edge angle for a leuku?

H

Hesparus

Joined
Oct 31, 2004
Messages
1,442
Hi Everyone,

I'm planning on making a leuku with a 9-10" blade. What angle should I do the edge at? I usually do scandis at 25º, but I'm worried that will be a little bit fine for a chopper. Was thinking closer to 32º. What do you think?
Thanks,
Chris
 
This actually sounds more like a short machete. If you want to put a 32° edge you'll have bevel 1.77'' high, I'm afraid it might not be really effective as a chopper and bounche a lot.

For a 9'' leuku that will be a chopper I'd see better suited a low C content steel (1070, 5160 etc), a thicker blade (0.177-0.196'') and a higher flat bevel combined with a convexed edge. Let's say a 22-25° bevel.
This configuration is rather common on handforged Finnish leukus, since you get a very biting blade with a strong edge on it.
 
Thanks for the input. I don't have the steel right now to do a thicker thicker blade, but I can rethink the edge angle.
On this note, though, I've seen leukus with long (~9") blades that are .11" thick and less (e.g. Strömeng). If these are poor choppers, as you say, what are they for?

- Chris
 
They are made for the thin vegetation that you'll find in the northest part of Europe. Take a look at the various dwarf birch, dwarf juniper and rather thin red spruce that there is and you'll see there is no need for a very thick blade, especially if you're cutting frozen brances in winter and especially if you're erratic like Sami used to be.

The Sami used the leukus for anything from butchering reindeers and hunted games to prepare traps and cut firewood, so you have to find an average thickness to be able to do all this. Obvoiusly nothing will be done perfectly, but here come the personal skills in handling the tool.
 
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