Check this out, and please give opinions / suggestions

Mike I'm kind of confused on what you fellers are talking about, so tell me if this is on the right track, I took a straight edge and laid it on the inside of the handle and let it run up across the head, from the handle line to the cutting edge it measured 2 1/2". Is that what your talking about?:confused:

As far as putting an edge on the tang or the back of the head, it wouldn't have any purpose as I can see, except for a fighting instrument, the way it is, you can grab the curve in the handle and use it for slicing. no sharp edges against the fingers and the thumb follows the curve of the head nicely making for good control.

Nathan if your really interested in it, shoot me an e-mail, we might be able to work something out. Never know.

Thanks everyone, keep the opinions coming.

Bill
 
"I think you will find that the edge is 1-2" below the handle line."

True enough! Thanks, around 1 3/4" to 2" from what I can see.

For comparison, I just measured a 18" OAL narrow-bladed khukuri (HI Gelbu Special--like a sirupati with a fuller) that weighs about 23 oz and has a sweet spot at centered about 14 1/2-15" from handle butt. Edge is about 3" from line projected from center line of handle. For a wider-bladed 18" Ang Khola style weighing 30 oz, the drop of the edge at the sweet spot is about 3 3/4", and that's intended as a heavy chopper.

BTW, if the khukuri is suspended by the very butt, at the center looking sideways, the line projected from the center of the handle isn't plumb, as I've read should be the case for a properly balanced axe. (Dunno if this is supposed to be the case for one-handers, like hatchets) As might be expected from the bent shape, an equal amount of weight is above and below the hand when the tool is held with the tip pointed a few degrees upwards, not horizontal, as would be the case for the axe that hangs plumb. This would affect how the balance feels I think.

How's this hatchet "hang"? :)

What's the circumference of the handle? From pic looks maybe kinda skinny, but I guess that might be part of the backpacking idea...I wouldn't want anything much less than about 3 3/4" for a chopper, but maybe that's just me.
 
Bill - this is just to illustrate a point. We do this kind of stuff over on the Himalayan Imports forum all the time, so I hope you don't feel like I singled you out. If you're curious where I come up with these ideas, check out this page for the full analysis I did on khukuris and their bend angles:

http://www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/physics/Khukuri_Dynamics.html



So here are the pics:


The first one is just an overlay of your hatchet and an appropriately sized khukuri - WWII model, 16.5" long. (Yes, it's a bit longer, but the strike point distance is almost the same)


compa1.jpg




The second one has a set of lines transposed onto both knives.

compa2.jpg

(the 2 "L" shapes are exactly the same)

The effective strike angle is nearly the same. Khukuris are notoriously wonderful "hand axes" that can be belt carried. They're great one-hand-choppers and that's what I think you're striving for...just putting a new twist on it.

The khukuri has an advantage in leverage at the point of the cut. The strike point actually slices while it push cuts. Yours would be only a direct push cut. That's where IMO the advantage lies. I get more effective and efficient chopping with a khukuri, than with a hatchet.

Handles: The WWII above is very comfortable and the gently curved handle helps keep it from "getting away" during chopping. Plus, it's a bit beefier in cross section.


Idea:

I would think that if you could taper the steel from 1/4" at the handle to about 7/16"-1/2" at the top, you would have a very effective chopping blade. Plus, a little more angle in the cutting edge.

Anyway, not trying to convince you one way or another. Just wanted to add a picture to the words and a reason for the longwindedness...:rolleyes:

I do like your hand axe design very much.

Dan


p.s. would you be willing to send it out for testing? I have a plethora of axes, hatchets and khukuris that I have been testing for a while now. I would promise not to subject it to any concrete block...;) ...shoot me an email if interested.
 
Dan I thank you for the illustration, makes things a lot clearer now, of what your talking about, when it came to center lines, etc. But you guys are trying to make this into something its not, the khukuri
is a cool looking piece, but all I was going for was a hand ax with an unbreakable handle, fairly even balanced so it wouldn't be a strain on the twist, and light enough to carry comfortably all day but still be beneificial to have. I'm pretty big on tomahawks, but mine all have wood handles and subject to breakage, so I figured if I could come up with a solid steel head and tang, the worry of over missing your object and breaking the handle would no longer be a concern. With the curve of the handle you can also choke up and use it for slicing, and the back of the handle at the curve could be used to drive tent stakes, etc. I will probably hammer out another in a few weeks and add some weight to the head and possibly straighten out the handle or at least set the head farther ahead, but all in all my intentions for this piece were to be used for those reasons stated above. Also to be used as a skinning ax, to work with the addition of a good BUXTON hunter. ;)

thanks guys

Bill
 
Nice one Bill
a little sharpening on the inside and you
could sell it to the grim reaper
he'd be proud to have it:D
 
The more I look at the thing, the more I like it Bill. I think Laurence may be on to something. If you ground an inside edge around the gooseneck, it would be a lot more useful as a shooting lane tool. It just seems you have a lot of steel with nothing to do but support one cutting edge.
 
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