Saw - Kobiki

Japanese: 木挽 - こびき

The people who were anciently called soma (somabito, somaudo) later differentiated technically, and those involved in felling trees became known as sakiyama, while those involved in lumber processing became known as kobiki. This differentiation is said to have become evident from the early Edo period. While sakiyama tended to be organized in their activities, kobiki worked almost exclusively alone. Their job was to cut the timber felled by sakiyama into beams and then fashion them into square timber for boards and rafters. This occupation flourished as saws were improved, but declined with the spread of mechanical saws in sawmills.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

古く杣（そま）(杣人（そまびと∥そまうど）)と呼ばれた人たちは，その後技術的に分化して，その伐材にあたるものを先山（さきやま）といい，造材にかかわるものを木挽というようになる。その分化は江戸時代初期から顕著になったといわれている。先山が組織的な活動が多いのにくらべ，木挽はほとんど単独で就労した。彼らは先山の伐採した材木を玉（たま）に切り，さらに板，垂木（たるき）の角材に仕上げることを仕事とした。のこぎりの改良にともなって盛んとなったのであるが，製材所の機械のこぎりの普及とともに衰微した。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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