Finnish/Earlier Scandi axes - Kirves

I guess this is the equivalent of a "What did you rehang today" post, but since it is about a Finnish Kirves, I thought I would post this here. The handle on my Billnäs was loose and I felt it needed to be rehung. In thinking about it I went back to the video of my favorite Finn making a handle.



This inspired me to use only a puukko for refitting.



I ended up moving the handle up one inch to get it tight (whittle and fit, whittle and fit. . .). I reused the old wedge. The top of the handle was cut with a coping saw and the "fresh" cut got covered with Danish Oil (Walnut).


https://flic.kr/p/DcpgiA
Unfortunately, I didn't have any cigarettes, so I couldn't give it a proper examination.
rjdankert said:
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However, I took it out and used it and it is very solid.


Bob

P.S. Totally off topic, just some ramblings and the story of my puukko.
rjdankert said:
Another flag:

Iisakki Jarvenpaa Oy
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In the mid 1950s my dad won this knife as a prize in muzzle loading rifle competition. IIRC he put it in his shooting box and used it to cut patches. Some time in the early 1970s he showed up at my house with a box of things for me and the knife was included. Everything stayed in the box until a couple of years ago when I took the knife and some other things out. and put them around the house. I concluded that it made no sense to have things with meaning to me hidden away. Anyway, this minor project was the first time I ever used the knife. It always seemed a little too decorative to me for an everyday knife, but I suspect it would be very capable for that kind of use.
 
rjdankert said:
I recently bought this with the promise of some kind of axe inside:



The listing pictures were blurred, description vague, and the title was something like "VERY EARLY HAND AXE. RARE". So here is my mystery axe:



Total weight 1,283kg
Width of bit 67mm
Length of head (bit to poll) 169mm
Collar/eye length 95mm
No markings found

Any thoughts?


Bob
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I don't expect to ever really identify this axe, but I have another possibility thanks to the kind person who has the "Finnish Vintage Axes" page on Facebook:

Kellokoski 15/3


https://digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi/pienp.../binding/343799... Page #50.

FWIW, I did a comparison with catalog drawings of three general models (14, 15, and 61). Not the most accurate to be sure, but I don't have anything else. The included ruler is the same size in all three cases. The drawings were scaled to the ruler according to the listed bit width for each model/number.



Also, I could not find a Billnäs 15/3 or a Kellokoski 61/2.


Bob
 
Nice work, Bob! Not knowing a model number is actually more fun lol.

The Kemi's are easier to determine for sure:
Like general collar length being that they are kind of narrowed down to 3 submodels with that distinctive shape.

Kemi Collars by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

The axes with the heads shaped like yours either have that cutout in the collar or they don't. Some are pretty long to begin with and with some wear they tend to look like other models after they are ground/used. Yours looks like it is pretty intact so that might be the best piece for typing it true to size without perceptible markings.

The catalog scans are invaluable but I get the feeling that they created the images after the largest of the models with the submodels listed as options. For example, The Kemi 12.1 image is representative of the model when we know there are two others. The perspective of them all being the same size visually in the catalogs makes it hard to compare them one to another. For example an unreadable yet intact 61.1 might look pretty darn close to the largest of the next diminutively-sized pattern or its submodels even.

Even though there are not markings, other things might narrow it down some.

I have some random thoughts as to how the general markings tend to wear but it is primarily based on what I've seen in the Kemi models.

What would it take to get a full size tracing of that one's handle? :)

*
piggy 002 by rjdankert, on Flickr

*I just wanted to see it again.
 
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rjdankert said:
Probably hundreds of dollars.





If the above are not a substitute for what you have in mind, let me know.


Bob
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As nice and self-explanatory a 'lay-out' of something as can be! Well done (and equally well thought out) rjdankert. This looks to be a hand-carved 'stick' but it's been in use for a long time and whoever whittled it knew exactly what was needed/wanted or had a model to go from.
 
Agent_H said:
The axes with the heads shaped like yours either have that cutout in the collar or they don't. . .
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Here are the profiles I think you are referring to:



Here is a table I started to accompany the above profiles. All of the P1s I found are included so far:



Since my axe is (by my definition) a P1, it is likely to be one of the above models. I'm guessing that models 1 - 8 are not likely because of the weight. In an earlier post I estimated the weight of the head at 1,0kg. I weighed it yesterday on my kitchen scale and it was 1,029kg. So what's left are the 14s, 15s. and 61s. Depending on the accuracy of the catalog weights and bit widths, the 14/1 might also be eliminated (1,2kg x 95mm). And if the advertised bit widths are accurate the 15/1. 15/2, and the 61s (65mm bits) could be taken out as my bit is greater than 65mm.

Anyway, trying to type this axe has made me pay closer attention to Finnish Kirves.


Bob.
 
First, I am impressed with all of this Bob.

Second, you are giving shape/focus to typing these axes long after they were produced, far from where they are natively found, and most without markings.

Your interest and skill set is benefiting us all in one way or another.

Kiitos paljon
:thumbsup:
 
rjdankert said:
I was excited about a new to me model (61/3) and started poking around. I made a side by side comparison of a /1, 2, & 3:



I continued putzing around and found this confusing:

1.)

2.)
​

There must be a typo in one of the above two images.



Bob
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You’re not the one that was confused.

Lol - somewhere between my third and fourth Finlandia I would imagine - It's possible I was seeing more than one "everything" (just wanted to talk about them :))
I searched and thought there were three models - looks like I was mistaken, it was what I labelled the saved pictures on my desktop to keep them apart.

I will remove it and say thank you for quality control.
*Still want to talk about them :thumbsup:
 
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35698815866_f5eba56914_h.jpg


It looks like Kellokoski made a 15/3? If I’m reading that right, the weight went up with the sub model number as opposed to “down” with say, the Kemi models.

That is an after the fact note - I still am unsure how I arrived at the 61/3 earlier.
 
Agent_H said:
It looks like Kellokoski made a 15/3? If I’m reading that right, the weight went up with the sub model number as opposed to “down” with say, the Kemi models.
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I noticed that as well when I made my profile table. The way the Kellokoski 15s are numbered makes more sense to me - the bigger the number the bigger the axe? Maybe it had to do with the sequence that each sub model was designed?


Bob
 
Getting back to my mystery axe ("Piggy"). . .


I compared it to the 61/2 from Facebook (FB) above (post #457):

....................... Piggy .. FB 61/2

Bit width ........ 67mm .. 65mm
Collar len ........ 95mm .. 78mm
Bit to poll ...... 169mm 125mm




Bob
 
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