Displayed here are various tools used in wooden shipbuilding. Crafting a ship requires a multitude of materials, considerable labor, and extensive amounts of time, leading to the expression stating that ships are 'gathered' rather than merely 'made.' The process of assembling a traditional Korean ship begins with selecting and cutting the appropriate wood and then transporting it to the coast. You can see pre-cutting design tools, such as exhibits #17 "Ruler" and #15 "Compass," used for marking measurements and drawing lines on wood.

Numerous types of saws with various types of blades were employed when cutting the wood. To peel or smoothen the surface of the cut timber, tools like exhibits #4 "Plane," #6 "Spoke," #7 "Knife" were used, each serving a specific purpose. Subsequently, tools like exhibits #10 "Drill," #11 "Angle Bracket," and #14 "Iron Nail" were utilized to bore holes and connect the various wooden parts together during construction.

The shipbuilding tools vary greatly in size and shape, even within the same category, depending on their specific use. The process of building a large ship, starting from splitting the wood, drying and cutting the timber, and joining the pieces to complete the structure, showcases the hard work and skill required of shipbuilders. As you explore these tools, take a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship and labor that went into constructing the magnificent ships of the past.