Chopsticks

Why?  Why indeed would chopsticks be worth a woodworking project? Truth be told I've never researched a woodworking project as much as I did with this one.  But not so much about how to make them; besides, there is hardly much of a reference material on "how do they do it" out there.  It's chopsticks!

I merely began wondering why chopsticks continue to be in use today - in the 21st century, and for all the centuries past, and by over a billion people in a handful of countries in the Far East. It should be, by now, an anachronism - in the eyes of those from the western hemisphere. More than a fifth of the world's population still use them from a region where by now 90 per cent of the smartphones are made, and TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, etc. are all part of a long list of manufactured goods coming from there.  Immediately I knew it is neither here nor there to make such an unfair connection because there must be something to chopsticks usage that is far more than just pure utilitarianism.  Although it is indeed utilitarian, in its own right. But what is it about chopsticks?  It is far more interesting than I thought after examining the subject more closely. 

Like a lot of people worldwide I was an occasional chopstick user.  We've always had several of them in the kitchen drawer.  Recently, however, I have become a frequent user (almost daily now) after my wife and I have been binge watching Asian cooking on TV as a result of the Covid 19 lock down.  My wife ignored what she thought was merely a passing fascination on my part. Then I went into and completed this woodworking project, a dedication more serious than she thought.  But first let me finish sharing my research.

One of the major evolutionary adaptations that not only distinguished our species from the others is the development of opossable thumbs, thus having prehensile hands. That alone was very crucial because that allowed for fashioning and using tools, and a host of other capabilities not many other species can do, including our ability to write, draw and do myriad delicate operations with our hands that are denied to other species.  Tools ultimately led to eating utensils.  Surprisingly though, it was really not until about 2400-1900 B.C. that forks and later spoons (another surprise that spoons came later) were used, according to historical records and archaeological evidence.  In other words, for millennia our ancestors used only their hands to consume food. 

Now, hands were not clearly a requirement for sustained survival of species.  We are in fact surrounded by species that not only are without hands, they actually managed quite well.  In fact, one species that  are hardly in the endangered list are without hands and feet nor wings (you all know which species are those, right?).

Today, on the other hand, birds (now considered to have descended from dinosaurs) use only their beaks - natural chopsticks! to eat, build their nests, preen, fight with them, etc.  Before you start rolling your eyes, I point you to the blue heron, king fishers and fly catchers.

Of all bird species, the blue heron exhibits the most pronounced beak structure to come close to the chopstick and they use it effectively to spear-fish, catch crustaceans, insects, worms and even snakes.  The king fisher dive bombs for fish and fly catchers catch insects,  and how do they do it?  How else but on the fly!

Natural chopsticks all!  The most expensive handcrafted watches would be impossible to put together without using delicate tweezers that are the ubiquitous tools of master watchmakers. Those tweezers are nothing more than micro-chopsticks  when you think about it.

In the west, during the railroad building expansion that begun in late 19th century America, "chopsticks" was often a pejorative word ascribed to imported workers who brought them, thoroughly ignoring spoons and forks that were available at the local stores. The same culture from whence those workers came from, as a reminder, produced the first manufactured paper, the most exquisite garment in silk, invented the gunpowder and fireworks, noodles and Mahjong  and calligraphy of over 100,000 characters and several other items still in use or consumed today. 

Story has it that chopsticks came out of a true utilitarian beginning.  It is told that in the midst of an overwhelming population growth and an untimely shortage of food that  later led to famine, meat and vegetables were cut into small pieces for quicker cooking to save on firewood  together with an austere  use of spices and condiments since small portions allowed for flavor to be readily absorbed. Use of chopsticks was encouraged since smaller portions at a time made for a slower eating practice that naturally made people feel fuller more gradually before they could over eat - a new eating habit that dis-allowed  gobbling food in huge chunks that tend to make people over-consume. Dare I say a good tool to consider for dieters?  That's the story but whatever the real reason, chopsticks are still here even when that part of the world is now well provided for by a much stronger economy.  Over a billion people can't be wrong, setting aside the geopolitical attachments, focusing only on their cultural affinity and effusion to the chopstick.

So, I decided to make my own chopsticks and more than just that, I did some small innovations - if that is at all possible. I would like to think I did succeed.  First, I used different species of wood and by laminating them together, I came up with a far stiffer, more rigid pieces that may come close to the stiffness of cast steel without the weight, although I will not claim even remotely approaching the metal's tensile strength but these chopsticks are almost feather weight (less than a gram for a pair).  Secondly, for one of the two pairs I modified the shape of the handle from the standard rounded or squared ones to a delta or triangular cross section of walnut and marble wood.  I feel that it allows for a more secure contact with my thumb and forefinger and hence, a better feel and control.  The other pair was from four laminated pieces of walnut and zebra wood.

It is believed that for aging brains hand-eye exercises or maintaining good hand-eye coordination regularly may improve maintaining brain functions. Using chopsticks will make you do that and I think it is worth a try.  Oh, by the way, making these chopsticks definitely called for extensive hand-eye coordination.  It is always with small projects that test the woodworker's patience and perseverance.

Often these days I rummaged through my scrap wood inventory.

First I glued up long wide thin pieces together, then ripped them to narrower pieces after the glue dried.

By now I have enough work pieces for two pairs.

The delta profile as shown after blacking out what needed to be shaved away

A belt sander is very useful here but I had to really pay close attention and used a lot of hand-eye coordination.

More scrap wood of Pecan

Old parts from an old project I dismantled

I created a small  "crater" to nestle the bottom of the shell with epoxy

Dry run

Preparing and applying epoxy and fine saw dust

One dry positioning earlier had the other shell  facing down differently but settled on the final position as shown below. By the way, I used food grade beeswax conditioner used on butcher blocks to finish the project. Alternatively, cooking oil is just as effective 

Why seashells for an auxiliary motif? I was born and raised on a Pacific Island, for one, where food was mostly from fish and clams, etc.  Secondly, I worked and retired from a company whose early beginnings came from exporting kerosene to the Far East from Europe and  other parts of the Western Hemisphere. On the return trip  they brought back sea shells for the European market on the same ships that would otherwise have come back empty.  Petroleum exports and imports of seashells were the early beginnings of what became a major oil trading, exploration and production organization. 

Chopsticks was a worthwhile project that I will use regularly.  I can actually use them both right handed and left handed; I am ambidextrous with tools anyway. By the way, chopsticks are used in the far East more than just for eating.  They use it to stir, mix and even beat eggs and mix almost every thing with it - hot or cold. I think I will keep using these.

The pair weighs 3/4 gram

Of Pots, Pans and their Covers

We all have them in our kitchens.  Pots and pans. And their covers. And the challenge of storing them when not in use.  And organizing them.  Of course, this is a non-issue for those fortunate to have huge kitchens with plenty of space, under the counters and cupboards. Martha Stewart has them hanging from the ceiling above her kitchen island, which is quite smart and practical.  But you'll notice one thing.  Where are the covers?  I'm sure they're stored somewhere.

For us, for years, they were stored, as shown below, like steerage passengers below deck  of ancient ocean liners.  The other day I saw a solution.  This was something I've been looking for in a long time.  Naturally, this is not the only way if you put your mind to it.  I hope this will inspire the readers to discover what will work for them. 

What I found was for six covers neatly organized in a space 9 X 21 inches, 4 inch deep.

I started with 1/2 inch Baltic plywood, cut to dimensions, four long "rafters" and two ends, grooved with 1/2 inch dadoes.

Glue up and dry fitting

Tip: The space between the "rafters" were determined by the depth of the cover measured from its dome (where the handle is) to the plane of its rim.  The 4 inch width of  each rafter is enough to keep the cover vertically upright and secured from movement.

 Tung oiled and set over two support brackets. 

Better, easy access without banging them with one another when picked up or returned.

The previous original owner of the house we bought this home from did a great job of making use of small spaces with this sliding storage.

Now you see it ...

... now, you don't.

I'm sure some readers may have already found different and better ideas, or perhaps they will find inspiration to create their own, if they haven't yet.

Knife Stand from Scrap Wood

Over 3/4 of food preparation in our kitchens begin with cutting yet kitchen knives are likely often given the least care. For as long as they continue to cut since even dull knives will cut, we have the tendency to take them for granted. Care seems to stop at just simply keeping them cleaned and washed.  Worse, we keep them in drawers unprotected from each other and other metal tools - scissors and other utensils.  Also, when they're in drawers or stored improperly we often use the wrong knife because rummaging in the drawer means picking up what is easily grabbed.

One ad for a cleaver made in Asia says that the Chinese must laugh at the West because Westerners use way too many knives.  If you've watched them on YouTube Chinese and Japanese cooks pretty much use just one knife - a large cleaver - for everything.  In the West we use a peeler to skin fruit, a fillet knife to cut fish or make thin slices, a paring knife for cutting small fruit, a cleaver, a chef's knife, serrated knives, etc. while in a Chinese or Japanese kitchen a cleaver and chopsticks (to stir and check the pot) are all that are used.  Of course, what is not mentioned is that Chinese and Japanese cooks grow up honing their skills with just one tool - the cleaver -  for all their cutting needs in the kitchen. It is amazing to watch how they peel, dice, fillet, cut bones and vegetables with just the cleaver.  They're just simply very skilled with that one tool.  You may check the vlogs on YouTube the following young Chinese artisans such as Dianxi and Li Ziqi who highlight Chinese cooking and arts and crafts.  Both routinely use just one cleaver for most of their food preparation.

So in the West there are just way too many specialty knives in the kitchen and we must admit that each is quite good for  the specific job each was designed for.  Nothing beats a good peeler even in the hands of a novice and a fillet knife is unequaled in slicing thin wide and long strips of meat and to fillet fish.  That is where we folks in the West are.  Therefore, let's deal with it then.

A favorite paring knife of mine is a puukko knife that I bought forty years ago.  Puukko knives come from Finland.  They gained popularity in the U.S. after WWII when American soldiers who saw the knives used by Finnish commandos brought them back home with them.

It is my favorite paring knife (shown below) but I prefer it on jack fruit because the handle is almost impervious to the sticky gum.  Its simple structure is easy to clean and the handle shape is ideal for a good grip even if it is smooth. All puukko knives come with leather sheath (case) that encloses all the way to the handle end.  Protected as such it was actually kept in a drawer.  But time to make a stand for it so it can claim a spot on the kitchen island with the other knives.

I used some of the scrap wood lying around.  The easiest way to begin is to create a channel just slightly wider than the width of the blade on one piece. A dado blade is ideal but any saw blade can be used with several passes until the desired width is achieved.  See photo below.

Glue another piece to to it thus creating the flat narrow slot for the blade.

Constructed the same way but wider still is a stand for a folding diamond sharpener which, by the way, is ideal for quick honing of kitchen knives. And ideal too for those not experienced with sharpening or are in a hurry.

Note: This knife was made by  Hackman Finland Stainless, Tapio Wirkala.  I'm sure I did not pay more than $20 back then in the 80's.  It is a collector item now and depending on condition, it is now priced at between $295 to $400 (with original sheath)

Folding diamond sharpener (clear plastic handle showing)

My wife says this is the last of the knife projects.  Could be.  But that Chinese or Japanese cleaver is very tempting.  If I can convince her that it will take the place of all the knives shown below.  You may check previous blogs on how the other stands shown below were made.

One more word on another puukko knife.  A friend of mine visited Finland about twenty years ago.  He brought back for me a puukko knife shown below.  Note the leather sheath all the way to the heel of the knife. This is a very sharp knife.

Shop to Kitchen to Shop Mallet

Over the years I've made several mallets, four exactly, before this  fifth one.  All previous four were made with handles permanently fixed to the mallet head with glue and wedges.  What is different with the fifth one?

Photo below shows a detachable handle!  You can remove it and re-attach it all within five seconds and use it like any permanently handled mallet.  Hard to believe when I saw it constructed by Jay Bates (You Tube woodworking - check him out). The only definitive way to find out was to make one and see if it works as shown in Bate's presentation. It does.  Perfectly, in fact.

What is the advantage of a removable handle? With just one handle one may make several mallet heads of different weights (depending on wood species), heft or bulk, hardness and softness.  Without having to occupy too much space in the workshop one can have different  mallets for specific applications.  More importantly, since only the mallet heads will be subjected to wear and tear, bruising or denting, making new ones will be easier than making an entire mallet each time.  And I can use one mallet head at the kitchen and another at the workshop, using just one handle - which is the key to a good mallet but it is harder to fashion.  So, a mallet with a detachable handle.

An actual scale drawing is invaluable.

I tapered a 1/2 inch plywood which will become the pattern for the actual work piece

(Photo below): Cutting to rough dimension a piece of Eucalyptus - a very dense hardwood of a reddish color almost matching the red soil of its Australian habitat.  A good time to practice cutting with my new shop-made saw (previous blog).  Or, maybe not. Eucalyptus is indeed a very hard wood to work with.

Double sided tape joins the pattern and work piece.

Router with pattern-making bit  makes an exact copy of pattern to work piece.

A handful of hand tools to fashion the handle

The mallet head is made of four pieces glued together.  Two side pieces (Pecan) are glued to the two center pieces (Red Cherry) cut to the exact dimensions as shown in the drawing above.  This creates a mortised "socket"  perfectly matched to the handle end that will be the tenon.

Note that all four of the first versions I made had relatively longer handles.  I realized that when I used them I often "choke" the handle closest to the mallet head because I realized I had better control holding it that way.  Sure enough, the closer one holds the handle part closest to the mallet head achieves better control when striking.

Photo below was the first one I made.  I call it the "enforcer" because its long handle and heavy weighted head makes it ideal for heavy strikes.

I think I will favor the short handled one for most jobs. By the way, one tap from the handle end on any hard surface tightens the joint between handle and mallet head; one tap on the mallet head end loosens the joint.  It is all friction but the key is in the construction.  Maximum contact area is critical so the mortised socket and handle flare must match perfectly.

Now, I find a mallet quite handy (literally) at the kitchen for a variety of purpose, i.e. smashing garlic, nuts, crab claws, to closing the lid on cans, etc.  Below, I typically love to cut fish tails and fins with it and making precise steak cuts by first making straight cuts on one side of the fish and striking the back of the cleaver with the mallet for very precise cuts.

With the easing of the Covid 19 lock down we together with two other couples decided to have a potluck lunch at one of the couple's home. This was what I brought.

For hundreds of years in Asia people would broil fish wrapped in banana leaves over charcoal.  This keeps the stuffing and spices in place and enclosed during the entire cooking.  The cooked fish will remain moist and full of flavor.

In my case, after the traditional preparation, it was easier to bake it at 400 F deg (or 204 Celsius for my European readers) for 40 minutes. Tender and moist fish is cooked well all the time.

For dessert, I prepared sweet yam this way.

I learned from my wife's sister-in-law that by first putting the yam in hot oil for about 1-2 minutes, and remove them into a pan with brown sugar in it and shaken (with the lid on), insures that the cut pieces of yam will be fully smothered with the sugar.  The hot oil on the yam makes the sugar cling more effectively and will in fact remain on the pieces when put back into the hot oil to complete the cooking. 

Afterwards, I use coffee filter to strain the used oil for  reuse - once or twice before completely discarding it.  I mark the container to make sure the oil is used for the same purpose.  In this case, the next time I do this kind f cooking for yam or plantain bananas or potato.