Mokko Wood Studio - #07-29

Booked this basic Japanese carpentry course back in June. Been worth the 4 months wait for the course. Alvan is a great sensei! Patient in his teachings and explanation. The fundamentals of Japanese carpentry are explained and demonstrated. I can't get enough of his teachings. 3 days is too short in my opinion. A bit rushed. Maybe Alvan can start a professional course in Japanese carpentry! ? Great job Alvan and his intern Weibin! Truly enjoyed my 3 full days!

I really enjoyed to be able to work with my hands and learn the basics of such a great art as Japanese woodwork. The course was perfectly structure... enjoyed every minute of it, and got to value the amount of thought and dedication that is put into good furniture. This course not only open the doors to a beautiful hobby, but to appreciate the patience put into the process of making a simple piece as a tool box, from understanding your own tools, strength, state of mindset... Thank you Alban! Thank you so much to give me back the energy to keep good design and have trust in ones work! Only downside, the course was too short, haha. Was tiring yet so rewarding! ?

Alvan, through the beginner Shokunin course, provides a glimpse in to the amazing world of Japanese wood working. Alvan is a great teacher - very patient, knowledgeable and helpful. He provides great insight in to the philosophy of the craft. Through this course, you begin to understand the work ethic and why Japanese carpentry is considered to be best in class. I personally found the class to be therapeutic - focusing for hours at a time on the task at hand, aiming to be as close to perfect as possible. Thank you Alvan. I look forward to using the skills I learnt in my own projects and also to joining the next class at the earliest opportunity.

First and Foremost I would like to thank Mokko Wood Studio for creating this opportunity for individual who are keen in Japanese carpentry but could not learn it anywhere else in our local country. It is quite a rare opportunity to find a remarkable mentor who is willing to spend their time and patience in guiding us in creating a master piece and tools which we can called it our own. Alvan and Wei Bin has been a remarkable mentor which I would called them a perfect mentor who are not only skilled in their craftsman but are also skilled in their super patience and marvelous guidance throughout the whole 3 day course. This 3 day course has been the only kind of course I have been super satisfied and felt that this course has been a fruitful one. Friends made in different industries has also been a bonus where we are able to share the laughter and sweat altogether. This Course has taught us all the precious of one profession tools in each industries that it is unique in all ways. Such as tools being specifically craft out by one Shokunin (Craftsman), it has many define meanings to them. Once again, I will highly recommend Mokko Wood Studio for individual who is really keen into Japanese carpentry to learn from them the skills and knowledge! I will Guarantee that this course will be priceless and worthwhile to attend! Thank you once again Alvan and Wei Bin! Will be looking forward to your upcoming course :)

I came to Alvan - Mokko Wood Studio to learn more about woodworks and maybe in future I can build my own table. In this course, I realised that building a table perhaps isn't as simple as it is, getting the square right etc. But, I have to admit that Alvan does a very good and patient job, explaining the importance of every step and hence the 3rd day we built our own tool box without much problem. I am most impress with the sharpening of the blade for the Kanna. I have never sharpen a blade nor knife so seriously before and the results only bring smiles to our faces. Thanks for your patient teaching and now we all have a skill to bring home!

I attended the 3-day Shokunin Beginner workshop conducted by Alvan and the experience far exceeded whatever expectations I could have had. Alvan is extremely dedicated as a craftsman and educator, showing genuine eagerness to share more about the craft with the participants even way beyond what was required of him. This workshop is suitable for both beginner and intermediate woodworking enthusiasts, as Alvan has the skill and knowledge to accelerate the growth of an intermediate maker, but also the patience and experience to break down different concepts to a beginner in a fun and engaging way. My biggest takeaway, beyond the skills and techniques of woodworking, is the spirit and respect towards craft / tools / material, which I feel is very applicable to other forms of craft as well. (And maybe even applicable to life as well).

I had such a great experience spending 3 full days away from my full time job to attend woodworking classes at Mokko Wood Studio. I work in tech but I’ve always had an interest in building something with my own hands since I was a child, and being in the beginner Shokunin class was a great way to rekindle that passion, especially during these trying times with the pandemic keeping our options to explore new things very limited. Alvan is so patient, and very knowledgeable in his craft. Some parts of the class was a bit challenging, but I came out at the end feeling very accomplished for what we were able to create. On top of the practical lessons, Alvan had so many beautiful stories to tell, and it was inspiring to learn from someone who is this passionate about what he does. I really admired his positivity and discipline in his craft. I came out of the class with a kanna we sharpened and tuned with our own hands, a beautiful, traditional Japanese toolbox that now holds the great memories I had in the studio, new friends, and a newfound respect for toolsmiths and woodworkers. Joining this class also reminded me to be mindful of the smallest of details, and it was a healthy change of pace and way of thinking especially when you’re always drowned in a fast-paced environment. It was such an honour learning from Alvan and his team, and I am now looking forward to making more progress in my woodworking journey. If you are looking to learn something new and meaningful, I highly recommend enrolling in classes at Mokko Wood Studio. ??

An experience that can't be found anywhere else. Alvan is a patient teacher who is always willing to teach, guide and help us through anytime during the course. It is an awesome course should one be interested in Japanese Carpentry. As a participant of the Shokunin beginner course, I was introduced to the basics of the tools that the Japanese carpenters used. Brand new Kanna (Japanese hand plane) was given to us and we had the opportunity to learn how to prepare and tune the tool to become our own. Personally, the first two days was a little difficult due to the constant flattening, sharpening and polishing of the blades of the Kanna. The process of flattening, sharpening and polishing of the blades can be quite tough and somewhat tedious due to the repetitive motions. It is also quite tiring for the fingers. The third day was most exciting as it was when the Kanna were adjusted and tuned to work on the wood. It was definitely satisfying once the tool that took two days to prepare is finally in action. If there were any cons in this course, it would be the duration, 3 days is definitely not enough to cover all the basics of Japanese Carpentry. It was tough on the limbs and might leave you 'paralyzed' for the weekend after the 3 day course. However, it was my most satisfying, inspiring and accomplished course that I have attended. Definitely worth the time and money.