Bearded Axe advantages?

Two advantages. First, you can get your hand directly behind the cutting edge for control. You could use this to advantage for skinning for for chopping food. Second, you get a broader cutting edge without excess weight.
 
Don't forget; you can also use the beard to hook the edge of your opponent's shield to pull it aside so your spear mate can then skewer him!

Andy
 
Sounds good
but when I swing an axe, my opponent's shield gets shattered anyway!

I wonder if any of them were sharpened on the inner edge of the beard, which would make a billhook.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Sounds good
but when I swing an axe, my opponent's shield gets shattered anyway!

I wonder if any of them were sharpened on the inner edge of the beard, which would make a billhook.
Click to expand...

I've never seen an axe that I would term "bearded" that had a sharpened hooking edge, but I know that Bear Mountain Tomahawks has an option for their Rogers' Rangers line that is called "Sharpened Hooking Edge" which (if you couldn't tell) sharpens about half of the underside of the hawk blade. Looks like it'd be nice for clearing brush... or body parts.
 
Sounds good
but when I swing an axe, my opponent's shield gets shattered anyway!

Oh my goodness. Hell, I'm motivated by this outstanding display of confidence. ....;)

Seriously, I think you've got the rationale for the beard pretty much nailed down. I really like the shape.

All My Best Dwight.
 
It also works for hunting - the sharpened hooking edge is thin enough to get just below the skin and then zip "it" (deer or other critter) open. The hawk has enough heft to split the breast bone and they're sharp enough for skinning.

And Andrew, if you take Dwight McLemore's class on Bowie Long Knife & Tomahawk Fighting you won't need to rely on your mate and the spear. You can hook the edge, step in and cut a throat quick enough or trap the knife with the hawk and step in again. :D

Do you still teach that class, Dwight?
 
Hey Suzanne!
I'm on this downhill slope in terms of wrapping up my teaching all the Bowie & Tomahawk foolishness. I've pretty much passed most over to Steve Huff, and John Lennox. I'm only teaching a bit privately now here out in the boonies. The International Swordfighting and Martial Arts symposium this year will have 6 hours or Bowie and that will be the last one for me. I may go to Brad Waller's Shenandoah Project this year but not sure. I turned 65 this past November and old injuries are starting to haunt me more each day. On the burner now is another Tomahawk Book, We did a video on Tomahawk with Paladin Press that will come out late 09. My staff book is also supposed to come out then too. What's the future hold. More time with the wife and some serious artwork that got left behind long ago. Hope your business is doing well.

All My Best
Dwight

BTW . Hope my ramblings have not bored everyone too much.
 
The bearded hawk can also be used to help climb trees, move logs, catch brush and vines...a real back saver to have that extra foot and a half or so to pick up and move stuff. Another option with the beard is to sharpen the underside tip, not the whole beard. This will help gain purchase on things that don't completely fit into the beard. A fully sharpened underside will assist in removing the hawk from materials that the blade has completely penetrated. You could also use the sharpened underside to save your primary edge if you have things close to the ground that need to be cut.
 
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