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Type
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Size / Price
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Hangi-toh (standard blade)
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Hira-toh (bull-nose)
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Sankaku-toh (V-cutter)
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Maru-toh (U-gouges)
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Type
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Curve type
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Size / Price
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Type 1: extremely shallow
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Type 2: very shallow
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Type 3: shallow
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Type 4: standard
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Type 5: deep
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Type 6: very deep
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(Note: if you wish to order more than one of any particular size or type, you can adjust the quantities when you get to the shopping cart. If you want more than one choice from any particular pull-down menu, just return here from the shopping cart and make a second selection.)
[Important notice] If you do not have experience with these tools, please do not order the models below 3mm in size. These blades are extremely delicate, and if not used with the utmost care, will break the instant you put them into the wood. Due to long experience with this, neither the Baren Mall, nor our suppliers, can honour claims of breakage on blades finer than 3mm. Thank you for your understanding.
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