Competition Work Axe - initial impression

C

chococat

Joined
Oct 10, 2005
Messages
10
I've been reading about axes here lately and have learned a lot, so I thought I'd contribute by giving my initial impression of the Bailey's Competition Work axe. I've seen this axe mentioned a few times but no actual reviews. Please keep in mind that I'm a novice, so my opinions are from a less-experienced perspective.

Specs: (from website)
This axe has a flat head grind with a 16 deg angle.
The Steel is .75% carbon and hardened 52 ROCKWELL C. Drop forged.
Head weighs approximately 5.85 lbs.
Overall length is 31-1/2". Handle is approximately 27" long.
Made in China

The handle and head were varnished. The head was nicely ground and symmetrical but rough. There were burrs on all the edges. Handle grain was poor, nearly perpendicular to the head.
This is as it came out of the box:
P1030167sm.jpg


P1030168sm.jpg


P1030171sm.jpg


The blade was pretty dull so I tried to sharpen it. After a few passes with a stone, I noticed a jagged or serrated edge forming. Upon closer inspection, I discovered, what I will call, micro-voids in the edge. I ended up filing down the edge and stoning a new bevel.
IMG_4809sm.jpg


We've had a lot of downed trees from heavy winds and rain this fall, so I tried the axe out on the trees that I had to clear. As far as usage, I thought the axe performed well. It certainly is heavy but it bit deeply and I didn't find it hard to control, in fact I think the weight aided in control. I don't think that I could spend the whole day using this axe but the short time I did spend produced some good results.
IMG_4869sm.jpg


Overall, I like this axe. It's not practical for packing into the woods but for clearing trees in the yard, I'd say the weight could be used to your advantage. I was a bit disappointed by the condition of the factory edge, but it was correctable with a little work. I ended up taking the varnish off the head and sanding down the roughness of the grind towards the blade.I'm not opposed to putting a little work in to clean up a rough tool, so it ended up being a fun project for me. I'll need to use it more before I pass final judgement, but so far I'm enjoying it.

Thanks for looking,
Al
 
In the picture with the micro chips it looks like there is a casting flaw about 1/4 inch in from the edge. It will be interesting to see what happens after some hard use. Pretty looking axe.

Regards

Robin
 
I think what you're seeing is the thickly and unevenly applied varnish. The surface is uniform. I've since removed the varnish. Bailey's lists this as a forged head but I have no way to verify this. I'll report back once it has seen more use.
Al
 
Bought one of these when they first came out. I think they were somewhere around $100 at the time. Mine seemed well made, handle was tight although it seemed a bit undersized and square in my mits when I first used it. Great weight, large cutting surface which held up to most of my chopping chores. Some light rolling was noticed after I worked on an old cedar log which needed to be removed. All in all, I'd say it held up as well as my Tuatahi work axe. Eventually I put a new race handle on the axe, now she cuts like a champ and feels better on the paws. Not a bad axe for the price point, a bit heavy for a long workday with an axe but it will put your shoulders in shape in a jiffy or kill you in the process. They have sold a bunch of them from both of Bailey's outlets. These were made to specs under the supervision of a world class cutter.
 
Thanks for your insights. I'd eventually like to change out the handle to something nicer, but in the meantime, I'm just going to use it as is and see how she fares.
Al
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top