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Custom SLIP FIT axe forger?

Z

zmaj

Joined
Mar 31, 2023
Messages
89
Ive tried to get so many people to forge me this axe.....no success really so far. I've tried a lot of the popular forges.

Does anyone know someone who can forge a SLIP FIT axe? The design Im looking for is basically just a basque axe but will an American felling axe poll instead of the rounded one.
 
zmaj said:
I have but the thing throwing me off is the poll, it seems wayyyy too big. But if anything its always an option.
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I'm unsure about what you mean by way too big? Do you mean for your aesthetic tastes? The head balances directly in-line with the handle and was given more depth for the weight by tapering in the sides and undercutting the eye/poll transition so that you have a properly thick poll for hammering. The poll is hardened and you need enough depth to not harden the eye or render it prone to cracking under heavy use. The balance was very carefully considered.
 
flexo said:
any off the rinaldi range would fit the bill, or not?
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Rinaldi has FLAT polls, but they're very minimal, to the point of being basically non-existent. Nowhere near an American poll.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I'm unsure about what you mean by way too big? Do you mean for your aesthetic tastes? The head balances directly in-line with the handle and was given more depth for the weight by tapering in the sides and undercutting the eye/poll transition so that you have a properly thick poll for hammering. The poll is hardened and you need enough depth to not harden the eye or render it prone to cracking under heavy use. The balance was very carefully considered.
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Yeah more so aesthetic. Just when comparing it to an American felling axe poll it seems massive. Would you say its a good overall axe for splitting and chopping?
 
flexo said:
any off the rinaldi range would fit the bill, or not?
Click to expand...
I should've mentioned that Im looking for basically a basque axe with an American felling axe poll. The rinaldis are wayyyy to thin in geometry for splitting heavy stuff (I assume).
 
zmaj said:
Yeah more so aesthetic. Just when comparing it to an American felling axe poll it seems massive. Would you say its a good overall axe for splitting and chopping?
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That's 'cause felling axe polls are usually just for balance and tapping non-ferrous materials rather than outright hard hammering. The Forte's deep, hardened poll would have been classed as a "maul-head axe" because of it. Since it's intended for hammering, including metal, it requires greater depth for support/durability/clearance. A buddy of mine has driven an abundance of splitting wedges with his for years now, and barely marked the face of it.

It was designed as a compact axe for doing full-sized axe work in locations where you had to hoof it in, but do serious jobs, and it both chops and splits well. The high centerline and thick eye make for a ridge that blasts wood apart easily, while the geometry behind the edge overall is suitably thin to penetrate well. It'll handle both felling/splitting and crafting/building well, and is a hybrid of American and Italian design elements from both felling and crafting axe styles.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
That's 'cause felling axe polls are usually just for balance and tapping non-ferrous materials rather than outright hard hammering. The Forte's deep, hardened poll would have been classed as a "maul-head axe" because of it. Since it's intended for hammering, including metal, it requires greater depth for support/durability/clearance. A buddy of mine has driven an abundance of splitting wedges with his for years now, and barely marked the face of it.

It was designed as a compact axe for doing full-sized axe work in locations where you had to hoof it in, but do serious jobs, and it both chops and splits well. The high centerline and thick eye make for a ridge that blasts wood apart easily, while the geometry behind the edge overall is suitably thin to penetrate well. It'll handle both felling/splitting and crafting/building well, and is a hybrid of American and Italian design elements from both felling and crafting axe styles.
Click to expand...

Interesting, do you work for forte by any chance?

The high centerline isn't something you see anymore which doesn't make sense since its pretty valuable from what I know.
 
I'm the designer, yes, and it was the first piece I produced for WOOX under contract. I also designed a couple of other tools for them according to their briefs ("we want something for this market sector/covering these broad contexts" etc. ) which they executed with varying degrees of accuracy but the Forte is the one that I got essentially 100% of the say in rather than having to follow any dictated constraints. I had that design kicking around in a design file for a LONG time, about 90% complete, but because of the cost of forging dies being so outrageously high there was basically no chance of having them made just for myself as a small business/independent designer. The eye is deliberately large enough to permit a bit of a palm swell while also being smaller than an off-the-shelf pick axe handle so if you ever need a replacement and can't source an original from WOOX you can shave down a hardware store handle. I had hoped to persuade them to allow me to do size variants of them as well, but went with the size of head and handles I did with the understanding that that could be the one opportunity I got! I especially had some friends of mine who teach traditional wilderness skills and crafting of several different kinds, and they've beaten their examples to hell and back and they won't quit. I'm very proud of how the Forte turned out as a practical tool even with the fancy deco they put on it. :D

The lack of a North American-esque axe head with a slip fit eye was exactly what inspired the design in the first place.
 
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