SOTW #1 - Sharpening a Nata (variation of a Japanese brush knife)

grandpa has a half dozen variations of these ancient tools and keeps going back to them despite having newer ones on the shelf...the old ones are hand forged and very thick and sturdy, with an integral rope-wrapped handle and lots of heft...the style can vary from a slightly curved bamboo hatchet shape to a sickle style with deep brush tip...i started with a fairly coarse synthetic stone and then went to a fine natural Japanese finishing stone...shot near Sasayama.

this tool makes a great charcoal chopper if you are using properly cooked softwood that still has lots of strength left in it!