Description
Power Grip V-Gouge — 1.5 mm (Sankaku-Tō)
Made by Mikisyo Hamono, Niigata Prefecture, Japan
Primary use
A finely engineered V-shaped gouge designed for carving hair-thin, 1.5 mm lines and pinpoint textures in woodcut, linocut and other relief matrices, giving printmakers absolute control over the most delicate passages of a design.
Best for
- Pin-sharp outlines – draw razor-clean borders around motifs, figures and lettering without the chatter often seen with broader tools.
- Minute surface textures – depict strands of hair, animal fur, cross-hatching, stippling or water ripples that read crisply once inked.
- Intricate geometry – incise filigree borders, scrolls and tessellations where consistency of line width is critical.
- Selective highlight cuts – shave glints and sparkle into dark fields or reduction layers without disturbing adjacent detail.
- Micro-scale blocks – perfect for stamp-sized reliefs, signature chops and precision kento registration notches.
Why it stands out
Forged by Mikisyo Hamono—renowned for marrying time-honoured smithing techniques with modern metallurgy—the blade is a double-laminated billet: a hard high-carbon core for supreme edge retention sandwiched between resilient softer steel that absorbs shock. Each 3 cm cutter is hand-honed at the factory to a mirror polish, so it is truly shave-ready straight from the box.
The compact 14.5 cm overall length sits naturally in the palm, while the Power Grip handle swells to 19 mm at the thumb web and tapers to 10 mm near the heel. This subtle hour-glass profile channels extra driving force from your hand into the cut, yet still feels pencil-like for fingertip steering when you choke up on fine passages. A shallow scallop on the underside acts as a tactile guide, telling you instantly which way the V-edge is facing.
Pro tip / Ideal for
Keep a small leather strop beside your bench: two or three light passes on compound-charged leather will re-awaken the samurai-sharp edge without removing appreciable metal, meaning the tool will serve faithfully for years before its first true re-grind. Beginners will appreciate the effortless bite; seasoned printmakers will love how confidently it tracks across dense end-grain cherry or buttery Japanese magnolia alike.
