The beak

I'm fashioning a tool. It's such a primal thing to do and I'm reveling in the doing of it.
I found an elbow of rhododendron root as I was hand-sawing down the massive multi-trunked thing in order to build a whare rau, and recognised it as a useful piece. I have for a long time now, wanted to make a wooden digging tool in the manner of early man. I've a stout branch lined up to become a ko, but wanted a hand tool as well, something for unearthing spuds and cultivating after peas. This root was perfect, so I cut it, weighed it in my hand and found it to be good. This morning I took to it with an adze and shaped it to fit and tapered the point. There was not a lot of science behind my work, but it's a simple tool. I then rasped it with the mother of all rasps that I found in my son's workshop. Now, the wooden tool is resting. I'm keeping it out of the light and cool, so that it doesn't split. Perhaps I should wrap it in a damp cloth. Once it's seasoned, I'll finish it off with a rough paper and take it out for a trial. At least I can be sure I won't cut or stab myself with it, as I have with just about ever steel tool I own. It's not that I'm maladroit, but over time, little slip-ups do happen.

Roughed-out with the adze

Post-rasp

Right arm post-adzing.