Tools of Japan

[superautobacs]

No problem.

Sorry, the link was bad. It looks like you're ok with navigating around with the train system.
Here's a proper google maps link to Straight. It's walking distance from a train station too!: https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=straight+%E5%90%8D%E5%8F%A4%E5%B1%8B%E3%80%80&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&ie=UTF-8&ei=cEcvU9zGFsfloAS0z4CwCQ&ved=0CAsQ_AUoAw

[Edit] just saw that you found the location.....and that's awesome that it's so close for you!! Have fun!

Yeah, you're right, Tokyu Hands is more for the hobby/craft crowd. ..nonetheless, a cool place.

Sound like a cool MIL to hang around with! I was in heaven when I walked into a SuperAutobacs for the first time in the late 90's.

A long one month awaits in front of you.

 

[spicytuna]

Arrived in Japan on March 26. Due to an increase in sales tax from 5% to 8% starting April 1st, a lot of people were scrambling to stock up on everything from cars to soy sauce.

The day after my arrival in Saitama, I went to the Kappabashi district near Ueno to purchase a fine kitchen knife.

Afterwards, I hopped over to Akihabara and dropped by Factory Gear where I purchased a Nepros NBR390 ratchet along with this Factory Gear exclusive Nepros 13 socket kit :
http://www.factory-gear.com/category/select/cid/126/bid/28/pid/345

I'm currently in Osaka and just came back from the Factory Gear shop in Nanba. I'm temped to get a set of wrenches but at around $50 per wrench, I'm left struggling. I could get a set of around 6 wrenches or for the same price, I could spend a weekend in Taiwan or South Korea. Hmm...

 

[superautobacs]

Spicytuna,

Seems like you have liking for Nepros tools.....well, if I were you, I'd get a feel for what you'll want from their line of tools and then order them through http://www.nepros.net/. Compare the online prices (US dollars) to the Japanese prices. Last time I checked, us foreigners get a deal.

Do tell us about your knife purchase. I don't have anything too fancy...a Global santoku, Calaphalon nakiri, and a Kershaw paring for Japanese knifes. The Japanese make some fine knives for sure.

 

[spicytuna]

Thanks for that tidbit of info regarding Nepros tools. The prices are MUCH cheaper in the US. Like half the price or less! Wow!!!

My knife isn't too fancy. It's a basic VG10 damascus gyuto chef knife. Had my family name carved into the blade as well.

Today, I visited a friend in Gifu who happens to live in Seki, which is known for their knives. Visited 5 stores with everything from $100 nail clippers to katanas. Ended up with a very nice Seki-Cut tanto also in Damascus steel.

 

[JDSV]

Spicytuna, while Nepros is a very nice ratchet, those are some pretty good looking knives. I may to try to swing a visit to Gifu to get a new Santoku set, my family lives in Aichi so it's not too far off.

Can't wait to see more if you collected anymore on your journey thus far. It's getting me all excited for my trip to Japan here in two weeks and counting!

 

[superautobacs]

Mmmm, fine tools for the garage and kitchen.


I'm hardly a knife enthusiast, but since we're talking about Japanese knifes I think this episode fits in well.

In another episode from the same TV series:
Taking us to Berlin, at a Michelin 3-star restaurant, the head chef there uses a Japanese knife he acquired from a German knife-maker in Solingen, Robert Herder.

The Lignum series knife incorporates a knife that's hand forged by a knife maker in Takefu, Japan, and is mated with Robert Herder's own wooden handle, which is polished to a Solingen tradition.

The company praises Japan's knife making craftsmanship and decided to import one of the forging hammers to train and educate the way the Japanese still make their knives today.

Let's all hope this great knife making tradition continues.

<iframe frameborder="0" width="560" height="315" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x1hutbm?start=773" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1hutbm_%E5%92%8C%E9%A2%A8%E7%B7%8F%E6%9C%AC%E5%AE%B6-2013-02-18-sp-01-%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E3%81%A7%E8%A6%8B%E3%81%A4%E3%81%91%E3%81%9Fmade-in-japan_lifestyle" target="_blank">和風総本家 2013-02-18 SP_01「世界で見つけたMade in Japan...</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Houjicha-Data" target="_blank">Houjicha-Data</a></i>

 

[spicytuna]

Spicytuna, while Nepros is a very nice ratchet, those are some pretty good looking knives. I may to try to swing a visit to Gifu to get a new Santoku set, my family lives in Aichi so it's not too far off.

Can't wait to see more if you collected anymore on your journey thus far. It's getting me all excited for my trip to Japan here in two weeks and counting!

JDSV,

Seki City in Gifu is great but you really need a car since the stores are spread far apart.

If you're looking for a kitchen knife and get a chance to visit Osaka, check out Doguyasuji which is near Nanba station. It doesn't have the selection of Kappabashi in Tokyo but it's got its share of knife shops.

 

[superautobacs]

Latest Japanese goodies arrived.

KTC slim LED light. .

The pros: this thing throws a lot of lumens for its size, has a very wide angle illumination, and casts a completely even and soft natural looking white light.

The cons: it's really thin and light, and that makes it fragile. I really wish that they constructed it more ruggedly as the plastic seems rather flimsy. Unfortunately, unlike their competition, the Skinny Light which is made in Japan, this one is from China (I'm assuming from their own factory there).

 

[85FourEyedGT]

That Nepros ratchet looks almost too nice to use!

 

[superautobacs]

That Nepros ratchet looks almost too nice NOT to use!

I fixed that for you.














Something different...

3 Peaks Alutool pliers:

Model: AN-190 - made from duralumin

cutters made from CroMo
jointed by a metal bearing

HRC 55~62 - cuts 1.9mm steel; 2.6mm copper

 

[Monte]

wow they´re cool !!

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

who makes motorcycle chain pliers?

only company I can find is Hozan, but they are more for bicycles.

 

[superautobacs]

Like these?

Hozan:

Tsunoda:

 

[ChevyEFI]

So uh, does this mean "we don't ship to the U.S." ?

利用可能な配送方法はありません。

 

[ChevyEFI]

Translate says "There are no available shipping method."

So does Factory Gear ship to the U.S.? Or who ships Deen products?

 

[superautobacs]

Translate says "There are no available shipping method."

So does Factory Gear ship to the U.S.? Or who ships Deen products?

Essentially, it's saying there's no shipping method available.
Is that a message you got from the FG online shopping site?

 

[davethorik]

After reading this thread I fished the Hozan P-221 out of the 'bay. It is shipping directly from Japan. Hozan's website says it will work on 410-630 motorcycle chain.

http://www.hozan.co.jp/E//catalog/Cutters/P221.html

I also am due to change the chain on my KLR. I will report back how well these work. I have had to go to the ER while changing a chain before, stabbed myself with a long slender flathead screwdriver and would rather not repeat that.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Essentially, it's saying there's no shipping method available.
Is that a message you got from the FG online shopping site?

Yeah; I haven't tried emailing them yet. I was hoping someone else may have had experience with them they could share, or a more English-friendly site vendor.

 

[superautobacs]

Yeah; I haven't tried emailing them yet. I was hoping someone else may have had experience with them they could share, or a more English-friendly site vendor.

Contact them here: http://www.factory-gear.com/contact

Considering that they have their website in English you'd think they'd do international orders. It's a total downer if one gets all excited only to find that they don't offer it. Makes you wonder why they'd even bother with English text.

 

[JDSV]

Well I am back from my trip to Japan and man it was a good visit, tool shopping also played a part.

I was able to visit Kanamonoyasan, Astro, Straight Tool, and WIT. I've some photos of each but with only seven or eight photo max using the GJ attachment function, this may take a couple of posts.

First up is Kanamonyasan. They have a variety of hand and power tools, and raw materials. It might have been just the store I visited but they only really excelled in the screwdriver department. They had a wide selection from KTC, Vessel, and Anex. I really fell in love with the KTC soft grip drivers and some round end Vessel drivers. Once my set of harbor freight drivers wears out, I'm going to definetly consider getting either the KTC or vessel drivers.

They also had a good selection of KTC offset double box wrenches, and a slew of Anex bits. And they had Hitachi cordless drills in a variety of colors, not only including red and blue, but also pink, yellow and silver/white.

 

[JDSV]

Astro was just so so. They have a lot of their own branded tools, but they also carried Signet, TONE, and some PB Swiss. The store I went to only had Signet and TONE in sets, and I forgot to snap a few pics of the TONE setups. However, after speaking with the staff, I learned I could order individual pieces of TONE or Signet through them. Unfortunately, they do not ship overseas, but they live so close to my in-laws I would pick-up in store next time I visit.

 

[JDSV]

The Straight Tool Company surprised me. While they put their name on a lot of stuff, it's usually still Made in Japan; such as the screwdrivers which were made by Sunflag (see the yellow handle driver in the pics). They also carried a brand I have never heard of before, FLAG, Made in Japan and priced fairly well. I have no idea if they are any good as I did not pick anything up there. And last but not least, they had a full board of Koken Zeal ratchets and sockets.

 

[JDSV]

World Import Tools was by far my most favorite store. They pretty much had everything. I have more pics than what I have posted to include Beta, Wera, and some more Koken Zeal. I was actually really impressed with how smooth the Facom ratchets were. I actually regret not getting one, but am looking at getting maybe a 1/2" Proto round head as I believe they are the same...at least that is my understanding after some research here on GJ.

Almost all the tool boxes were Bacho and those felt really good, wish I could afford one! They also had numerous Stahlwille and Facom, and I think Beta Cantilever boxes.

They had some KTC, but mostly carried Koken and Nepros as far as Japanese brands go. They had quite a collection of Snap-on as well, but no pics...sorry guys.

 

[JDSV]

Now as far as my haul from W.I.T, I picked up some Engineer Pliers, and bought a cap for the heck of it. Also bought the 3/8" shallow Koken Zeal socket set, the Nepros 3/8" 90 tooth gear ratchet, and the Koken wobble plus extension set.

I was dead set on getting a Koken Zeal 3/8" ratchet, but my father-in-law insisted I get the Nepros one...he convinced me. To my surprise he actually bought the ratchet for me as a Birthday gift, since I celebrated a birthday while over there. Best father-in-law ever!

Once we left Tokyo after my sister-in-laws wedding, I instantly regretted not getting a 3/8" deep Koken Zeal socket set to match my shallow set. I guess I have some OCD as many here do. To fix that, I made the trip to Factory Gear in Toyohashi. I met the guy that makes all the youtube videos for the Toyohashi shop, great guy! This particular vid is a tour of his shop. Now, they did not have the deep socket set for sale, but I was able to order a set and have it shipped for free to my parents-in-law place. I did not ask if they ship overseas. Also while I was there I picked up a 21mm Koken lug socket, and some KTC Clip Pliers for those pesky plastic clips all over my Nissan Versa. Unfortunately, no pics of FG so please take a look at the vid.

Also I made a trip to a few Home Centers (Japans version of Home Depot/Lowes), and to my surprise they actually have "Pro" sections that specialize in tools, hand and powered. I went to Ka-Ma- Pro and Hodotake, both had a great selection of KTC, TONE, and Vessel. Next time I am in Japan I am highly considering getting either the KTC or TONE zero degree double box wrenches from Ka-Ma- (since it's close by to my in-laws) as they look great, are made in Japan and can be had for a little bit more than the Genius set on Amazon. To top it off, the KTC and TONE wrenches are cheaper at either location than say, FG, W.I.T, Kanamonoyasan, and Astro.

For those wondering when I'm going to get my deep socket set...my company might be sending me to Okinawa next month for a few weeks for a job, so I can swing over and pick them up on my way.

Of course after that trip my wallet is in pain, and I probably should hold off on any extravagant Japanese tool purchases until next year.

 

[north]

Thanks for the tour JDSV.

Edit: I have the Engineer PZ-58 pliers. They are excellent for screws, grommets and other stuff that needs a twist and/or a tug.

 

[SawtoothJL]

Wow! You've been busy!!! Thanks for the awesome pics!

Sent from my SPH-M950 using Tapatalk

 

[dede2897234]

JDSV,

Your experiences and pictures at the home centers, "World Import Tools", and "The Straight Tool Company" in Japan were great reading and entertainment ! I am living vicariously through you! Please keep posting.


Take care,


Dave

 

[rshadd]

I have this Craftsman cutter that's stamped JAPAN....

 

[Monte]

Thank you very much for your pics !!!

 

[Peluo]

Great post JDSV
So guys whats your take on the best place to order Koken Zeal ratchet and socket set? What are the different model number in either 3/8", 1/4" and 1/2"? I would like to start on a 3/8" set with 8-19mm shallow and deep. O and by the way this would be ship to florida

 

[dede2897234]

Great post JDSV
So guys whats your take on the best place to order Koken Zeal ratchet and socket set? What are the different model number in either 3/8", 1/4" and 1/2"? I would like to start on a 3/8" set with 8-19mm shallow and deep. O and by the way this would be ship to florida

Peluo,

Levelchrome.com would be the best place to special order the Ko-ken Zeal ratchet and socket sets. If you contact Alan at "[email protected]" with the interested Ko-ken model#(s), he will be able to help with you pricing and expected lead times from Ko-ken Japan or USA (Blackstone Global). I would look up prices on Frankstools.com before contacting Levelchome. Levelchrome will price match Frankstools. I would not recommend purchasing from Frankstools due to his recent lapses in customer service as documented on Garage Journal here: LINK.

I attached below two pages from the Ko-ken Zeal catalog of their 3/8" drive socket sets; and their combined ratchet and socket sets:






Lastly, Ko-ken does not currently offer anything in their Zeal line in 1/2" drive.


Dave

 

[dede2897234]

Peluo,

If you would like to view the Ko-ken Z-Series offerings, go to the following link and click on the "On-line Catalogue" image in the center of the web page: LINK. Type "118" at the bottom page number text box and hit "Enter" on your keyboard. You will get to the first Zeal catalog page.


Dave

 

[JDSV]

Thank you all for the positive reply's of my shoddy camera work, they are appreciated. I have attached more photos that I left out initially.

We have some Wera and Beta from W.I.T, a Makita nail gun (roughly in the $540 range) from Kanamonoyasan, and a wooden handled Vessel driver also from Kanamonoyasan. Kanamonoyasan had box loads of these drivers sitting under the shelf.

Oh and I totally forgot, but W.I.T. was having a Golden Week sale (it was holiday in Japan when I was there) and the Facom R2 Nano and Beta (the one Woodstockva reviewed) 1/4" kits could of been had for roughly $138. I was not looking for a 1/4" set at the time, but if they have the same sale next year, I am going to try to swing over and grab the Facom set.

Peluo, I would also take a look at Rakuten as their prices are actually a tad cheaper than what I found in Japan. However, with shipping it would make it more expensive. For example, the Koken Zeal 3/8" ratchet can be had in Japan for roughly $40 (with tax included), but on Rakuten for $34-ish;however, add the shipping and you are close to $46-47. Dede2897234 had good advise by checking out Levelchrome as well, they seem to have good customer relations and communications, and I think that is pretty important when buying tools online.

I also want to take note that Japan recently this past April had a national tax increase. Retailers might have not updated their websites with new pricing if they are pricing in the new tax. I know at Factory Gear I found the KTC zero degree 22x24mm wrench for $32, but the store manager said he had not updated all his tags to include the new tax. We both did the math and it bumped the wrench up to $34 and change.

 

[Peluo]

Thanks Dede for the info. I am going after the 3/8" Z-eal set #3285z but i will like to fill the gaps some what and maybe extend the deep sockets to 19mm. Maybe with the RS3300MZ/12 7-19mm rail deep set. Are the rails any good? Are they magnetic?

 

[cosmik binturong]

Thank you all for the positive reply's of my shoddy camera work, they are appreciated. I have attached more photos that I left out initially.

thnak you for all the pics and descriptions JDSV! it's always a pleasure to get lots of pics of japanese stores and the wares they're selling!

We have some Wera and Beta from W.I.T, a Makita nail gun (roughly in the $540 range) from Kanamonoyasan, and a wooden handled Vessel driver also from Kanamonoyasan. Kanamonoyasan had box loads of these drivers sitting under the shelf.

hey! look! a lone Wera gorgeously translucent and green handled screwie lost in the middle of the pic!

those candy apple red Makitas are, well, candy apple red yummy-ish!

why don't you arrange a GJ/TotOW group buy of those on your next visit, eh?


kiddin' me gots too much screwdrivers already...

 

[Jason280]

Any information on this ratchet?

 

[HalfFlip]

Peluo,

Levelchrome.com would be the best place to special order the Ko-ken Zeal ratchet and socket sets. If you contact Alan at "[email protected]" with the interested Ko-ken model#(s), he will be able to help with you pricing and expected lead times from Ko-ken Japan or USA (Blackstone Global). I would look up prices on Frankstools.com before contacting Levelchome. Levelchrome will price match Frankstools. I would not recommend purchasing from Frankstools due to his recent lapses in customer service as documented on Garage Journal here: LINK.

+1 for Alan at levelchrome! He was very helpful in helping me order some Koken tools that were not on the site and was amazing in providing me updates about delivery time

 

[cosmik binturong]

+1 for Alan at levelchrome! He was very helpful in helping me order some Koken tools that were not on the site and was amazing in providing me updates about delivery time

unless you're outside the US borders... if anything goes wrong in transit, well, too bad for you, you're hosed.


if you're in the US, looks like no problemo though...

this is a public service announcement for all non-US prospective customers. ​

 

[mrborohachi]

anyone know what company is the original Mfg of this Florida Pneumatic 1/4in air ratchet
http://www.amazon.com/Florida-Pneumatic-FP-733M-Reverse-Ratchet/dp/B000LQOD3I

BTW last week I received a shipment of tools from Frankstools
View media item 40660top to bottom: 1/4->3/8drive spinner, 10/12mm brake bleeder wrench with covered ends so the wrench doesn't slip off bleeder screw, not from Frank SO 9'TRLL72, Koken Mid-length sockets

 

[BK13]

Those sockets are 1/4" drive?