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Case Study: Making a Hon-Yaki Nata
Nata (屶, directly translated “mountain sword”, or 鉈) come in various sizes and shapes, but the type most familiar in the west does the duty of a light brush hatchet or heavy camp knife. Common characteristics include thick spines and heavy blades, often with single beveled edges similar to Japanese wood chisels. This type work…
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Antique Hatchet Restoration
When I have time, I enjoy restoring old tools back to a more useful and beautiful state. The most fuel, energy, and time intensive part of making an axe from scratch is punching or forge welding to form the eye. When quality antique axe and hatchet heads can be found in scrap piles or at…
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You Need A Japanese Swordsmith’s Hammer
Three reasons why *you* need a Japanese swordsmith’s hammer for forging knives. Size – the small face is better suited for working on a narrow target, keeping the hammer from hitting the anvil as the bevel gets thinner Weight – though the face is small, the long body carries the weight of a much larger…
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Hybrid Hori Hori
An all aluminum fusion design based on a tool favoured by bonsai gardeners and micro farmers alike.
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Aluminum Hori Hori
An intergral version of the classic mountain gardeners’ tool rendered in cold forged aluminum.
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Cutler’s Hammer
A discarded sledge hammer head finds new purpose as a specialized bladesmithing hammer for heavy hand forging. A Japanese style smithing hammer is a specialized tool for forging thin, flat surfaces such as blades and saws. It has an off-centre weight distribution below the handle and is mainly used on one face (the back is…
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Saya Nomi
A piece of high carbon agricultural steel turned into a specialized Japanese wood chisel for carving the interior of a scabbard. A saya nomi is a special type of wood chisel for carving out the inside of a wooden scabbard and handle. It has a longer shaft with an offset and curved corners for cutting…
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Alder Froe
An ancient tool used for splitting cedar into planks and shakes, made from a reclaimed leaf spring and alder driftwood. A froe is a splitting tool for making cedar bolts into shakes or even planks. It is held cutting edge down against the top of the block and struck with a wooden mallet into the…
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Woodlands Bent Knife
An experimental rawhide wrapped version of a traditional Woodlands bent knife for carving paddles and canoe components. This is a one-handed draw knife based on the woodlands crooked knife design and construction. The knife is gripped palm up with the thumb resting along the crooked part of the handle, blade facing the user with flat…
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Lilac Handled Kiri
A hand planed lilac handled traditional Japanese hand drill for woodworking operations requiring fine control. This piece was the answer to a need for a woodworking project we were creating for our home. The agricultural steel came from my great grandfather’s tractor shop in northern Alberta and the handle is a hand planed lilac branch…