Doing some tree work with a Nata and a small axe (hatchet) Best funny story related to trees in the comments gets pinned. buymeacoffee.com/lemongrasspicker Domo
My kids help me cut firewood and we use log tongs to pull logs off a pile. I put my youngest in charge of "hooking" the next log and she started calling it "the hooker". It is now the running joke to call the person in charge of the "hooker" the pimp! hahaha It is crude I know, but so is cutting firewood and the kids don't particularly like it. Making grueling, hard work somewhat comical lightens the mood! We also nicknamed our Log Ox, Bucky.
I always enjoy your videos. I do have 2 pieces of advice. I think you could save a lot of energy to stabilise the loosd branches. It will reduce the springyness, to maximize the force applied to the branch. Also, i think the nata shines the most as a sidebranch removed against the grow direction before using the axe to chop the bigger branches into smaller chunks.
I dig the Natas; this coming from a axe junkie. When I was initially transfered out here to Tokyo I envisioned myself hitting up all the trade shows and kanemono. Put it on the back burner, until I had a castle gifted to me from a colleague, that received it an inheritance. I already own a place in Shibuya and Komazawa, but I really wanted something outside of the city, and against my better judgment accepted it. My wife would rather die than live in the country with the peasants, so I figured wth I'm a Western male, I enjoy cutting stuff, I'll go out on weekends and do yard work. I pick up some tools from the ; I can't figure out the word for "hardware store" but I think it could be kenchikuzai. Head out to the place, pick up the Nata, and really had no desire to use anything else. I am absolutely not a fan of hatchets, and I'll never really use anything smaller than a boys axe, but the Nata was perfect for it's intended purpose. Idk if its due to my hatred for finger loppers, but I'd take a Nata over a hatchet literally any day.
Thankyou! Nata, that's the name I've been looking for over the last few years. I've seen them or equivalents on Grandpa Amu's channel and have never known what it's called to find one.
Glad to see you still posting! Have learned a lot from you. Wondering how the luthier thing is going and if we will se any videos on the topic in the future
The luthier thing was good for a short time. But it was burning me out and wasn't very healthy for me. I put it on the farthest back burner. I doubt I'll come back to it honestly. But I have many other interests that I'll be working on for the channel that frankly are more approachable for alot of people.
I recently cut up a bradford pear tree at my in-laws' using a cordless Skil chainsaw but definitely used the pruners and my small hand axe a bunch too. The axe made very quick work of the small branches and twigs that would otherwise get in the way of chainsawing. Looks like the nata would perform well in a similar role.
I recently just removed some smaller trees growing with a ryoba. There wasn't much room and wouldnt have had space for any chopping. Sawing went pretty fast, maybe it would have with you as well. A ryoba on fresh green wood works far better than expected
Thank you for the video today. I saw some very nice Y pieces that would work great for slingshots and some pieces that would make nice walking sticks. Did you save any pieces for making walking sticks or slingshots? If you are like me you have a pile of both that you will likely never get done, but it is fun to have the pieces just in case. Of course, fire wood is good too. Have a great day.
I would love to save some for slingshots and tool handles and such. But I have some other ideas for some of the larger pieces down the road. Slingshots are a blast though
Cool comparison! You might like the fiskars brush axe which is my favorite machete like tool. I believe it would have done a better job on most of that than either of those.
I enjoy the visual quality of your video. Bradford pear wood is pretty; I've worked on some with lovely figure. Very interesting comparison between the tools. I get it about the tedium of sharpening. The hatchet has a servicable edge that appears to last. The nata looks corroded, maybe pitted. If the flat side were smoothed out, the glancing problem might not be an issue. Processing those branches is a job to a good end, filling the raised beds.
Thanks for watching and for the compliment. The wood definitely has alot of potential and I may save some of the largest pieces for projects down the road. The Nata is actually sharp along the edge, the pitting is on the non edged portion.
I'd personally take a nata over a hatchet. For some of those thicker cuts though, I think a small gomboy saw would be quicker. You comment about being right handed, to do the diagonal cut, you swing from left to right, like a backhand.
Can't help but think that the best compromise hand tool for doing what you were doing is what Dad always called a limbing axe. Light, thin, cuts like a dream, penetrates deeply on bigger "branches" and lops small springy bits clean, even when it needs sharpened. The thing is when I try to find one online, I can't find it under limbing axe. It comes up under Swedish clearing axe. Eh, whatever. All that said, I'm guessing you could have processed down same amount of wood you did in about half the time with a light duty/homeowner, gas chainsaw like a MS170 chainsaw. It might have annoyed the neighbors if it was really early morning, but there is something to be said for a power tool when it comes to getting the job done quickly.
You're absolutely right. When it came to actually felling the tree oddly enough I used the exact saw you mentioned. I'll see what I can find for one of those axes as they sound interesting
I use a sickle to take off the small branches. The Nata looks like it would be similar. Loppers for everything they fit and the saw for anything else. Chopping things to length is too much work!
My kids help me cut firewood and we use log tongs to pull logs off a pile. I put my youngest in charge of "hooking" the next log and she started calling it "the hooker".
It is now the running joke to call the person in charge of the "hooker" the pimp! hahaha
It is crude I know, but so is cutting firewood and the kids don't particularly like it.
Making grueling, hard work somewhat comical lightens the mood!
We also nicknamed our Log Ox, Bucky.
That is fantastic lol
I love to see you posting again. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us. I can't wait to see what you do next.
Thank you for watching!
I always enjoy your videos.
I do have 2 pieces of advice.
I think you could save a lot of energy to stabilise the loosd branches. It will reduce the springyness, to maximize the force applied to the branch.
Also, i think the nata shines the most as a sidebranch removed against the grow direction before using the axe to chop the bigger branches into smaller chunks.
You are absolutely correct on both points. Thanks for watching!
Just a reminder - pear can make beautiful lumber... :)
Yes it can and it will
I dig the Natas; this coming from a axe junkie. When I was initially transfered out here to Tokyo I envisioned myself hitting up all the trade shows and kanemono. Put it on the back burner, until I had a castle gifted to me from a colleague, that received it an inheritance. I already own a place in Shibuya and Komazawa, but I really wanted something outside of the city, and against my better judgment accepted it. My wife would rather die than live in the country with the peasants, so I figured wth I'm a Western male, I enjoy cutting stuff, I'll go out on weekends and do yard work. I pick up some tools from the ; I can't figure out the word for "hardware store" but I think it could be kenchikuzai. Head out to the place, pick up the Nata, and really had no desire to use anything else. I am absolutely not a fan of hatchets, and I'll never really use anything smaller than a boys axe, but the Nata was perfect for it's intended purpose. Idk if its due to my hatred for finger loppers, but I'd take a Nata over a hatchet literally any day.
Love to have you back on UA-cam!
Love to be back. And thank you for watching
Pretty interesting process indeed, dude! Thanks for sharing! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thankyou! Nata, that's the name I've been looking for over the last few years. I've seen them or equivalents on Grandpa Amu's channel and have never known what it's called to find one.
Glad to see you still posting! Have learned a lot from you. Wondering how the luthier thing is going and if we will se any videos on the topic in the future
The luthier thing was good for a short time. But it was burning me out and wasn't very healthy for me. I put it on the farthest back burner. I doubt I'll come back to it honestly. But I have many other interests that I'll be working on for the channel that frankly are more approachable for alot of people.
I recently cut up a bradford pear tree at my in-laws' using a cordless Skil chainsaw but definitely used the pruners and my small hand axe a bunch too. The axe made very quick work of the small branches and twigs that would otherwise get in the way of chainsawing. Looks like the nata would perform well in a similar role.
I recently just removed some smaller trees growing with a ryoba. There wasn't much room and wouldnt have had space for any chopping. Sawing went pretty fast, maybe it would have with you as well. A ryoba on fresh green wood works far better than expected
Thank you for the video today. I saw some very nice Y pieces that would work great for slingshots and some pieces that would make nice walking sticks. Did you save any pieces for making walking sticks or slingshots? If you are like me you have a pile of both that you will likely never get done, but it is fun to have the pieces just in case. Of course, fire wood is good too. Have a great day.
I would love to save some for slingshots and tool handles and such. But I have some other ideas for some of the larger pieces down the road. Slingshots are a blast though
Cool comparison! You might like the fiskars brush axe which is my favorite machete like tool. I believe it would have done a better job on most of that than either of those.
I do like the look of that tool! I may pick one up someday. Thanks for the suggestion!
I enjoy the visual quality of your video. Bradford pear wood is pretty; I've worked on some with lovely figure. Very interesting comparison between the tools. I get it about the tedium of sharpening. The hatchet has a servicable edge that appears to last. The nata looks corroded, maybe pitted. If the flat side were smoothed out, the glancing problem might not be an issue. Processing those branches is a job to a good end, filling the raised beds.
Thanks for watching and for the compliment. The wood definitely has alot of potential and I may save some of the largest pieces for projects down the road. The Nata is actually sharp along the edge, the pitting is on the non edged portion.
I'd personally take a nata over a hatchet. For some of those thicker cuts though, I think a small gomboy saw would be quicker. You comment about being right handed, to do the diagonal cut, you swing from left to right, like a backhand.
I did try that and still got the little "glancing" action every now and then. Just a different tool than what I'm used to
Can't help but think that the best compromise hand tool for doing what you were doing is what Dad always called a limbing axe. Light, thin, cuts like a dream, penetrates deeply on bigger "branches" and lops small springy bits clean, even when it needs sharpened. The thing is when I try to find one online, I can't find it under limbing axe. It comes up under Swedish clearing axe. Eh, whatever.
All that said, I'm guessing you could have processed down same amount of wood you did in about half the time with a light duty/homeowner, gas chainsaw like a MS170 chainsaw. It might have annoyed the neighbors if it was really early morning, but there is something to be said for a power tool when it comes to getting the job done quickly.
You're absolutely right. When it came to actually felling the tree oddly enough I used the exact saw you mentioned. I'll see what I can find for one of those axes as they sound interesting
Use a bow saw half the work in half the time.
Wish I had one lol
I use a sickle to take off the small branches. The Nata looks like it would be similar. Loppers for everything they fit and the saw for anything else. Chopping things to length is too much work!
Or a foldable saw which cuts anything in seconds.