Japanese Nata, Japanese Woodsmen tool.

transmaster

transmaster

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`I just ordered this from Amazon. A Japanese made Nata, made by Silky, which in Japan is called a Japanese hatchet. They come in 2 versions a single bevel, and a dual bevel edge, and several different sizes. I selected the double bevel version, with a heavy 9.5" blade. Looking at how versatile the Nata is I wonder what Bushcraft masters of the 19th Century would have thought of them. When I watch them being used on YouTube the Nata was doing a better job than a small belt axe could, not only cutting down small trees but splitting them into kindling for the cooking fire.

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transmaster said:
`I just ordered this from Amazon. A Japanese made Nata, made by Silky, which in Japan is called a Japanese hatchet. They come in 2 versions a single bevel, and a dual bevel edge, and several different sizes. I selected the double bevel version, with a heavy 9.5" blade. Looking at how versatile the Nata is I wonder what Bushcraft masters of the 19th Century would have thought of them. When I watch them being used on YouTube the Nata was doing a better job than a small belt axe could, not only cutting down small trees but splitting them into kindling for the cooking fire.

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In Japan they're called a nata, not a Japanese hatchet. They do have actual hatchets, but nata are a separate class of tools. Nata overall are really more akin to European billhooks, as many nata have hooked blades and not all billhooks have hooked blades. In Italy they have a similar family of tools known as manaressi (singular "manaresso") that can basically be thought of as "all-purpose cleavers" not limited to butchery work.
 
An interesting detail of the Silky Nata is the scales. They are removable and you can get replacement blades if needed. From my point of view the removable scales means you can easily take it apart for cleaning. This Nata would be a great tool or breaking down a deer or Elk (Wapiti) carcass for transport. Your knifes get really soaked doing it. Being able to take this Nata appart would make for easy cleaning and sanitization, the Sheath is heavy duty plastic and would be equally cleanable.
FortyTwoBlades said:
In Japan they're called a nata, not a Japanese hatchet. They do have actual hatchets, but nata are a separate class of tools. Nata overall are really more akin to European billhooks, as many nata have hooked blades and not all billhooks have hooked blades. In Italy they have a similar family of tools known as manaressi (singular "manaresso") that can basically be thought of as "all-purpose cleavers" not limited to butchery work.
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You can take this argument up with the Japanese sites that sell them. They describe the Japanese Nata, as either a hatchet or a axe.

Here is an example from Daitool

As Japan is mostly covered with forest, axes are a vital tool in Japan’s forestry and agricultural industries. The traditional Japanese axe is called a nata, and it’s similar in design to machetes sold in the west, with a few key differences. Japanese nata axes are traditional Japanese tools designed to clear forests, cut down and strip trees, and chop wood. They have a long, single-sided blade and a straight handle. In the hashi-tsuki style of Japanese axe, the blade has a hook at the end, making it ideal for stripping branches, twigs and bark off of wood, and protecting the blade from damage when it hits the ground. Japanese axes often have replaceable blades, making them simple to keep as a lifelong tool. A Japanese axe is a must-have for anyone looking for a top-quality, versatile and multi-functional cutting and chopping tool.
 
transmaster said:
An interesting detail of the Silky Nata is the scales. They are removable and you can get replacement blades if needed. From my point of view the removable scales means you can easily take it apart for cleaning. This Nata would be a great tool or breaking down a deer or Elk (Wapiti) carcass for transport. Your knifes get really soaked doing it. Being able to take this Nata appart would make for easy cleaning and sanitization, the Sheath is heavy duty plastic and would be equally cleanable.

You can take this argument up with the Japanese sites that sell them. They describe the Japanese Nata, as either a hatchet or a axe.

Here is an example from Daitool

As Japan is mostly covered with forest, axes are a vital tool in Japan’s forestry and agricultural industries. The traditional Japanese axe is called a nata, and it’s similar in design to machetes sold in the west, with a few key differences. Japanese nata axes are traditional Japanese tools designed to clear forests, cut down and strip trees, and chop wood. They have a long, single-sided blade and a straight handle. In the hashi-tsuki style of Japanese axe, the blade has a hook at the end, making it ideal for stripping branches, twigs and bark off of wood, and protecting the blade from damage when it hits the ground. Japanese axes often have replaceable blades, making them simple to keep as a lifelong tool. A Japanese axe is a must-have for anyone looking for a top-quality, versatile and multi-functional cutting and chopping tool.
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A nata is a nata. It is not another tool. You said it was called a hatchet in Japan. It is called a nata in Japan because it's a nata. They are a distinct class of tool without a commonly-known English counterpart. When marketing them to English-speaking markets they describe it as hatchet-like because that is the closest well-known counterpart that is used in similar roles that a common layperson is likely to know. Even in the billhook-loving UK, billhooks are no longer an especially common tool, or at least not so much as hatchets are.

Japan has actual axes. Those are "ono" 斧/アックス, not "nata" 鉈/なた.

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I have been studying this, the Japanese axe as we know it in the West, is called a ono, or a masakari, the cleaver/machete version is the Nata and is used like our hatchet, or belt axe, there are numerous versions of the Nata. Sadly there is not much history written about the Ono's, or Masakari, or about any of the utility blades. Warrior Monks carried axes of a 15th European design into battle, a monk could not be a Samurai so they could not carry swords. Western style axes came in use about the time Portuguese contacted the Japanese in 1543. Sword makers had to make a living and commissions for new samurai swords were few and far between. The bulk of their business was making utility knives, and agricultural tools. I can just see the gleam in the eyes of Japanese swordsmith watching a Portuguese ship's carpenter cutting wood with a European carpenter's axe. The battle axe was considered a dishonorable weapon by the samurai. A Samurai, especially a Ronin Samurai was paid by the head. At the end of the battle they would present the heads they took to the War Lord for payment, it only counted if they were taken by a sword. You do see illustrations of Samurai with battle axes in hand but that is an honorific symbolizing this Samurai is a Daemon killer.

This illustration shows some of the designs, as you can see most are of the European "bearded axe" style.

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Again, nata are more similar to billhooks in their usage. The comparison to hatchets is only for laypersons not familiar with non-American-centric kinds of cutting tools. They're relatively short in most cases and used primarily on targets that would actually be a bit challenging for American hatchets due to their comparatively slow acceleration and thicker geometry. Many nata have forward-curved blades with or without distinct hooks at the tip, and many of them are single-beveled.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Again, nata are more similar to billhooks in their usage. The comparison to hatchets is only for laypersons not familiar with non-American-centric kinds of cutting tools. They're relatively short in most cases and used primarily on targets that would actually be a bit challenging for American hatchets due to their comparatively slow acceleration and thicker geometry. Many nata have forward-curved blades with or without distinct hooks at the tip, and many of them are single-beveled.
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That is the way I take the description, it works like a hatchet. If I tell a friend I just ordered a Japanese Nata I will get a blank stare. My Grandfather had a WW1 Marine Engineer bolo machete it was so heavily built, it could quickly chop down trees, its use reminds me of this Nata. I thought about getting a single bevel but I like how the covers are set up on the Silky. In the YouTubes on the Silky Nata they also featured the Silky Saws PocketBoy 170mm very good reviews, I noted it on the Baryonyx site and I ordered it. It will go in my Amatuer Radio. "Bug Out Bag", along with the Silky Nata.
 
I tossed up between the silky and the skrama. And eventually went the skrama.

It will be interesting to see how the sulky goes.
 
The coining of an ono is not done in a cross like I did, but only in the upper part of the eye, where it is straight.
 
I have been watching the YouTube about the Silky Nata. The are available in single (right handed) and double bevel blades. At first I was unaware this Nata had such a choice. Watching the YouTubes when chopping wood branches and small trees, the double bevel did a much better job, but the single bevel grind did a marginally better job on kindling, as long as you were right handed.
 
The main reason for single-bevel nata in most cases is snedding work, as it allows for a cleaner cut when pruning branches.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
The main reason for single-bevel nata in most cases is snedding work, as it allows for a cleaner cut when pruning branches.
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I noticed that. The Bushcrafters building survival shelters in the deep forest used nata's or hand axes to strip branches l from the logs for dugouts they were building.
 
Drop bear said:
I tossed up between the silky and the skrama. And eventually went the skrama.

It will be interesting to see how the sulky goes.
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I have both. Love both.

Nata better for batoning IMO. Nata handle has a bit more vibration dampening. And my Skrama handle started to split, but Skrama to their credit took care of it.

Both incredible tools, and incredible value for money.
 
I think this is a good place to mention another Japanese tool I use. I bought it at a Farm and Ranch supply store in Kona, Hi. They called it a Japanese Sickle but it is a traditional shaped billhook to me. Now I use other traditional bill hooks, but this one is the best ever ! It will slice through a 3" palm frond stem with one quick pull using the hook. It also chops as well as a hatchet for pruning trees. The sticker on it was marked- NOBORIGAMA No.73, 6", 190, Made in Japan. It is made of a very hard laminated steel (San-Mai) I did not like the haft, so I made my own design from local Koa wood. I made a sheath from some old 4" fire hose. Fire hose makes great edge tool sheaths and is free. All you need besides the hose is some thick scrap leather for a belt loop and to close the end and some copper leather workers rivets. Old fire hose can be had free from fire stations, wildland fire fighters, etc. because they have to replace the hose at a certain age for safety reasons.
 
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