Mulberry & Walnut Kanchireba Side Table

Solid live edge mulberry top featuring wedged through tenon joinery locking the top to the solid walnut reverse tapered base (original and unique to Philomath Woodworks).

 

Proprietary Philomath LinBee Finish - a natural blend of  linseed oil and Montana beeswax (for more details please see LinBee product page).

 

This table is in my Kanchireba series. Kanchireba is Japanese for cantilever. In this series, the base or "Chushin" (meaning center, heart, core, focus) is intentionally offset, creating a dramatic tension between the chushin and the inherent energy of the live edge top.

 

Mulberry wood is prized by furniture makers and revered in Japanese culture. Often used to make wooden objects for the traditional tea ceremony, Mulberry leaves are used to feed silkworms, as well as the pulp base for making traditional handmade Japanese paper (Kozo) used in shoji, andons, scrolls, and printmaking. Mulberry from the Japanese Izu islands is one of the worlds most expensive woods

 

Original and unique to Philomath Woodworks is the use of wedged mortise and tenon joinery. This joint marries the tapered base to the live edge top. Woodworkers around the world have used the mortise and tenon joint for thousands of years to join pieces of wood, mainly when the adjoining pieces connect at right angles, which also gives an attractive look. The mortise and tenon joint is considered to be one of the strongest joints next to the common dovetail joint, and is difficult to make due to the precise and tight cutting required. In its most basic form, a mortise and tenon joint is both simple and strong. I then go one step further by chiseling a second mortise into the through tenon that then accepts a wedge. The wedge locks the top to the base in a beautiful display of simplicity and craftsmanship.