When tidying my JOAS Tanteidan Magazines, I discovered a special edition that members used to get – one issue in particular has 2 terrifyingly complicated models I have not (to my surprise) ever tried:
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.wonko.info/365origami/wp-content/uploads/1113ShoreCrab.jpg?resize=764%2C1167)
This is Hideo Komatsu’s glorious “Shore Crab”, an amazing but intense design that is described in a fascinating sequence of diagrams. They are involved, number 194, and involved many advanced techniques, and in retrospect I probably looked at it at the time I got it and mentally added it to my “try later” pile.
I started with a 50cm square of crispy Kraft, and adopted my usual fold it until it either fails or finishes.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.wonko.info/365origami/wp-content/uploads/1113ShoreCrabViews.jpg?resize=764%2C1670)
To my delight, the logical sequence and time to be accurate and careful resulted in a clean fold which I absolutely love. The resultant crab is plucky, has bulk (indeed, most of the paper is folded inside) and is just so anatomically crabby.
It takes great skill to design a model that closely resembles the silhouette of a figurative subject. It takes a special sort of genius in design to ensure that the model looks like the subject all the way around – the underside has all the features of a crab also – just brilliant.
I made a little clear acrylic stand that snugly slots into the crab’s carapace, enabling it to stand up like it is either walking or challenging and, I added some tiny spots of glue to keep seams from gaping all that was necessary to present the fold.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.wonko.info/365origami/wp-content/uploads/1113ShoreCrabScale.jpg?resize=764%2C638)
Experienced crabbers would, rightly, say it is a little small and I should probably throw it back, but this one goes straight to the pool room.
Pretty spiffy Peter, pleased you got that one out the crabpot!