The Seax

I've got two main thoughts, one is similar to the two finger whancliffe I did a while back:

wharn1.jpg

That's 4.75 inches OAL, snug and safe 2 finger bird's head grip

The other idea is a tapered handle similar to the pattern 2 necker, but with a slightlyu dropped edge seax blade.


For the big ones, I'm thinkin. If it's going to be a chopper, I'd honestly rather go flat sided 1/8 inch and 9 inches or so. It would be a seax, look seax like, and do a lot of similar chopping to the flat edge profilee southeast asian choppers- but a *touch* heavier in the blade. OTOH, if ti's going to be a.. potential anti-zombie device (or other undesirables) as well, go with a slightly less broad design, shoot up to a nominal 3/16 spine with some distal taper, and convex.

For the medium size, well. Your wharncliffe project is generating a lot of thought in me for how I'd do the modern seax style in a 3 inch instead of a 5.5 to 6 inch blade. The only real issue is that a wharnie by definition has ZERO belly, and I like the very slight belly on the modern seax blades. the slow curving spine is really nice, and I think it works better with the teensy bit of belly at the tip.
 
That 2 finger looks really good. I think a seax version would be a really nice design for a necker. If you did a pattern 2 model would it have a longer OAL? You don't want the necker to become cumbersome. I like the idea of a drop edge seax with pattern 2 handle, but I suspect it might need to be a bit longer than the bird's beak design--3 fingers?.

In re the choppers, I like the idea of a 9" (maybe 10" or 11"?) with a broad blade. For some reason, I think of a seax as having a broad blade. Straightish edge with a touch of belly. A chopper benefits from having some belly to focus the force at a point of the edge, maximize the psi at the start of the cut.
 
koyote said:
Your wharncliffe project is generating a lot of thought in me for how I'd do the modern seax style in a 3 inch instead of a 5.5 to 6 inch blade.
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How so? With the modern seax your handle seems to angle below the axis of the knife--a sort of drop handle--is that right? If so, why do you do that and how does it affect the function of the seax? Very intriguing.
 
The handle angles downward a bit, though not as much as it looks, but doesn't actually drop below the edge. Still, it is a different feel for a knife, on something shorter I would tend to raise the handle angle a bit like i do on the ultralight hikers.
 
The pattern 2 necker is a bit longer, 6-6.5 inches. Pretty closer to the limit for a necker, but still light. I need to play with how that would work as a seax.
 
Rotte said:

How so? With the modern seax your handle seems to angle below the axis of the knife--a sort of drop handle--is that right? If so, why do you do that and how does it affect the function of the seax? Very intriguing.
Click to expand...

chopping, is essentially radial motion, with the radius being from your joint, to the tip of the blade. the tangental and center repelling forces give the knife a tendency to move outward, in a path tangental to the chopping radius. so, the dropped handle of the knife gives a hook to keep the knife from slipping away and skewering your co-camper.
 
Very true. I like to include either a downward angling handle or a good rear down flare on choppers. But on something around 3 inches, chopping seems ill advised :)
 
okay, i snuck a photo of one in to the last batch on the projects page, there will be updates tomorrow after drilling and polishing work is in a different stage. I am going full tang on this, as given the style of handle and blade that you find in the langseaxes it makes a lot of sense.

I followed the general idea of the more fighting oriented langseax on this, so it's got something that we would call a dropped spearpoint. the center line is better than you'd think with the dropped tip center, I guess these guys knew what they were doing!
 
Seax in progress- this one is a longer one, qualifies as a langseax.

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it has the dropped spear point with a bit more belly than the shorter period pieces usually have, many of the period langseaxen have this blade shape and it's excellent, really works well.
 
and this is about 1/3 of the way through into the hand finishing of the scales on this one and after I messed around chop-pruning a decorative pear tree that everyone hates. (fruitless pears?!?!?!?!? why?) Chops well.


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Christof, How about some specifics, type steel, wood, length of handle and blade. By the way I like the look of the seax. John
 
The seax is 3/16 8670m stock, full thickness at the tang and forged into shape some as I got towards the tip. (obviously, still plenty of filing and grinder work).

Blade is .228 thick at the hilt and .211 2.75 inches back from the tip (that's where the taper rate starts to increase). right at 10 inches long. handle is 6.125, with the interior spread at 4.625. It sounds like not much but is plenty of room.

I tempered it a touch hotter than I would a smaller blade, and aim for about 56-58 Rc on this style instead of shooting for 58-60. The full convex grind works out really well for this one. In addition to chopping the pear branches out, I followed by 'musashi pruning' some of the rose brush and the thiner cuts are nice and smooth, too.

And, this is ipe with 8 brass pins for the handle work
 
that is a beaut' christof. to me, that handle looks like it would look really cool with some wood-burning art, specifically some type or nordic twisty design.

somthing like this perhaps:
celtic-1.jpg
 
I think on the character of the knife itself it might be overkill- that handle is pretty done up. I need to work a bit more on my wax etching stuff before I do too much on the blades, but I was considering asking sierra for a norse period tooling pattern on the sheath- depending on if it gets reserved before I have her do a sheath and put it up.
 
koyote said:
and this is about 1/3 of the way through into the hand finishing of the scales on this one and after I messed around chop-pruning a decorative pear tree that everyone hates. (fruitless pears?!?!?!?!? why?) Chops well.


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20090407-3.jpg
Click to expand...

I love that! :thumbup:

Andy
 
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