Anyone use a fokos?

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That's pretty cool. Steel head and fully functional? Do you use it on hiking trips? If so, how do you like it?
 
That's a brass head. Like all of the presently available metal ones. :o Looks to be a very good example of one though! :thumbup:
 
I've never used it for hiking.

It's my front door persuader.:)

As I understand the history of these they used to be made with steel heads. The citizenry started useing them against each other so they outlawed steel fokos. Some of the older steel ones have an overlay of brass screwed to the edge.
This is a relativly new one.
 
The original fokos was a weapon, not a walking stick. It was widely used in Hungary until the 2nd half of the 19th century by herdsmen, night guards in villages and townships, students or apprentices traveling on foot, outlaws etc. When the steel fokos was banned, they started to make it with brass head, that’s when it started to morph into a walking stick. The “fokos” walking sticks made entirely out of wood are just souvenirs, they are not very functional even as walking sticks.
 
Ive seen a few forged fokos heads on "that-bidding-site-of-which-we-do-not-speak", but they didn't come with any haft, but I would imagine a
long tomahawk style handle that's been pinned in place would suffice.
 
I believe Condor may have something along those lines cooking--it just wasn't in the cards for this year at least. We'll see if I'm right down the road.
 
Here's a modern one. Made by United Cutlery so I'm not sure how great of a design or quality it is. Cast 7Cr17 blade, 30% fiberglass handle.

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I have walking sticks that have ice axes at the handle end so when you get into steep snow & ice you do t have to stop take your ice axes out, put you hiking poles away then go back to poles again after your threw a tough section. When I first saw them I thought it was a great idea and loved it. I never go on a winter mountaineering trip without them now. Having an axe on the handle end I think would be really cool. I have used mine for a bunch of different things, now that I know they are out there I might look into getting one of these for summer guiding trips.
 
A Hungarian smith, Adam Thiel, is making them. I just bought one of the Szekely Fokos iron/steel heads from him. It has a 2 inch pattern welded bit for the axe, and the other side is a pick. Traditional type from the Szekely region, the folks who were the border guards along the Carpathians (stood guard with the Saxons there in the milled ages) against the influx of the Ottomans. I will mount it on about a 42" hickory handle, add the buttspike, and carve it up. The head weighs 9 oz.
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http://www.bucavasgyuro.net/products_F.html

He's a mechanical engineer, and he also builds up his pieces from bog iron, blooms, and then forges in the 12th century style. Has a great set of vids pon youtube, as well.
 
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