An introduction is in order my name is Thomas Vogel, I have been a cabinet maker for more than twenty years. Several years ago I discovered a Japanese craft called Kumiko zaiku. Unfortunately unless one speaks Japanese ( I do not) there is a dearth of information available on this craft. The patterns are there to find, in photos, but the history and and almost all other relevant information is locked up behind google translate. I happened to be blessed with a wife who speaks Japanese fluently and she has been quite helpful with my attempt to flush out information on this incredibly difficult craft to practice. So please return frequently and I will, hopefully, have a steady stream of interesting and relevant material for you to peruse.

This being my first blog post I will let you know what to expect. Here I will post new designs, show new Kumiko zaiku patterns, interesting work I am doing, and or just about anything that strikes my fancy.

Thomas