Mokkó 木工 Alvan Koh

11/02/2025

狮城有约 | 独守匠心：榫卯木工
Honored to be featured on Singapore’s local Mandarin TV channel in a special news feature series on craftsmanship. Delighted for the opportunity to share my passion for woodworking!

05/02/2025

Interested in learning the art of Japanese woodworking? 🛠️

Our beginner course is the perfect introduction to traditional hand tools and essential techniques. From sharpening and tuning tools to crafting your own Japanese toolbox, you’ll gain hands-on experience in this time-honored craft.

No prior experience required, just a passion for learning!

✨ Course Highlights:
• Understanding Japanese vs. Western tools
• ⁠Tool sharpening with a Japanese stone (included)
• ⁠Setting up and using a 48mm kanna (Japanese plane)
• ⁠Developing skills in sawing, planing, and box layout
• ⁠Crafting a traditional Japanese toolbox

Join us and take your first step into the world of Japanese carpentry.

February class registration now open.
https://www.mokkowoodstudio.com/courses

28/01/2025

Wrapping up our January Beginner Shokunin Woodworking Course with another group of dedicated and enthusiastic students.

From learning the basics of hand tools to crafting their first pieces, everyone brought so much focus and enthusiasm. Big thanks to all who joined us this round!

Ready to give woodworking a go? Stay tuned—our next course is just around the corner.

27/01/2025

23/01/2025

Recently completed this petit-four box, created for a fine dining restaurant. Made from American cherry and adorned with a goma-gara Kumiko pattern, it’s designed to elevate the presentation of petit-fours—those delicate, bite-sized desserts that finish a meal on a sweet note.

06/12/2024

Meet Lehan's Writing Bureau—a bespoke piece made just for our customer Lehan.

This one-of-a-kind creation draws inspiration from old writing bureaus of the 1700s and 1800s, but gives the classic design a modern minimalist aesthetic.

We've stripped down the intricate Western style to its basic shapes letting the beautiful grain of American black cherry wood shine. Slim tapered legs add a touch of elegance.

Every creation we make is as unique as the customer it’s named after, and this one is no exception.

19/11/2024

There's something meditative about working on a kumiko panel – the precision, patience, and the way each piece fits together perfectly.

When the light hits just right, it casts delicate shadows that reveal the intricate beauty of the patterns. It’s a reminder of why we love this craft.

18/10/2024

As woodworkers, our tools are our lifeblood - the condition of our tools directly impacts the quality of our work.

In our professional workshop, we work with a variety of blades, each suited for specific tasks. And just like our work, sharpening is an art of its own. Different blades require different sharpening techniques, and we adapt to meet the needs of every project.

In this video, we're honing a Western Iron blade using the hollow grind method. This is just one of many approaches we use to maintain the precision needed for high-quality work.

⚒️ Hollow Grind Sharpening: A Simple Explanation⚒️

Imagine a Western Iron blade as a wedge. The hollow grind method involves grinding a concave shape into the blade's edge. This creates a thin, sharp cutting edge that can slice through wood with precision.

Here's a simplified breakdown:
1.⁠ ⁠Preparation: The blade is secured in a grinding jig at an angle which gives the tangent of the grinding stone to the bevel. .
2.⁠ ⁠Grinding: A grinding wheel or stone is used to remove material from the blade's bevel, creating a concave curve. This concave should be deep enough but yet shouldn’t reach the cutting edge.
3.⁠ ⁠Honing: A medium-grit stone is used to polish the edge and create a burr at the cutting edge.
4.⁠ ⁠Finishing: The blade is taken through a series of higher grit stones to give a smoother edge, and final removing the burr. The blade is inspected for sharpness and any final adjustments are made.

By creating this hollow shape, the bevel’s surface is greatly reduced, reducing sharpening fatigue and making sure we go back to work as quickly as possible.

10/10/2024

Throwback to an incredible project for one of Hong Kong's finest restaurants, AUOR, led by Chef Edward Voon. This 6-tray petit-four tower was custom-made to reflect the core philosophy behind AUOR’s design—where the numeral 6 and circles take center stage. 🌿

Inspired by the transformation of trees, the trays retain the natural grain orientation, preserving the story etched in the wood’s heart. Each piece is a nod to the harmony between nature and craftsmanship, bringing a touch of the forest into the heart of the city. 🌳

In homage to the beauty of nature, we affectionately named this piece ‘圆圆满满 Full Circle’.

21/08/2023

And it’s a wrap! I would like to thank for a wonderful week of chair making. It’s been a week of discovery for me to see Bern’s processes in chair making as well as in teaching. Bern is an excellent teacher, always patient in answering the ton of questions that I have. I highly recommend this course but you’ll either have to wait a year or sign up on his mailing list to sn**ch any last minute student cancellations.

21/06/2023

11/07/2022

Here’s the Kumiko knife box in actual use at