Thomas Cormack
After having completed the 3 year Furniture making course at Chichester College, I started Kigoroshi as an opportunity for me to keep up that momentum and continue producing my own personal flavour of woodworking.
I have been driven by my urge to craft for as long as I can remember, but nothing unified my desire for limitless creativity and meticulous precision quite like furniture making. It is a creative pursuit, filled with expression and subjectivity, yet it so perfectly incorporates uniformity, order, and function.
Kigoroshi 木殺し translates into English as "wood killing".
It is a Japanese technique which involves compressing wood fibres with a rounded hammer before assembling joinery. After the joint is assembled, you apply moisture to the compressed area and it expands within the joint.
This added level of commitment to detail is what initially drove me towards Japanese woodworking. I believe that this approach should be extended to all aspects of a project, and also how we live our lives. Go the extra mile, and reap the rewards of your investment when the time comes.
The term "Wood Killing" itself is also an interesting concept.
It's quite an accurate (although macabre) way of looking at woodworking. We essentially create beauty from the destruction of an element of nature. Keeping that in mind may help motivate us all to remember to be thankful for these trees and the environments they are taken from.
Kumiko is the ancient Japanese art of lattice making. By using perfectly even joints across the length of many thin wooden strips, grids are assembled. A large variety of patterns can then be created by assembling small matching components within the lattice.
There are two primary grids used for the majority of kumiko, the 90° (square) lattice and the 60° (triangular) lattice.
Kumiko panels are primarily used in shoji (sliding screen doors). However, there are a plethora of potential ways to integrate this art form into projects. If you are interested in incorporating kumiko into your project, or you'd like to commission a panel, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I am always thrilled to work more in this field.
When creating fine furniture, I find that it's so much more than just following the design and assembling the components. Along the way, us craftsmen create a real attachment to the project. We pour a little bit of ourselves into it.
With every one of my projects, my intention is to leave a positive lasting impression. This is achieved by using high quality sustainable materials, and a mix of cutting edge and traditional joinery techniques.
It all starts with an idea. I have a few of my own that I am working on which I hope you will love, but perhaps you have an idea you would like to see come to fruition. Talk me through it and let's make it a reality. Together we can create your ideal project and ensure it lasts a lifetime.
