境木工は、家具産地大川の中でも一際目立つ技術をもつ職人集団です。
明治40年創業の100年を優に超える老舗企業は、伝統的な技術を持ちながら輸入家具も取り扱っています。
新しい商品を企画する際は、設計の柿内さんと何度も打ち合わせを行い、商品をじっくり作りこんでいきます。柿内さんは現場から設計までできるため、「困ったら柿内さんにまず相談する」という流れが出来るほど、信頼の厚い技術者です。そんな職人集団の中で柿内さんがもっとも凄いと推すのが龍さんです。
塗装職人の龍さんは、職人歴50年の大御所。家具業界に入った頃は、扉の組立をしていましたが、経験を積み、花形の塗装職人に興味を持ったそうです。技術がモノを言う職人世界で、龍さんは仕事の合間を縫って修行を重ねました。資材が無いときには、スプレーガンに水を入れて、ダンボールに線を入れる練習までしたそうです。
頭角を現すと塗装を任されるようになり、大川塗装技術コンクールで１～３位の入賞は当たり前の腕前に成長。
もはや家具職人では相手が務まらず、塗装業と腕を競い合っていたそうです。
ヘッドハンティングを受けるまでその技術は知れ渡り、現在は境木工にて最も大事な工程である塗装場を取り仕切っています。
そんな龍さんが塗装の工程で、一番大切なのは研磨だと教えてくれました。そして、垂れる寸前まで塗ること。（言葉に表すとシンプルだが、この感覚を掴むのが難しい）
様々な色を作り出しているが、高い技術でも難しいのは、グレーなどの中間色。濃淡や色合い、艶感に、その日の温度や湿度も影響するからです。
よく「これは何回塗りですか？」とか聞かれてしまうが、答えようがないと龍さんはにんまり笑っています。「だって1回塗りでも変わってくるんだ。腕の動かし方一つで変わるよ。」
じゃあどうやって塗っているんですか？と聞くと「ほぼ勘！」と答えられてしまいました。今は後継者を育成中とのことですが、この職人から技術を盗むのは一筋縄では行きそうにありません。

Sakai Woodwork is a factory that stands out in Okawa furniture production area for its craftsmen technology. An enterprise established 100 years ago, in 1907 that handles imported furniture while continuing with the traditional technology.
When planning for new products, the craftsmen will make arrangements with the designer Kakiuchi many times as necessary, in order to deliver a thorough product.
Since Mr. Kakiuchi can handle from the woodwork place to design, he is a trustworthy technician among craftsmen. "If you have a problem go and consult Kakiuchi-san first".
Ryu-san has a 50 years carrier as a painter craftsman. He entered in the furniture business to assembly doors, gained experience and got interested in flower-shaped painting. In the craftsmen’s world the skill and technology speak through the product so he repeatedly pursued his skills through his work. When he didn’t have paint, he will put water in a spray-gun and will practice on a cardboard. When he got skillful he was entrusted with painting and his skills got recognized at Okawa Paint competition where he won 1st to 3rd place. It seems that there was no longer a partner in the furniture industry to compete with, so he competed with the painting industry.
The technology was passed on professionals and now the painting department has an important role at Sakai Woodwork.
Ryu-san , including to his work policy , taught us that the most important step in painting (coating )process is the polishing process. You have to paint until just before the paint drips. (It is easy to say it in words but hard to get the grip of it) He did various colors but the most difficult one to come up with, even when using high technology, is the gray color. It is because that the temperature and the humidity for that day will affect its shade, color, and gloss.
He often hears the question “How many times this was painted? and the only answer is Ryu –san's smile. "You cannot know; might change even with one layer of paint. Even the hand movement might change the outcome".
Then how do you paint it? The answer is “almost intuition, feeling” Even though now he is training his successors, it is very hard to steal his skills and technology.