Genno Hammer

Japanese hammers - genno or kanazuchi - are, just like so many tools from Japan, a bit different to their western siblings. For starters, they're beautiful, simple and elegant. These ones (but not all) have octagonal heads, with flat sides, so one can hammer from the side rather than just the face. One end of the head is flat, the other slightly convexed, for fine finishing. The handles are Japanese white oak (Quercus myrsinifolia - you should know that by now) and they're longer and thinner than one would expect, leading to a finely balanced hammer suitable for nailing and chiselling.