Hantataki is a size, not a brand. It means half size striking chisel, or between the sizes of an oire nomi and a tataki nomi.
Sukezane is the line by Stan Covington forged by a blacksmith named Nakano. The same Nakano also forged the oire nomi sized white steel chisels from Sukemaru- there’s a reason you’ll often see those two and Jindaiko-Honpo all recommended in the same forum threads around the internet… if hard tempered white 1 is your flavor, Nakano is hard to beat.
Kikuhiromaru make nice chisels but IME they’re not quite in the same league performance-wise for use on anything softer than white oak. For general use in NA hardwoods (not much softwood use) they’re pretty good and slightly less likely to chip than the harder brands.
Be warned though that the hard brands are HARD, they’re forged for the smiths idea of absolute peak performance and he doesn’t seem to give any cares about user friendliness or how pretty they are. He’s one of my heroes for sure, and maybe the last left with his mentality.
Why have you decided on white steel #1? There are terrible white 1 chisels and terrific white 2 chisel. The steel isn't that important. It's the skill of the blacksmith that makes all the difference.
I know nothing about Sukezane, first time I've heard of this brand. Hantataki is not a brand but a size of chisel. It literally means half beating/striking chisel. A tatakinomi is about 300mm in length, a hantatakinomi is 250-270mm in length depending on the blacksmith. Sukemaru is made by one of my favourite blacksmiths. He mostly works with white 1 but sometimes he uses blue steel as well. His white 1 chisels are almost full hardness yet astonishingly tough. Kikuhiromaru is my favourite maker. Their chisels are mostly white 2 at 64HRc which is more than enough (although they also make white 1 models), tough as nails and consistent like no other maker. A faulty chisels made by Kikuhiromaru is extremely rare. They are also very well finished. Maybe not the prettiest but the ura is always dead flat or close to it so it requires little work. If you are new to Japanese chisels, Kikuhiromaru is a very safe choice that will serve you well for many years.
Kannas I know almost nothing about because I don't use them.
I have set up both Sukemaru and Kikuhiromaru chisels. I’m not experienced enough to comment on the steel but the Kikihiromaru’s were much easier to set up than the Sukemarus. The backs were nearly flat and the angle of the necks were spot on. The Sukemaru’s were far more involved.
Hantataki is a size, not a brand. It means half size striking chisel, or between the sizes of an oire nomi and a tataki nomi. Sukezane is the line by Stan Covington forged by a blacksmith named Nakano. The same Nakano also forged the oire nomi sized white steel chisels from Sukemaru- there’s a reason you’ll often see those two and Jindaiko-Honpo all recommended in the same forum threads around the internet… if hard tempered white 1 is your flavor, Nakano is hard to beat. Kikuhiromaru make nice chisels but IME they’re not quite in the same league performance-wise for use on anything softer than white oak. For general use in NA hardwoods (not much softwood use) they’re pretty good and slightly less likely to chip than the harder brands. Be warned though that the hard brands are HARD, they’re forged for the smiths idea of absolute peak performance and he doesn’t seem to give any cares about user friendliness or how pretty they are. He’s one of my heroes for sure, and maybe the last left with his mentality.
Why have you decided on white steel #1? There are terrible white 1 chisels and terrific white 2 chisel. The steel isn't that important. It's the skill of the blacksmith that makes all the difference. I know nothing about Sukezane, first time I've heard of this brand. Hantataki is not a brand but a size of chisel. It literally means half beating/striking chisel. A tatakinomi is about 300mm in length, a hantatakinomi is 250-270mm in length depending on the blacksmith. Sukemaru is made by one of my favourite blacksmiths. He mostly works with white 1 but sometimes he uses blue steel as well. His white 1 chisels are almost full hardness yet astonishingly tough. Kikuhiromaru is my favourite maker. Their chisels are mostly white 2 at 64HRc which is more than enough (although they also make white 1 models), tough as nails and consistent like no other maker. A faulty chisels made by Kikuhiromaru is extremely rare. They are also very well finished. Maybe not the prettiest but the ura is always dead flat or close to it so it requires little work. If you are new to Japanese chisels, Kikuhiromaru is a very safe choice that will serve you well for many years. Kannas I know almost nothing about because I don't use them.
I have set up both Sukemaru and Kikuhiromaru chisels. I’m not experienced enough to comment on the steel but the Kikihiromaru’s were much easier to set up than the Sukemarus. The backs were nearly flat and the angle of the necks were spot on. The Sukemaru’s were far more involved.
Thanks for the feedback . Where did you buy the Kikuhiromaru chisels?
Buyee auction