# Japanese Pencil Carvers!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-pencil-carvers/240492>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 17, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-pencil-carvers/240492 "2004-04-17T05:57:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-pencil-carvers/240492/1 "2004-04-17T05:57:24Z")

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[Japanese Pencil Carvers](http://www.infofreako.com/jad/pencil/0list-e.html)

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**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-pencil-carvers/240492/2 "2004-04-17T13:26:35Z")

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Japanese Pencil Carvers, indeed.

Wow.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-pencil-carvers/240492/3 "2004-04-17T14:07:44Z")

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You always come up with the coolest links, **astro**! That one went to over half my address book.

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-pencil-carvers/240492/4 "2004-04-17T14:11:57Z")

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How the hell…

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**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-pencil-carvers/240492/5 "2004-04-17T16:46:00Z")

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Finally, I can say this in context!:

NANI?!

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-pencil-carvers/240492/6 "2004-04-18T17:58:22Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> How the hell…

The techniques are all pretty straightforward, and known to any decent woodcarver. Most of the oddest looking ones are based on the carved chain, with links that are folded out. But I must say that I’m damn impressed that someone actually managed to carve those things on such a small scale, in pine, and (in most cases) without breaking the lead. Give me an inch-diameter dowel, and I’m sure I could do any of those. But a pencil? Wow.