Some further info from Tools from Japan (no longe in operation).
Based in Miki city, Hyogo and established in 1930, Fujikawa Manufacturing started out making only mortising chisels, which were held in high regard among door and window makers for their dependable, no nonsense quality.
However, with the introduction of metallic windows and doors the demand for such chisels went into decline and Mr. Fujikawa made the decision to start making a more complete line of chisels. However, this was not such a smooth transition. Previously, Fujikawa made chisels were sold under various names, and the brand 'Fujikawa' was a relative unknown amongst craftspersons, but well known and respected by wholesalers and distributors.
Due to this lack of name recognition, Fujikawa have worked tirelessly establishing their name in Japan, and by virtue of having an established market through their existing network of tool distributors, have managed to not only become well known as a full-line chisel maker, but have expanded into other areas with good success.
This unique road has allowed Fujikawa to experiment somewhat, and has resulted in their ability to develop their own unique chisels specifically tailored for different needs.
Starting with a basic grade chisel, intended to be very user friendly in all aspects and foregoing some of the finer details to make them more economical (wallet friendly) to those who may not require the maximum performance available, but still want a good, reliable tool.
Next there are the professional grade chisels, made with specifically selected 'white' steel and made to meet a standard, these chisels are highly regarded by professional craftspersons of all kinds, from the instrument maker to the temple builder. They offer professional performance at a very reasonable price.
Finally, Fujikawa offer a full line of speciaist chisels such as paring chisels, premium hand finished chisels and surprisingly, a line of laminated and forged powder metallurgy high speed steel chisels. Using a specially selected Hitachi patent steel (we don't know, they won't tell us so please don't ask!), these PM HSS chisels are, without question, some of the toughest, most durable chisels available in the world today and made for the most demanding tasks. However, they still possess the core principles of a traditional Japanese chisel being somewhat easy to sharpen with most conventional sharpening methods and capable of taking an exceptionally fine, sharp edge.
While they do not have the established 'name' of some other chisel makers in Japan, they most certainly do have the reputation and we are honoured to be able to provide these quality chisels to the rest of the world.
(As we only order these chisels as they are required and not all listed chisels may not be available at all times, there may be an additional delay between ordering and dispatch of up to 4 weeks. Generally, most chisels are available within 7-14 days and if this is not the case, we will let you know as soon as we know of it. The PM HSS chisels are generally 'made to order', and may take 4-6 weeks between ordering and dispatch.)
As noted, TFJ are no longer wth us, but the info from Stew Tierney was beyond reproach.
Posted on a train to Vienna
Derek
. I have beech from Germany, hand-made carving tools from Ecuador, and several tools from trips around the US - most recently a Narex rasp from Highland Hardware in Atlanta that got me in trouble with the TSA. Several times I've brought home boxes of cutoffs - snakewood, gaboon & Macassar ebony, etc. - from LA and San Diego. The most fun was bringing back imbuia from San Diego, which smells, as a friend of mine called it, like "Raid on a stick".
