NATA “Hand-Axe” by SILKY Saw

The Editor tries out a new product from these Japanese master cutlers...

Introduction

SILKY saws are manufactured in Ono Japan, some say; “The home of the finest cutlery steel known to man.”
SILKY has been crafting fine wood cutting saws for over 100 years! In 1970 the invention of the automatic saw setting machine created a significant revolution in the development of saws and SILKY was the first to adopt this process. In 1980, SILKY created and patented a proprietary saw setting process that provided a remarkable improvement in sharpness. In 1983, a unification of the company occurred and the SILKY name was applied to all products.
In 1985 the first SILKY was introduced featuring the rubber-clad handle and received the coveted Japanese Good-Design prize and is also used in the new NATA machete.
SILKY has long set the industry standard for folding saws and it’s not often that I will be out hunting without one in my pocket.
I expect the new NATA will be a great product as well...

Technical

By using a special high frequency heating technique called impulse hardening, teeth of the SILKY saws are heated instantly and then hardened. Because of this localized heating process only the teeth of the blade are heated and hardened; the remainder of the blade is still flexible and not brittle. The hardened teeth are harder than an ordinary file and stay sharp about three times longer than non-hardened teeth.
SILKY uses a similar technique to harden its new stainless steel alloy machetes or hand-axes that it has called NATA. There are two different blade types. The single-edge with a chisel grind and a double-edge with a symmetrical grind as this one was that I was testing. The single edge (for a right handed user) is claimed to cut deeper but I suspect extra care may be needed so as not to “bounce” out from loose brush if cut on the other side of the blade edge. SILKY say the single edge is designed for cutting branches while the double edged blade is better for splitting wood.
The NATA is being produced in three sizes; 150mm, 210mm and 240mm. I had the biggest one to try out.

In the field

The first job that I used the Machete on was cutting some large dry Manuka for the fish-smoker. Now some of this was around 80mm thick and very hard, as a dried out hardwood can be, and I would normally use the SILKY Pocketboy saw for the task. But I wanted to give the machete a good work out and I must say; I was suitably impressed. Small Manuka up to about 20mm diameter was chopped with ease and the machete worked just like a razor sharp axe on the larger branches.
The semi-square tip of the NATA helps put the weight-forward and gives good balance plus the rubber handle gives great grip and takes almost the entire “jarring” effect, that machetes can have, out.

Track cutting is where this piece of top-notch equipment comes into its own. It is fast and deadly – I mean it! I was with a track-cutting party working in the Kaimanawas one day when the guy behind me split his dog’s head open with the machete when it slipped off the side of a tree and the dog was following too closely. The dog survived, just, but was never the same after that.

The NATA comes with a hard ABS plastic sheath with a quick release, snap-on belt loop attachment.
After a good few hours of use the blade didn’t show the slightest dulling and cleaned up without even a blemish.

Conclusion

A good machete/axe is a real asset around camp and not just for cutting wood either. You can do everything from digging rubbish holes to building shelters or clobbering possums.
The NATA is a machete that works like an axe.
It splits wood very easily and I’d have no problem using it to split an animal down the backbone.
I thought that my ex-army machete with its hardwood handle, tear-drop shape and heavy plate-steel was pretty good but the NATA by SILKY leaves it for dead!
Branches do not “slip” off the end and the rubber grip is so much better for grip and comfort.
The smaller sizes would be an excellent choice if weight was an issue.
If there was one negative it’s the sheath.
The blade taps against the inside when
carried, which is annoying if you’re out
hunting. However, I quickly fixed that with a small piece of closed cell foam jammed down inside it to support the blade end.
Believe me; you can draw in stags during the roar when cutting tracks as the steady noise does attract them.
It’s when cutting tracks that the NATA really comes into its own and if someone followed with a SILKY saw for the bigger branches they’d cut a track almost faster than you could walk beside them!

Another beaut product from SILKY of Japan.
RRP $130 - $180

For more information contact the
NZ SILKY distributor: Grant Bryan,
Allendale Garden Products,
Tel (03) 5476874, www.allendalegp.co.nz