Puzzled me for years that there was so much disparity between the shapes of axe heads. Europeans prefer entirely different axes than n. Americans and even regionally vary quite a bit. Hence the evolution of Dayton, Michigan etc. patterns. I purchased a 1950s NOS Austrian-made 2 1/4 lb head 26 years ago and hafted it to suit. Problem was I never got comfortable with the large thin blade and didn't really use it. 4 years later I came across a much more familiar-looking West German-made 2 1/4 lb and have used it ever since.
Dawned on me recently that the 1000s of hours of experience I got with small/medium/large axes during the 1960s, 70s and 80s was entirely with Canadian-made heads that were shaped the same as the one I ultimately settled on. No real surprise then that the Ox-Head (Germany) company even stamps their export heads with "Iltis-Canada" to appeal to user familiarity.
Those of you that are keen to take up regular use of an axe please don't just rush out and buy something expensive that you believe is "pretty" and must therefore be "perfect".
Dawned on me recently that the 1000s of hours of experience I got with small/medium/large axes during the 1960s, 70s and 80s was entirely with Canadian-made heads that were shaped the same as the one I ultimately settled on. No real surprise then that the Ox-Head (Germany) company even stamps their export heads with "Iltis-Canada" to appeal to user familiarity.
Those of you that are keen to take up regular use of an axe please don't just rush out and buy something expensive that you believe is "pretty" and must therefore be "perfect".
