21-Apr-2025
A new week starts today. It was a very beautiful day today. The weather was perfect for making boxes, but I didn’t do any work that required such good weather. Instead, I spent most of the day checking several boxes that were already finished. I started by opening and adjusting the mechanisms of the 2-sun cube drawer boxes and the 3-sun 18-steps boxes, which had been stored after the final coating was done.
This time, I made these boxes in response to a request from an overseas shop. I made some improvements again, but I felt that the axis plates of the 3-sun 18-steps box could be a little thicker. Since 3-sun is a relatively small box size, I also have to consider that making the axis plates too thick would reduce the inner storage space. However, the 3-sun 18-steps box is a relatively popular item, so I will continue making it and keep exploring the best design.
At the same time, I also made a small batch of 2-sun cube boxes. The design combines traditional Yosegi and walnut wood. I’ve been making this box for a very long time. Over the years, I’ve created various versions of the 2-sun cube box, from 4-step to 12-step mechanisms, but this particular type seems to be the most popular—not because of the number of steps, but for its overall charm. It has a 4-step mechanism and a small drawer that slides out. Though it’s called a drawer, it might be hard to store anything inside… because it’s really tiny! Since I only made a few this time, I plan to make more again soon.
As I’ve mentioned from time to time on this blog, the knock box is finally complete. Right now, I’ve finished the final coating, and I’m doing the last checks by opening the mechanism. I went through a lot of trial and error this time, but I think the mechanism works well. The part I struggled with the most was giving a little “looseness of moving” to the first moving panel. You might feel a slight looseness or “wobble(?)” in that panel, but I avoided fitting the Aruki (moving panels) panel too tightly so that the internal magnets can connect more easily. This bit of “looseness” actually helps a lot when the mechanism resets itself. The production was quite challenging, but I still have one more batch of Ichimatsu Yosegi specially made for this box, so I’m thinking of making it again sometime within this year.
Lastly, today I had two wonderful guests visit my workshop. They came from New Zealand and are shop owners. They have been very passionate about selling my boxes for quite some time. This time, they watched my production process and even placed more orders. They also brought me some lovely gifts from New Zealand. My workshop is not close to any train station and inconvenient location, but they made the effort to come by car. Thank you so much! I was so happy to meet you 😊 I hope you continue to enjoy your travels in Japan!
