a head that has a slightly curved striking face while being flat. The curve is quite faint and I will mark the hammer with a marker on the side of the flat surface to easily distinguish the two faces. The handle is made of oak, not varnished or oiled. The hammer feels good in the hand and is well balanced with a weight of 14.1 ounces (300 grams). I liked the polished Japanese steel bezels. They are made in Japan by a Japanese company (Kakuri) with a tradition of handcrafted tools since 1946. That explains the high price. I recommend this KAKURI chisel hammer 300 g Japanese carpenter's hammer for chisel planer nail Sturdy Japanese high carbon steel Octagonal head Silver Made in Japan. Sweet tool! I hope you found the information and my review helpful.