Why,Agent_H,that's quite a respectable "mushroom".A nice handle all around,i think.
(Just for s..ts&giggles,i seem to remember this old Finnish diagram,where when holding an axe-head in your hand,the top of the head across your palm,the haft sticking straight up,then the proper-length of haft reaches up to your armpit....As in,the haft L = L of your whole arm + half a hand....something like that....).
Thank you
Jake! That is absolutely the rule I follow for the full-size axes I use 31-32. For my body build that is proportionately what is described by Marcus Lepola while referencing a handle for a 12.2:
https://nordiskaknivar.wordpress.com/tag/history-of-finnish-axe/
*Picture by Marcus Lepola.
Ive arrived at the realization that it is hard for a novice to tell a full-size 12.1 from a mid-size 12.2 when they have some considerable wear on them and no discernible markings. For a while I was certain the previous one I handled was a 12.1 but it is quite possible that is a 12.2 given its lesser overall mass (at least what is left of it) compared to another one I have. The one has less sweep to it at the top of the blade making me think that it could also have been a touch shorter in the bit to begin with. I think some of the differences in proportions with them might be shown in a slightly longer bit as well as being a little thicker leading up to and in the collar. The length of the collar is of course smaller on the 12.3 but it's hard to see a difference in length between the full and mid sizes.
I guess if I operate under the assumption that the previous one was the mid-sized version I was intuiting the rule in a sense:
The Kemi 12.1, 1.6kg (3.5lbs) 31
The Kemi 12.2, 1.4kg (3lbs) 27
The Kemi 12.3, 1.1kg (2.4lbs) 24
Here is kind of what I am thinking:
Looks like I had increments of about a 3+ inch drop per half pound of axe. I guess of course it depends on the user and what you plan to do with it, how you are built, and where the weight is carried in head. I will try a 31 handle for a more intact 12.1 at some point and check the difference in feel.
For some reason a 3.5lb 12.1 on a 36 seems like it might be cumbersome. Where those axes carry their weight makes them balance a little differently than an American polled axe. But I dont know that about the 12.1 as I havent tried one yet
The most interesting part of this is that I wasnt conscious of my decisions on length difference while actually making the handles only this morning after thinking about your comment. Do and learn. Also, there arent any old Finnish foresters around here to ask lol! (If there were, they would probably make fun of how long I spent goofing around with the handle before putting the head on it to use
)
That is one of the reasons I enjoy these discussions as much as I do.
Thank you
Square_peg! That is humbling sir.
You're very gifted, Agent!
Thank you
Moonw my mother swore the same thing whereas my father used the term, Special more often than not
