A New Thread For Axes, Hatchets, Hawks & Other Striking Tools

[Scandi Grind]

Here are the test cuts. It wasn't mind blowing or anything, but it certainly worked better than it ever has. The smaller piece of branch was around 6 in. the larger about 12 in. in diameter. Probably took 5 and 20-30 min. respectively. The bigger piece was a bit more work 'cause I had to stand on the branch to cut between my feet then make two cuts to go all the way through.

All and all, I think I am pretty satisfied with the result.

[zuludelta]

Nice! What tree is that? Looks like a fairly dense hardwood.

[Scandi Grind]

You know, I am pretty bad with tree recognition, so I have no idea, but it feels pretty hard and I have blisters to support that theory, ha ha! I'll have to try and identify it as it is on my property after all. This branch has been setting there for some time now too, so I think it has gotten noticeably harder since I initially broke some of it down to get it off my fence.

[zuludelta]

Picked up a Silky Nata 240 recently & used it to delimb a Douglas fir that fell across a trail I frequently use. As I understand it, the traditional Japanese nata hatchet comes with a right-handed chisel grind, which makes it especially well-suited for cleanly chopping off branches close to the trunk, thus minimizing the risk of the delimbing site becoming a focus of infection in an otherwise healthy live tree.

Silky makes both a single-bevel/chisel-grind nata & a double-bevel/V-grind nata. It is the latter version that I picked up. Not as true to the traditional nata, but a better fit for my uses. I'm hoping that this nata can replace the Fiskars hatchet & the Jarosz Choppa that I usually carry along with my Silky folding saw for when I'm clearing trails of deadfall.

It really does feel & swing like a cross between a western hatchet & a big knife/short machete. Is it just as good as both tools? My first impression is that it chops significantly better than a big knife but not quite as well as a western hatchet, and it clears brush just as well as a big knife/short machete but its heavier weight means I can't swing it for as long before fatigue sets in. So it's a "jack of all trades, master of none" the way all multitools are. That said, I think some of that impression may be from my unfamiliarity with the nata design, and it's certainly possible that it will be just as effective for my uses as a western hatchet and a big knife/short machete as I spend more time using it.