Ootsuki-Nomi Japanese Hand Made Slick Chisel By Ouchi Ⅲ - 48mm

Smith name: Ouchi Mitsuaki (大内光明)

Steel: White Steel #2

Jigane: Watetsu

Blade width: 48mm

Blade thickness: Blade Bottom(about 12.30mm)；The blade near the bevel（about 5.90mm）

Weight: 735g

Blade Angles: about 20°

Total length: 570mm

Neck length: 121mm

Blade length: 110mm

Types of wooden handles：Ebony

Accessories：—

Additional Information:  Lightly used and in great overall condition, with only minor surface rust. Sourced from a retired miyadaiku (shrine carpenter) in the Kansai region—the same craftsman behind the two recently listed Sakata planes.

This chisel is preliminarily attributed to the 3rd-generation Ouchi. According to historical records on the 4th-generation Ouchi’s blog, after the passing of the 2nd generation in Showa 43 (1968), the official Ouchi stamp configuration was updated to include "宗家 (Soka) / 大内 (Ouchi) / 登録 (Registered) / 柏印 (Oak leaf crest)." Since this chisel lacks the "宗家" mark, it points to an earlier period. Additionally, the "正朝 (Masatomo)" stamp at the very bottom of the blade is likely a wholesaler (tonya) mark.

Forged from high-grade watetsu and Shirogami #2 (White Paper Steel No. 2). During my test-sharpening, the steel showed exceptional feedback—even at an acute bevel angle of 20 degrees, the cutting edge retains an impressive balance of hardness and toughness without chipping. It has only undergone a fundamental sharpening session; please sharpen it further according to your personal preference before putting it to work.