Tataki-Nomi Japanese Hand Made Timber Chisel - 48mm

Smith name: unknown

Steel: Carbon Steel

Blade width: 48mm

Blade thickness: Blade Bottom(about 13.30mm)，The blade near the bevel（about 9.90mm）

Manufacture Era: The mid-Meiji period, around 1900

Weight: 250g

Blade Angles: 24°

Total length: 172mm

Neck length: 64mm

Blade length: 70mm

Types of wooden handles：—

Accessories：—

Additional Information: It has seen limited use and comes from the descendants of a miya-daiku (shrine carpenter) in the Tokyo area. I have restored and resharpened it, finishing the bevel with a natural finishing stone and sharpening the ura (flat back) to around 5,000 grit. The soft iron backing is softer than what is typically found in modern tools; it might be watetsu (traditional Japanese iron) without a distinct grain pattern, or soft iron imported from Europe during the Meiji period. While its style resembles that of the Hisahiro school of blacksmiths, the maker's stamp is illegible, so I cannot provide further details about the smith. Notably, its urasuki (hollow ground) shape differs from most chisels, closely resembling that of a plane blade instead. Regarding this feature, Mr. Tsuchida pointed out that this specific shape makes ura-dashi (tapping out the edge) much easier. In the era of fully manual production, uneven lamination was inevitable; for instance, the steel layer on the right side of this chisel is slightly thinner. Being able to perform ura-dashi effectively extends the service life of the tool.

A quick reminder: this tool is better suited as a paring chisel, as there is some forge-welding separation (delamination) between the steel and the soft iron on the right side.