Gear guide
Best Japanese Lino Cutting Tools for Linocut
Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick
Japanese lino cutting tools are the usual step up from a blade-in-handle cutter. Instead of thin push-in blades, each tool is a solid blade fixed in its own wooden handle, so you pick up the shape you need and keep carving. The best known for linocut and block printing are Mikisyo Power Grip tools, sold as sets and as single tools by blade type and width in mm. Kakuri sets are longer tools made for woodblock printmaking. What differs between the options is the number of tools, the shapes and widths, the steel and the handle. Because these are solid tools, they need stropping to stay sharp: keep the factory bevel and strop often, as our sharpening article explains. This guide lists only tools whose listings state they are made in Japan or come from a Japanese maker, and compares them by what those listings say. Nobody here tested them.
Compare the picks
| Pick | Tools | Shapes (mm) | Steel | Handle | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mikisyo Power Grip carving tools, 7-piece set | 7 | not stated | not stated | Non-slip Power Grip | - | Amazon |
 Kakuri Japanese carving tool set, 7-piece | 7 | Flat 7, skew 7/3, V 4, U 9/6 | Japanese carbon steel | Wood, 180 mm overall | - | Amazon |
 Kakuri Japanese carving tool set, 5-piece | 5 | Flat 7, skew 7, V 4, U 6/3 | Japanese carbon steel | Wood, 180 mm overall | - | Amazon |
 Mikisyo Power Grip V tool, 1.5 mm, single | 1 | Triangular V 1.5 | Steel and iron, 2 layers | Sakura wood grip | - | Amazon |
 Kakuri Aogami #2 carving tool set, 10-piece | 10 | Flat 9/3, skew 9, scoop 7.5 | Aogami Blue Paper Steel #2 | not stated | - | Amazon |
 Mikisyo Power Grip U gouge, 1.5 mm, single | 1 | Round U gouge 1.5 | Alloy steel and iron | Wood, 14.5 cm overall | - | Amazon |
 Mikisyo Power Grip carving set, 3-piece | 3 | not stated | Double layer steel | not stated | - | Amazon |
Facts are taken from each Amazon listing. Prices are checked daily and shown with their date.
If you just want one
- Closest match for the jobMikisyo Power Grip carving tools, 7-piece setA set of 7 chisels from Mikisyo, which the listing describes as a Japanese manufacturer; sold as a Japan import.
- Most for the money on paperKakuri Japanese carving tool set, 7-pieceThe listing gives blade widths: flat chisel 7 mm, large skew 7 mm, small skew 3 mm, V gouge 4 mm, large U gouge 9 mm, medium U gouge 6 mm.
- Most complete listingKakuri Japanese carving tool set, 5-pieceFive shapes with stated widths: flat chisel 7 mm, skew 7 mm, V gouge 4 mm, medium U gouge 6 mm and small U gouge 3 mm.
The picks in detail
Pick 1 · Mikisyo
Mikisyo Power Grip carving tools, 7-piece set
See price on AmazonSeven solid Power Grip carving tools from the Japanese maker Mikisyo. The maker's catalog lists round gouges of 3 and 6 mm, a 4.5 mm V, a 7.5 mm skew and a 7.5 mm flat among the seven; the listing itself names no shapes.
What the listing offers
- A set of 7 chisels from Mikisyo, which the listing describes as a Japanese manufacturer; sold as a Japan import.
- The listing says the whole blade is hardened, so the tools can be resharpened and used for a long time.
- The grip is described as easy to hold and non-slip, shaped so that force is easy to apply when carving.
Limits to know
- The listing does not name the seven blade shapes or their widths in mm; confirm the contents before ordering.
- No steel type, handle material or tool length is stated, and no strop or storage roll is mentioned.
Pick 2 · KAKURI
Kakuri Japanese carving tool set, 7-piece
See price on AmazonSeven long wooden-handled tools made in Japan for woodblock printmaking: flat chisel 7 mm, skews 7 and 3 mm, V gouge 4 mm, U gouges 9 and 6 mm, plus a seventh blade. Japanese carbon steel that can be resharpened.
What the listing offers
- The listing gives blade widths: flat chisel 7 mm, large skew 7 mm, small skew 3 mm, V gouge 4 mm, large U gouge 9 mm, medium U gouge 6 mm.
- Stated as made in Japan, with blades of Japanese carbon steel forged by a Japanese blacksmith.
- Overall length is 180 mm (7.08 in) with a natural wood grip, and the listing says a dull edge is easy to resharpen.
Limits to know
- The listing describes woodblock printmaking and wood carving; linoleum is not mentioned.
- The only V gouge is 4 mm, so there is no fine-line V tool of 1 to 2 mm, and no strop or case is listed.
Pick 3 · KAKURI
Kakuri Japanese carving tool set, 5-piece
See price on AmazonThe five-tool version of the Kakuri set, made in Japan: flat chisel 7 mm, skew 7 mm, V gouge 4 mm, medium U gouge 6 mm and small U gouge 3 mm. A compact way to try long-handled Japanese tools on lino or wood.
What the listing offers
- Five shapes with stated widths: flat chisel 7 mm, skew 7 mm, V gouge 4 mm, medium U gouge 6 mm and small U gouge 3 mm.
- Made in Japan from Japanese carbon steel, which the listing says is easy to resharpen when the edge dulls.
- Each tool is 180 mm (7.08 in) long overall, with a grip of natural wood.
Limits to know
- Sold for woodblock printmaking; the listing does not mention linoleum or soft carving blocks.
- Only one V gouge, 4 mm wide, and no large U gouge for clearing: the 7-piece set adds a 9 mm U and a small skew.
Pick 4 · 三木章
Mikisyo Power Grip V tool, 1.5 mm, single
See price on AmazonA single Power Grip V tool, 1.5 mm wide, model 84015. The blade is a two-layer structure of steel and iron in a wooden grip. This is the fine-line tool to add when a set stops at a wider V.
What the listing offers
- A 1.5 mm triangular (V) blade, inside the 1 to 2 mm range used for fine lines and outlines.
- Blade material is stated as special steel with a double layer structure of steel and iron.
- The grip is wood: the listing gives sakura for blades of 9 mm or less. Model number 84015, a Japan import.
Limits to know
- One tool only: it cuts lines, so a U gouge for clearing has to be bought separately.
- The V angle and the overall length of the tool are not stated in this listing.
Pick 5 · KAKURI
Kakuri Aogami #2 carving tool set, 10-piece
See price on AmazonTen hand-forged tools in Aogami Blue Paper Steel #2 laminated with soft iron, made in Japan and supplied in a canvas roll. The listing names linocut among its uses. A set for committed carvers, not a first step up.
What the listing offers
- Blades are Aogami Blue Paper Steel #2 laminated with soft iron; the listing states a hardness of HRC 60 or more.
- Each blade is individually hand forged by Japanese blacksmiths, and the set is stated as made in Japan.
- Ten blade shapes, including 9 mm and 3 mm flat chisels, a 9 mm skew and a 7.5 mm scoop, in a canvas roll case; linocut is a named use.
Limits to know
- Ten tools is far more than a linocut needs to start: a small V, a small U and a wide U cover most work.
- Solid forged blades must be kept sharp by the owner, and no strop or sharpening stone is listed with the set.
Pick 6 · Mikisyo
Mikisyo Power Grip U gouge, 1.5 mm, single
See price on AmazonA single Power Grip round U gouge with a 1.5 mm blade, made in Japan. The tool is 14.5 cm long with a wood handle that can be held in the palm for more force. Useful for fine texture and narrow clearing.
What the listing offers
- A U gouge with a 1.5 mm blade; the title gives an alloy steel and iron blade and a wood handle.
- The tool is 14.5 cm long, and the listing says the handle can be held completely in the palm for more force.
- The listing states plainly that the tool is made in Japan.
Limits to know
- The listing talks about wood carving only and does not mention linoleum or soft blocks.
- A single narrow gouge: at 1.5 mm it will not clear large areas, so it complements a set.
Pick 7 · Mikisyo
Mikisyo Power Grip carving set, 3-piece
See price on AmazonThe smallest Power Grip set: three tools made in Japan by Mikisyo, sold in a paper box. The listing gives the steel but not which three shapes are inside, so check the product photos before ordering.
What the listing offers
- Country of manufacture is stated as Japan, and Mikisyo is described as a Japanese cutlery manufacturer.
- Material is given as special full surface double layer steel.
- A three-tool set packed in a paper box, the smallest Power Grip set among these picks.
Limits to know
- The listing does not say which three blade shapes or widths are included.
- No handle material, tool length or intended material (lino or wood) is stated.
Read before you buy
More gear for the carve the block stage
Inked Block chooses every product independently from what its Amazon listing states. We may earn a commission from the links above. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.