<![CDATA[BladeForums.com - Axe, Tomahawk, & Hatchet Forum]]> http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/ Hawk Talk at its finest! en Sat, 25 May 2013 17:57:08 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/images/misc/rss.png <![CDATA[BladeForums.com - Axe, Tomahawk, & Hatchet Forum]]> http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/ Axe RESTORATION business ? http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071770-Axe-RESTORATION-business?goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 12:42:57 GMT Hi all,

I'm just getting interested in Axe and Hatchets. I live in Maine and I have property/Woods on which I live. Now that my health is getting better (loosing weight) I am spending a lot more time in my Woods learning to play Jeremiah Johnson despite being 58 years old. At any rate, I have an old Axe that I bought some time ago from a Yard Sale. I can't find any marking on the Axe Head but, it looks (kinda) old'ish. The Head is 6.5" across/wide (measured from center of blade to back) with just a tad over 4.5" cutting blade surface. This HEAD appears to be pretty heavy and measures a bit less than 1.5" at the back/thickest part. The old wood handle (which appears to be in good shape) is 32" long. The HEAD is loose on the handle. My question, is it worth (cost wise) having an old Axe like this restored ? Might there be someone who I could send this Axe to be examined and if found to be good, restored without costing me a small fortune. Please note, I am NOT a "handy man" type of guy to do this kind of work myself, nor do I have the tools/knowledge to do this type of repair at this time. Oooh, if it makes any difference, I am 6'3" tall and presently weight in at 265 lbs. (and loosing). Goal 235-240 lbs. Point being, I should be able to swing a somewhat heavier Axe without too much trouble. I'm looking for (if it exist) an "all around" Axe. Thanks for any help/suggestions.

Regards,
HARDBALL ]]> HARDBALL http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071770-Axe-RESTORATION-business handing a head straight on a crooked handle? http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071668-handing-a-head-straight-on-a-crooked-handle?goto=newpost Sat, 25 May 2013 01:29:32 GMT I ordered a couple new "hand select" handles online and they all seem to be shaped crooked near the top. It it possible to get the head hung straight with the handle this off center?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7401555...0140/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7401555...3046/lightbox/ ]]> drew2 http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071668-handing-a-head-straight-on-a-crooked-handle Western Hatchet Model Question http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071585-Western-Hatchet-Model-Question?goto=newpost Fri, 24 May 2013 21:07:39 GMT One of the items I collect is Western knives and hatchets. With respect to the hatchets, I have found F10, R10, L10, W10 models of the smaller hatchet, but have only found F14 versions of the larger hatchet with the "I-Beam" shaft. Not a peep on there being L14/R14/W14 versions.

Did Western ever make these 3 versions or was the F14 the only x14 produced? ]]> zzyzzogeton http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071585-Western-Hatchet-Model-Question Neat History Assignment http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071511-Neat-History-Assignment?goto=newpost Fri, 24 May 2013 17:08:47 GMT I wish I could post the link, but it is a homepage of a business enterprise, and that might be against the rules. Maybe I can post the picture. Anyways, on this web page, they mention a girl who had a history assignment; something on frontier history, I guess. The teacher allowed her to forge... I wish I could post the link, but it is a homepage of a business enterprise, and that might be against the rules. Maybe I can post the picture.

Anyways, on this web page, they mention a girl who had a history assignment; something on frontier history, I guess. The teacher allowed her to forge a hawk in lieu of submitting a written assignment. I think that is pretty cool. That would have been so cool, if I could have forged a tomahawk in American History, instead of writing a paper.



The story is from somewhere around Sandpoint, ID. I am going to keep my eyes peeled and see if there are any pictures of the finished project. ]]> redsquid2 http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071511-Neat-History-Assignment Yet another custom Axe recommendation post - Dane Axe with engravings http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071403-Yet-another-custom-Axe-recommendation-post-Dane-Axe-with-engravings?goto=newpost Fri, 24 May 2013 05:29:52 GMT I've seen a few people recommended through the forums, but I haven't seen any that truly strike me as having done what I want.

So I'm getting married in two months, and in exchange for me wearing a suit, I get to cut the cake with axe. Awesome right?

I don't just want any axe. I want a big, beefy Dane axe (or a short-bearded axe). Key word is big...I'm a 6'3 fat axe (get it?), so I'd ideally like something that's at least ~ 5 feet long with a hefty head. Heavy and thick would be awesome.

On that same topic, I want it to be usable. Not because I ever intend to use it, but because I feel better about stuff I buy if I could potentially use it should I need to. Irrational, I know, but it is what it is. Iron head with steel blade is pretty much a requirement.

To add one last requirement...I want some cool ceremonial Norse-style carvings on the head. I'd love to be able to hand this down to my kids and grand kids and have them appreciate (or humor) my weird taste in things. I want it to look awesome hanging in our entryway.

I'm not averse to spending 500 or more dollars on it...I just want it to be really, really cool. I'm also not unwilling to have it sent to an engraver who specializes in norse carvings if I can find the right axe.

So...am I nuts in what I want? Do any of you guys have any suggestions? Tips can be rewarded with beer, payable in person in the LA area.

Thanks in advance for any advice! ]]> bigmike82 http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071403-Yet-another-custom-Axe-recommendation-post-Dane-Axe-with-engravings My First Broad Axe, Collins http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071330-My-First-Broad-Axe-Collins?goto=newpost Fri, 24 May 2013 01:13:22 GMT I am stoked. I just got my first broad axe. Its a Collins & Co Hartford. I am gathering a few different axes for a log blacksmithing shack. Anyway the head is a Collins & CO, Hartford. Looking on yesteryeartools.com, it is very old. Her dimentions are 12.5" bit, 9" poll to bit and 6.8#. The bit apperars to have factory sharpening, no BS. And it rings like a bell when you thump it.

It needs a handle now. What kind of dimentions should I shoot for? I need to know length, and how much off-set. What do you experts think? Thanks for your time.


]]> jmh76 http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071330-My-First-Broad-Axe-Collins Hawk vs Spike for Camping/Bushcraft Tomahawk http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071153-Hawk-vs-Spike-for-Camping-Bushcraft-Tomahawk?goto=newpost Thu, 23 May 2013 15:50:05 GMT So, I know this issue has been discussed before, but I wanted some feedback on specific uses for each in a camping or bushcraft scenario. I have a Coal Creek Forge hawk with a hammer poll that I love, but I don't really see much of a use for the hammer when camping. What do I ever really need to hammer in the woods, ever? Tent stakes?

Would a spike be more useful in the woods? I haven't really used one myself, but I imagine it would work well for digging or any occasion you may wish to "set" the hawk in a log to stabilize the blade for some usage.

Around home, I totally see the hammer winning. But in the back country, is the hammer really of much use? What specific uses do you have for each in this (backcountry/woods/etc) setting?

Thanks for your feedback! ]]> Golanv http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071153-Hawk-vs-Spike-for-Camping-Bushcraft-Tomahawk Big Task Ahead http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070925-Big-Task-Ahead?goto=newpost Wed, 22 May 2013 22:20:42 GMT This is my first thread in the AT&H Forum thought this might be of some interest.

I recently had three trees cut down around my house. Two were 100 footers, and one was 40' (after top half broke off in a storm a few years ago). I had the tree guy cut the two larger trees into rounds but I will be doing all of the splitting myself. The catch is I do not have one of those fancy gas powered log splitters. Here are some photos of the task I have ahead, the tools I will be using, and my progress so far.

DSCN4528 (1024x768).jpg
I have estimated the total number or rounds between 150-160, the largest measure about 28-32" in diameter, and account for about 1/2 of the total rounds.

DSCN4527 (1024x768).jpg
Size reference.

DSCN4530 (1024x768).jpg
Third tree and shortest, I will have to "round" this one myself, I will be using a chainsaw.

DSCN4525 (1024x768).jpg
The tools I am using include a Harbor Freight 8lb Maul. I re-profiled the maul's edge, it was so thick from the store it just bounced off of the rounds, now it splits with relative ease. The other tools include a single bit axe and a double bit axe brands/makes unknown (been in the family for 3 generations).

DSCN4524 (1024x768).jpg
My progress after two days roughly 8 rounds split up. My goal is to finish by July and average 6 rounds per day.
Attached Images
]]> Dave Behrens http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070925-Big-Task-Ahead <![CDATA[I need to AXE a question about FISKAR's]]> http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070908-I-need-to-AXE-a-question-about-FISKAR-s?goto=newpost Wed, 22 May 2013 21:33:51 GMT Hi all,

Is it possible to find/buy "made in FINLAND" Fiskar's tools such as the X7 size Hatchet or for that matter, the Fiskar's BRUSH Axe, or, are all their products now made in China ? If "made in FINLAND" products are available in the U.S., where might they be purchased ? Thanks for any help.

HARDBALL ]]> HARDBALL http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070908-I-need-to-AXE-a-question-about-FISKAR-s Council Tool 1.75# Hudson Bay Axe W/ Protective Sheath http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070863-Council-Tool-1-75-Hudson-Bay-Axe-W-Protective-Sheath?goto=newpost Wed, 22 May 2013 18:27:02 GMT I'm sorry for the crappy cell phone pics, just got it in the mail.








Overall length is approx 17.5''; I look forward to putting it to work this weekend. ]]> cory1337 http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070863-Council-Tool-1-75-Hudson-Bay-Axe-W-Protective-Sheath Corneta machete Nr.66 by Weyersberg Solingen http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070811-Corneta-machete-Nr-66-by-Weyersberg-Solingen?goto=newpost Wed, 22 May 2013 15:32:18 GMT

This vintage Corneta machete from the '50's or '60's of the previous century was made by Weyersberg in Solingen, Germany.
Later the brand was sold to South-America, i think to Imacasa.









The machete was completely unsharpened when i bought it, but when i saw it's tapered blade and felt the balance i just knew it had to have a good edge.
Reprofiling was done on the Tormek and refining to a slightly convex and razorsharp +/- 30 degrees inclusive edge on the grit 60 & 180 Rubber Wheels.
The chromed blade is quite flexible and the steel is both harder as well as more wear resistant than previous machetes i've sharpened.
One of these days i'm going to find out what it can do.

Specs:

Overall length: 21.3 inch (54,0 cm)
Blade length: 16.0 inch (40,7 cm)
Blade thickness: tapering from 2,25 mm before the handle to 1,25 mm just before the point.
Steel: chromed carbon steel
Handle material: Natural horn with brass rivets
Weight: 307 grams ]]> kwackster http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070811-Corneta-machete-Nr-66-by-Weyersberg-Solingen New Hawk http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070738-New-Hawk?goto=newpost Wed, 22 May 2013 05:34:18 GMT Hawk by Wade Hougham and sheath by me. Notice hawk is sewed in one side and out the other .All the way through the wood with sinew, bottom is sewed and wrapped also. Enjoy. KT Hawk by Wade Hougham and sheath by me. Notice hawk is sewed in one side and out the other .All the way through the wood with sinew, bottom is sewed and wrapped also. Enjoy. KT
Attached Images
]]> kid terico http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070738-New-Hawk <![CDATA[Review: Barco "Cruiser" Ax]]> http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070664-Review-Barco-quot-Cruiser-quot-Ax?goto=newpost Wed, 22 May 2013 01:43:21 GMT The following was posted on Peter Vido's blog, AxeConnected.





Earlier this year we ordered a two-pack of double bit "cruiser" axes from the Barco company in Pennsylvania; one for a fellow ax user in Nova Scoti, the other for us to test out and review.

First of all, let me say that I consider this ax to be very unique. I'll elaborate on that, but for now, some of my first impressions:

Barco's description of their axes sounds very impressive. They don't say too much on the specific product descriptions, but the implication is that these are US made

From their website:
"These are the finest quality US made axes available. The Kelly Perfect® features a full polished head with deep bevels to reduce binding of the head in the wood, painted a distinctive blue, while the Kelly Woodslasher® line is painted red with polished edge."

Although I hope that this company would not deliberately mislead their customers, at this point I am doubtful about the origins of this cruiser ax.
The most obvious thing to cause my suspicion that these "Forged with pride in the USA" axes are imported -- the heads are not stamped with any name or trademark, or even weight. The heads do have a faint "BARCO / WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES USA / 08 1" printed on one face.
(Gee, thanks for reminding me, where did I leave those safety goggles that I always wear when using an ax...?) As soon as the red paint is removed, the only mention of USA is gone with it. If one of the last remaining ax manufacturers in the US was proud of their product, don't you think they would be sure to leave a prominent trademark, one that will speak to the quality of their axes in years to come?

Back to the ax (whatever the origin), that "2 1/2 lb. Kelly Woodslasher Michigan double bit cruiser" from Barco.

Taking a closer look at the one we kept, it seemed worthwhile to document how the edges had been ground. Or over-ground, I should say. The edge had been rather unevenly ground, too much taken off at the top and bottom corners, one corner nearly burned and a big burr left on the edge.



Peter spent half an hour thinning down one of the faces to the kind of edge we keep on our felling axes, which is thinner than the standard these days, but nearly on par with how the old fellas in these parts liked their axes. He didn't file right up to the corners, but the top right one already looks as though it's had too much metal removed.



We hadn't done anything to the handle by this point; I could already tell that, at 20mm, it was thicker than I would like to use (though admittedly thinner than most conventional ax handles these days), but it wasn't a "club", so Peter suggested that I try it out as is.

Heading off to the woods to give it a test run, I felled a small green fir tree and then quickly hewed a short piece of the trunk.



The thick handle bothered me, and I felt like it should have been longer for the weight of the head, but overall, I was pretty pleased with the little cruiser by that point. Impressed with how clean a hewing job it did, I was already thinking about the review I'd be giving it; if not glowing, at least pretty positive. Well, that was before I went to limb the few small branches…

About three-quarters of the way along the length of this little tree, something felt wrong. There was a bit of swearing involved when I looked at the ax; the edge had gotten both chipped off and bent over -- "rolled" is the proper term, I believe. Going back over the length of the tree, I and located the largest limbs, all of which were smaller than 1/2 an inch in diameter.



This is where I started feeling that I was in possession of a pretty unique little ax; I've never before heard of this happening. I am by no means knowledgeable when it comes to steel quality and forged tools in general, but I was under the impression that edge tools can sometimes be too hard, causing the steel to chip, or too soft, causing it to buckle or bend over. Never seen both at once though…

Here's a closer look at the edge. Unique, all right! ;)



I had taken another ax along that day, a 2 3/4 lb. Swedish military surplus single bit on a 27" handle, with the edge filed down the way we like them. So before heading back home, I felled and limbed another fir with that one. The edge remained intact…

Then for good measure I chopped down and limbed a third tree using only a kukri knife, a new one that a good friend had kindly sent for us to test out. The edge on this kukri was thinner than others I'd seen, but when put through the same treatment as the cruiser, it passed the test with flying colours, no damage whatsoever.



Thus I suspect that it can't have been only those 'tough' branches that were to blame…

At Peter's suggestion I took the cruiser out again later on, this time using the opposite face. I had taken the burr off and smoothed the transition between the micro-bevel and the rest of the face but did no actual re-shaping. With it, I managed to take down a small green beech (with a great deal of effort, since the edge had virtually no penetration ability, unsurprisingly).

The next day Peter removed the damaged edge on the first face, leaving a thicker profile. By this time I had gotten tired of using that handle the way it had come from the factory, so I took a rasp to it and pretty much just removed the lacquer, then smoothed it down with a piece of glass.

I happened to think of taking photos of the labels on either side of the handle before removing them.



Good thing too, this one had a very important message, as I was soon to find out.



Not as thin as I'd like, but it sure felt better after being slightly flattened, with the lacquer removed.



Then I headed off into to the woods and picked a medium-sized poplar to test it out on.



I was nearly done notching it, when I took another swing and the handle came back empty, with the head lying in the snow at the base of the tree. I just stared in disbelief. Nope, I hadn't overreached and hit the handle; that fine American hickory just couldn't take the combination of the soft green poplar wood and the girl swinging it. (Weren't these cruisers supposed to be used by grown men?)



The "wear safety goggles" is still faintly visible; now I understand... Shouldn't they have added "wear steel toe boots"?



I'd be interested in hearing some opinions on this one; have you ever seen such a porous-looking hickory?



Another thing we realized once the handle broke was that the wood was amazingly light, not even close to the weight of normal hickory. If we take Barco's word that the handle was USA hickory, not some strange Chinese wood that looks like an Aero Bar on the inside, then our tentative conclusions are that this wood had dry rot.

Okay, but we didn't give up on this ax yet; Peter knocked the remaining broken handle out of the eye, and quickly fitted it with a thiner (18mm) 30" maple handle. This time I tried splitting some firewood with the original (thick) face. This ax does not have an optimal splitting profile, but it worked fine with the "flick" technique I use.




Then, with that new maple handle, I headed off to see what damage I could do next. Taking along the Swedish military surplus ax again, I did some comparisons of the chopping efficiency. Not a real fair comparison, but the Swedish ax's extra weight and the Barco's (now) longer handle balanced out a little bit.
I took down a pair of dying poplars, trying to make an unbiased comparison of the effort expended, then did the same with two larger firs. (One more strike against this "USA" cruiser: the steel has much poorer edge retention in comparison to all of the other axes I've been using; I could hardly believe how fast it dulled even while bucking poplar with no knots.)



The Swedish ax won, hands down. I chopped the trees down in approximately 1/3 less time, and as I limbed each of their respective firs, the Swedish ax left much cleaner cuts, while the cruiser tore the bark surrounding the limbs.






I wasn't happy with the edge on the cruiser (the one that had been thinned, damaged, filed off and left thicker) so in the spirit of second chances, Peter filed it down again, though not quite as thin as the first time. Again, I chopped down a couple firs, then carefully limbed them. Whew, no damage. Then I took down a tiny (green) fir to use as a pushing pole for the larger trees, and started limbing the 1/4" diameter branches. Whoops, there goes another piece of the edge! A few more cuss-words and I headed home, since I hadn't taken a back-up ax along that time.

That was the end of my using this ax for the time being. During the time that I was testing the Barco cruiser, I'd also been doing some chopping with several other axes of adequately thin edge profiles, none of which ever suffered torn edges and broken handles. I might add that the maple handle is still intact, after being put through tougher treatment than the hickory one lasted long enough to endure...

So, would I recommend this ax to anyone based on my experiences? Com'on, now, do I really have to answer that one? ;) ]]> Sparrow92 http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070664-Review-Barco-quot-Cruiser-quot-Ax MagLite Hawk holder http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070654-MagLite-Hawk-holder?goto=newpost Wed, 22 May 2013 01:12:03 GMT I'm sure this has probably been covered before but as I was digging through my misc. box O' man stuff :p I came across my old D cell MagLite belt holder. Sure enough, it fits the woods hawk very nicely! :cool:

]]> erik the red http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070654-MagLite-Hawk-holder Sweet Spot Index Calculator for Percussive Tools http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070304-Sweet-Spot-Index-Calculator-for-Percussive-Tools?goto=newpost Tue, 21 May 2013 00:25:49 GMT Here's an open Google Doc where you can try making the calculations. I think I've got it setup right, but if you think something is amiss please let me know.

To use, find what you consider to be the sweet spot on your chopping tool by repeatedly striking a solid surface. Use a line of tape to mark the upper and lower boundaries of the sweet spot. Measure from the lower boundary of the sweet spot to the tip of the tool and enter the measurement in the column marked "⇞". Next, measure from the upper boundary of the sweet spot down to the point where the tool pivots in the hand. Enter this value in the column marked "⇟". Lastly, measure from the point of pivot all the way to the tip of the tool and enter this value in the column marked "L". Your sweet spot length ("▢"), Concentration Factor, Raw Score, and Diluted Score will all be calculated for you.

]]> FortyTwoBlades http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1070304-Sweet-Spot-Index-Calculator-for-Percussive-Tools