Come down and visit Granitesurf today along the front in St Peter Port at the Guernsey Arts Seafront Sunday - Platinum Jubilee 10 -5pm
Happy Valentines Day from #granitesurf
If you need the perfect present for the surfer / handplane enthusiast in your life our Gift Card is available here now - https://granitesurf.gg/gift-card/gift-card
Lots of big waves and love from Guernsey
Granitesurf - Born in Guernsey
Upcoming events - The BamBooBay UK Bodysurfing Championships 2021 and the Euro Bodysurf England 2021 – Fistral Beach, Newquay have published the new dates after postponing in September.
They are to be held on 13th - 14th November 2021
More info - https://www.surfingengland.org/bamboobay-uk-bodysurfing.../
Saturday 28th August 2021 the wind was promising a 20mph NE and the swell had a reasonable period and was lining up for a great downwinder on the SUP. To the north of Guernsey lies the baliwick island of Alderney. A friend with a Rib and another as driver were lined up and we departed at 10am. With the wind over tide the first 5 miles out of the harbour were challenging for the rib and green waves were caught a few times! After 1 1/2 hours we arrive in Longis Bay on the east coast. Hot sunny and sheltered we relaxed took a walk around and had lunch. Departing at 3.30 pm we started the 23 mile SUP back to Guernsey heading south! The swell had swung more north and the wind dropped to about 8mph so it was always going to be a long slog and not so much of a downwinder!. Half way you cannot see Alderney or Guernsey and the nearby rib was a welcome comfort. The swell pushed us further south than desired so 5 miles out a hard slog across swell and side wind put us on course for a sundown finish 4 hours after the start at Bordeaux on the east coast of Guernsey. An epic day and great to explore new lands. Some great bays were spotted for returning with handplanes and obviously the travel options would be easier than taking a 14 ft SUP race paddleboard! Roll on the Autumn swells! Jersey next!
Living on Guernsey is an outdoor lifestyle. I am always in the sea surfing, handplaning, swimming or SUP. At other times I am running and cycling around the many interlinked roads and pathways that criss-cross this beautiful island. Every time I am out I find something new that I have not seen before. A new view and glimpse of the sea, a new green lane or ruette tranquille (lane with 15 mph speed limit) or just seeing a wave break in a new location due to the state of the tide. I love discovering new aspects of the island and it is the same as when I am shaping new handplanes and working with wood. Even though I use the same type of wood, Cedar, for the handplanes every piece is different in its grain pattern and aesthetic. It is not until I start working the wood that the real soul and beauty of the wood begins to show itself and makes its Granitesurf Handplane totally unique and a pleasure to own. I am currently shaping a new Hanois (our longest handplane) for a customer and the grain is stunning. If you would like your own unique piece of Guernsey please get in touch ready for the Autumn swells! Mahalo.
With the Olympics currently taking place in Japan I thought it would be a good time to discuss the link between Granitesurf and Japan!
Although the Hand Planes are designed and hand made in Guernsey I have found over the years that the sharpest and most refined tools to shape and finish the cedar wood are made in Japan. These tools have been designed to create the finest finish and are made to such a high quality, just like the handplanes that they help to create.
Traditional woodworking in Japan has a history of detailed craftsmanship and the tools that they use are well known for their quality and precision. Japanese woodworkers are taught that every cut is important as every cut is permanent (‘measure twice cut once’ is a phrase we use a lot in the workshop).
At Granitesurf a range of Japanese hand tools are used -
Japanese Pull Saw - These have very thin sharp blades that produce a precise clean cut in the cedar. The long handle (looking like a samurai sword handle) provides great control of the tool and unlike traditional western hand saws the cut is produced on the ‘pull’ stroke instead of the push. They are a joy to use and help the connection with the material whilst shaping the initial handplane profile. I could use a machine tool such as a bandsaw for this task however I love the connection that using a pull saw provides with the wood.
Japanese Hand Rasp - Most of the shaping of the hand-plane outline, the refining of the rails and producing the rocker underneath uses this versatile tool. The multi cut rasp allows rough shaping to take place without tearing the wood fibres, even across the grain. Each rasp has a rough cut and a smooth cut side to produce an excellent rough shape to each handplane. The final shape is then refined and finished using various grades of sandpaper before sealing with natural Tung Oil.
Japanese Block Plane - This simple looking tool, once set correctly, provides the most finest of cuts and removes small slivers of wood to refine the handplane rails.
Although not a tool I use when making handplanes the short video below shows the craftsmanship and care that goes into making Japanese hand tools ( I do own a pair of these garden secateurs!!!)
Video - Hand Forging Niwaki Secateurs
I hope this gives you an overview of the tools that I use when hand shaping the range of Granitesurf Handplanes and my link to the Olympics and Japan!
Great day at the Arts Seafront Sunday event here in Guernsey. All models of the Granitesurf Hand Planes were on display and loads of interest. Great location along the front in St Peter Port with Castle Cornet in the background.
Testing Granite handplanes today at a stunning Vazon reef.
Welcome to the new website for Granitesurf.gg
Please have a look around and get in contact if you have any questions.
It has been an amazing few months putting the range together and we are really looking forward to finally launching!
Granite Handplanes - Born in Guernsey