This dai was made by Inomoto Isao of Sanjo, Niigata a professional Daiya. This is set on a 8/10 pitch for one of my Tonchinkan planes. Inomoto's dais come about as close to ready to use as possible. He uses oil to set the blades instead of sumi as a carpenter would use. The daiya profession did not exist until the late 1800's when Japan hit a growth spurt in the Meiji era. Until that time, carpenters bought blade(s) and made their own dai. The blades were only roughly fit until sometime around the 1970's. Now plane blades are set to the last few millimeters in the dai, and bottom of the dai is trued. The grain pattern of this dai is of Oimasame (three sides straight grain), a premium grade. The only grade higher would be hand rived vertical grain, which I believe is not of modern availability. For reasons I am still not sure of, the front of the dai is stamped with both of Inomoto's stamps.
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