Eyyyyyy--I designed this axe!

Ernest DuBois said:
You tempt me but, in my effort at self discipline I will resist deviating from the subjects proscribed in the forum description. And similarly, my wood splitting is confined strictly to classical axes, I possess no mauls.
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OK, cool. I was in no way attacking you. I'm a strictly "'one axe" guy (on the move), and that's why I'm interested in double bit axes or the composite bit of FortyTwoBlades' design. I only hate on agressive, dismissive comments like your champ made.
 
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herisson said:
I will spend one last post on you, Ernest Dubois. The gist of it is you didn't get it.
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Yes, I told you that and you compound the difficulty by confusing sledge hammers with splitting mauls but believe me, I understand how this is myself.
Misjudging the tone or the expectation of a particular tone does not move me - speaking of relevance - my question is where is the substance in the critique till now?
 
As far as the critique on FortyTwoBlades' creation goes... there is no relevance. Spear has spoken out loudly (out of his own, limited experience, which I can respect but it's still an IMO) but the item is out there for sale and I have one coming my way. I have enough wood to hack down to make up my mind. I will surely let you alls know how that tool performed.
 
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EngrSorenson said:
Great work Benjamin, I'm really pleased to count you among the forum contributors. She looks like a real winner- like a GBA small forest axe and a C1 Ariete tank and the 1990's Batmobile got together and had a baby. (You know... the real one- sorry Adam West). There's no one axe that does everything well, but this might just do most things well enough. I'd hate to shake the hand of the guy who carves with that on the regular!

I'm a big fan of the idea of a compression fit handle. If I was going to be stranded in the woods with just an axe and a knife, I'd choose a compression fit axe despite my love for wedged axes.

I'm guessing you went with 3 lbs to increase it's splitting capability over a 2.5 pounder?

What's the length of the face?

About how much edge can you grind away before you start losing the geometry?

I'm really pleased to see someone like yourself who knows axes as well as you do involved in the development of a new one. You've clearly put a lot of thought into this. I think axe-folk tend to lean towards tradition, which might be one reason this didn't receive as much praise as I would have expected. I think it's easy for folks to design what they've seen before, and hard to imagine what hasn't been attempted yet. I'd bet there's a bunch of guys out there with a GB SFA and a pile of unsplit rounds at their camp who would love this.

And just so someone gets to say it, how cool is that?! you got to design a production axe! that's not something many folks get to do. What a great achievement!

and finally... in the parlance of the today...
"dat poll tho..."
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There are a few reasons for the 3lb head weight--first of all, we have a million light axe options already. The market doesn't really need more ways to trap that particular mouse compared to something a little chonkier. I keep my splitting mauls fully thinned out and polished and I have a Rinaldi 5.5lb splitting maul on a little 24" handle that I use for splitting kindling in the basement and so on, and I've taken it out for field splitting of rails from logs on several occasions, during which I experimented with chopping with it and it did remarkably well. While I love lighter axes, it's nice having a bit of heft in many circumstances, as well, and having that much mass in the head allows for more effective use in all contexts while still being lighter than a standard full-size axe by a full half pound. I find it handy in rough shaping work during crafting because you can let the weight do the work, and so use a lighter grip for better control, as well.

The bit is 4.11" in a straight line from heel to toe.

As far as sharpening back into it, other than the overall geometry thickening the further you wear back into it, like with any axe, the hollows are designed so that you'll never wear into a reduced section--imagine you have a pyramid shape and then you squash two opposing corners closer to each other, flattening the form. That's essentially what's going on with the bevels, so they still in a wedge-shaped arrangement.

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To be clear, criticisms are entirely welcome so long as they come from a place of understanding and intellectual honesty. But I can say with confidence that I hit the intended mark with this design. It was very gratifying when the pre-production sample landed and it was exactly as I'd envisioned it in my head. It's not for everyone, and that's okay--if we wanted plain vanilla generalist axes we'd all be using hardware store Michigans. :D

The 22" handle length was something specified by the folks at WOOX as part of their brief for what they were looking for, and while I do love it as-is I'll keep pushing them to consider adding a 28" handle as well. The design was originally envisioned as being on a 32" years ago when I first started sketching it, but I've come to find an appreciation for hefty heads on shorter handles that I wouldn't have expected until I started trying to tackle crafting work outside of my workshop. Handles that are too long get in the way when choking up on them and can cause clearance issues. Hence why I also want them to come out with a li'l 16".
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
first of all, we have a million light axe options already. The market doesn't really need more ways to trap that particular mouse
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FortyTwoBlades said:
The bit is 4.11" in a straight line from heel to toe.
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FortyTwoBlades said:
the hollows are designed so that you'll never wear into a reduced section

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Sir, I tip my hat to you. Well designed. Very well done.

I'm going to start saving my dollars now (er... well... after my NEXT Baryonyx purchase... ;))- those drawings are honestly a little more revealing than the pictures. That looks phenominal.

Anyone have issues accidently clipping the proud tops of a haft when splitting wood?
 
Ha, Ha !!! And that's why I like you ! The axes, machetes, knives, sharp stuff and all that, too. Of course.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
and while I do love it as-is I'll keep pushing them to consider adding a 28" handle as well.
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at 28" we're really talking. it's like a boys axe on steroids. I already get a lot accomplished with a 3 lb 10 oz on a 28" haft. Long enough for a comfortable swing, short enough for the best accuracy I've had in an axe.

how about reprofiling? you're a persnickety guy like the rest of us- did you do any work on the bit geometry?
 
One thing forums of all kinds have done with unparalleled success is demonstrate how passionate people can get about things that don't really matter in the larger scheme of life, and axes fall deeply into that category (knives too, I know, tears). Criticism is certainly useful, especially if you want to successfully create and market a product, but we haven't seen that in this thread. Some clown on the internet who has never touched the axe in question, didn't bother to read the sales pitch, openly admits that his goal on the forum is to shill another product that might exist one day, but otherwise contributes nothing, then denigrates this axe while simultaneously demanding design justification from the creator? You can't get more entitled than that. If you can't articulate your criticisms, you're just bitching and no one owes you an explanation for anything.


The axe looks awesome, and if someone has a compelling argument regarding why it couldn't perform awesomely without having ever touched it, go ahead and speak up, just don't forget the compelling argument part.
 
EngrSorenson said:
Sir, I tip my hat to you. Well designed. Very well done.

I'm going to start saving my dollars now (er... well... after my NEXT Baryonyx purchase... ;))- those drawings are honestly a little more revealing than the pictures. That looks phenominal.

Anyone have issues accidently clipping the proud tops of a haft when splitting wood?
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I've not had any trouble with it personally. In future production runs they'll be chamfering the top of the handle to help toughen it up a little bit when impacts do occur, though. I guess they'd already made a bunch of handles by the time I got my hands on the pre-production sample and made the suggestion. It's not a huge issue or anything, but I'm about doing things as well as possible rather than simply "good enough" when it comes to the design phase of things. It's the foundation of everything else, after all! But I can tell you from my time using Italian axes I've never scuffed the top of the handle in splitting work.

EngrSorenson said:
at 28" we're really talking. it's like a boys axe on steroids. I already get a lot accomplished with a 3 lb 10 oz on a 28" haft. Long enough for a comfortable swing, short enough for the best accuracy I've had in an axe.

how about reprofiling? you're a persnickety guy like the rest of us- did you do any work on the bit geometry?
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There was zero need for me to do any reprofiling work to the sample--it was dialed right in already, and all I had to to was take a minor nick out of the toe that had occurred in shipping. The geometry was spot-on.
 
Pardon all the questions- but I'm here at work on a slow day and I've got nothing better to do than get excited over this axe. Was 1060 the steel you had to work with, or did you choose it based on price/availability/metal characteristics?

I know how it can be sometimes when you're designing something; you take your beloved design back to the boss and you say "here, sir- this will do everything you want, and more!"... and then inevitably you get some red ink on the drawing that nixes your favorite features in lieu of cost savings.

edit: also, will these be sold through Baryonyx, as well?
 
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FortyTwoBlades said:
Hey, friends! I partnered with the good folks at Woox to design this lovely axe for them, and it's finally on the market just in time for the holidays! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do. The heads are made in Italy by none other than Prandi and the handles are made right here in the USA. Finally, a slip-fit handle axe with Americanized cheeks and an ample hardened poll!
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Can you share what is the Rockwell hardness of the bit and poll?
 
EngrSorenson said:
Pardon all the questions- but I'm here at work on a slow day and I've got nothing better to do than get excited over this axe. Was 1060 the steel you had to work with, or did you choose it based on price/availability/metal characteristics?

I know how it can be sometimes when you're designing something; you take your beloved design back to the boss and you say "here, sir- this will do everything you want, and more!"... and then inevitably you get some red ink on the drawing that nixes your favorite features in lieu of cost savings.

edit: also, will these be sold through Baryonyx, as well?
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I had initially hoped to convince Woox to partner with Rinaldi for the heads, but the minimum order quantity wasn't feasible vs. Prandi, and Prandi does fine work, too. Rinaldi is just magic with their steel/heat treatment. Barring their proprietary modified spring steel, 1060 is a fine choice. Gransfors uses an equivalent of 1055, and 1060 is a slight step up. If given free choice of common low-alloy carbon steels, 1060 is what I'd opt for.

I'll carry them in my shop once they're available through my usual distribution network, but for the moment they're just at Woox.

crbnSteeladdict said:
Can you share what is the Rockwell hardness of the bit and poll?
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57 RC :)
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I'll carry them in my shop once they're available through my usual distribution network, but for the moment they're just at Woox.
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I don't know of this question is allowed, but is it better for you if we buy them through wood or through your shop? If I can't ask that let me know and I'll change this to a picture of my cat. Or my dog. Or, if you guys are good, a picture of both.
 
I technically make more on ones that I'd sell personally, BUT it's of greater importance to me that Woox sees a strong launch with it so they'll continue to partner with me on designs, so I'd say don't wait for my sake. :)
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
BUT it's of greater importance to me that Woox sees a strong launch with it so they'll continue to partner with me on designs, so I'd say don't wait for my sake. :)
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How does a partnership like this come up? I notice they have a hatchet... which though it looks fine, it doesn't really have that same chutzpah. Minus some features, it's kinda like everything else. One thing your axe has going for it is no one could mistake it for anything else. If Batman had an axe on his tool belt, that might be what it looks like.

I keep thinking of Batman, but really the thing looks like it's medieval. Almost like you put a small blade on a sledge hammer.

Does the handle have some kind of lacquer finish?

The more I look at it, the more I love it... and I'm looking at it... a lot. haha
 
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