Finnish broad axe, new haft and hang

Superb job of choosing a piece of wood and in fitting it to the head! Makes re-hafting of ordinary axes look like a piece of cake by comparison.
 
JayGoliath said:
M3mphis,

If the "bride" hasn't been kissed yet, may i suggest:

http://northernwildernesskills.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-devil-is-in-details-shafting.html

You might want to check on Ernest's blog as reference.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the link, Jay. Looks like I can glean quite a bit there. I have not even started the new project, so that's good. I have also been keeping up on Ernest's blog. My plan is to make a handle for this rusty old Finnish broad axe in Ernest's style. Just a rustic handle with all the facets left by hand carving. No sanding or scraping. Something like this one:

dscf2660.jpg

This picture belongs to Ernest DuBois.
 
Excellent job,in every respect but one(maybe,possible,best to be bounced off of a stickler like "DuBois" and others).
And incidentally this is what it has to do with:
trailmaker said:
What's the purpose of the reverse taper eyes I see in old European hewing axes?
Click to expand...

Now,i don't speak any Finnish,or Swedish(or even that much English,really...:(...However,i have been looking into this very thing for a while now,speaking to many folks,some in Northern Europe of course....

SEEMS like,an "hour-glass" sectioned eye is very recent(possibly an American improvisation on the theme....(stands to reason-bigger trees,longer hafts,more centrifugal force,et c.).

SEEMS like,very roughly,the Southern Europe tended towards the (very ancient) compression eye,and up in the North of Europe-the inverse of it,Piilu being about the most radical example(btw,Piilu is what your "axe" is,not sure why folks refer to it as "Billnas"-does it have the company touchmark?).

The reason for it is that "things" were a bit different in the past,and as careful as a craftsman was,tools had a great probability to undergo great changes in moisture content(probably the craftsmen themselves too...:)

Now,a tightly hung hour-glass haft would almost certainly be irreparably damaged by a severe wetting,it's compression exceeding it's MOE(where compression becomes a permanent,structure-crushing damage).
Wether the conical eye would actually have a direction in which it could go,to relieve the strain.(possibly,during the inevitable wetting,a guy drove the haft loose,and as the day grew drier,just kept bumping it back in,i don't know).

In any case,i gather that at least in some of the regions of Finland it is considered faux pas to carve that neat shoulder(that is so irresistable to do,even to your esteemed Grandfather,and that you've executed Ever so well!:).

In essence,because it would disallow the adjustment of the haft further in,in case it were to become necessary...

(such a simple thought-so many words....:(...)

NONE of the above is to detract in ANY way from the marvelous job you've done.My own hat's off in particular,sloppy carver that i've always been....

Respect.
 
Agent_H said:
Yes!
Click to expand...

Bob, thank you for bringing this post back.

Jake, I wonder if it was referred to as a "Billnas" simply as a meta name. This thread was created before a lot of reference material was collected here.

"Yes!" in that I am very much in agreement in that it's a beautiful/rare axe whose handle was dutifully recreated as his grandfather left it to him. :thumbsup:
 
Right,thanks,guys.(still getting used to Capitalism...:)

It Could,concievably,be Billnas,but the socket is too long,and too graceful for most production lines they made late in the 19th c.

Also,the "no shoulder" method is,of course,an anachronism...and a fine Piilu such as this was probably carefully kept out of the weather....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top