Japanese Ono (hatchet)

SBranson

SBranson

Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
2,912
I know it's not a knife but it's handmade...

I've been working on my blacksmithing skills trying to get a better handle on the foundation work and this was something I've wanted to try.

The profile was cleaned up on the grinder but the sides are as forged and boy it was hard to keep that tapered hole from drifting (pun intednded haha) to one side. I had to make up the drifts and that alone was a task, considering I'm trying to figure this out from youtube videos. I probably should've made 3 drifts as you can see that the hole got a little elongated. It only goes down about 1/4" like that though.


The body is 4140, left over from an anvil top anvil and hammer I made. Starting from a piece of 2 1/2" round you can imagine the amount of forging it took to get to this shape. I forge welded in a bit made of 1095 and the handle is white oak (grain oriented properly). It works quite well and feels pretty good. I'm still trying to figure out if the design has much in the way of merits over a more traditional head other than looking cool..:cool: (as a general use hatchet other than for it's original intended purpose, that is)
You can make out the forge welding in the second pic.
It weighs in a 828g or 1lb 13oz.


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Thanks for looking.
 
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Wow--nice work, Stuart. I can see how that would be a learning experience, which you seem to gravitate toward--much to your credit.

When you strike with the lower part of the beard only, is the feeling the same as when striking with the solid area of the bit, or does it tend to glance/vibrate more or have other unusual characteristics?

Thanks--interesting stuff. :thumbup:
Will
 
Nicely done.
This tool has quite a history.
It was one of the major carpenter's tools to shape pillars and beams, used since well before the rural era.
Thanks for sharing.
 
I haven't found much of that Will. I did have to change the haft a little as down in the bearded area, if the wood didn't split then the pieces could hit the haft. It seems fine now. I've mostly been chopping up small stuff for the fire but I figure that's what I will use it for anyway. It sure splits better than a knife though..

@ fujita yuji... I enjoy this video of a master hewing timber.

[video=vimeo;14029518]http://vimeo.com/14029518[/video]
 
that's friggin cool.
I dig this piece A LOT!

SBranson said:
I haven't found much of that Will. I did have to change the haft a little as down in the bearded area, if the wood didn't split then the pieces could hit the haft. It seems fine now. I've mostly been chopping up small stuff for the fire but I figure that's what I will use it for anyway. It sure splits better than a knife though..

@ fujita yuji... I enjoy this video of a master hewing timber.

[video=vimeo;14029518]http://vimeo.com/14029518[/video]
Click to expand...
 
That is super cool Stuart! I love bearded axes, and that one is as sweet as they come. :thumbup:
Great video too.
 
Yep I can see that would have been quite a bit of hammering out ! I like it very much. The vid is real cool. Thanks for sharing this.
Cheers Keith
 
nicely done. I've only handled one original, and that looks like a very nice implementation. I don't think they were used for chopping firewood like a western hatchet.
 
Thanks for sharing amazing video, Mr. Branson.
As few craftsman has skill to handle this tool today, to see Yoki build outside of my country is even more surprising!
 
I'll bet it throws pretty good.
 
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