HI Bearded Ax???

G

GUN SNOB

Joined
Jan 30, 2007
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This photo is from Yangdu's trip to Nepal.

I'm thinking if the Kamis can/would make a bearded Ax like this I would buy one and I suspect others would to. Would anyone else be interested? Is this something that is worth looking into?

I don't want to assume the Kamies or HIs product line but thought I would put this out and see what happens.
 

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Pretty sure a good number of HI consumers also have interest in axes... I think it was Cpl Punishment (if I recall correctly) who posted a shot of his CAK with a warhammer and ax on more than one occasion.

Sadly I'm not a big fan of axes... I don't find them to be very versatile. I actually switched over from a hatchet/machete combo to an HI kukri (as it took up less room, lowered the weight I had to pack and did the tasks of both tools superbly). I have yet to try out a large two handed ax though, so that might be the source of my distaste for axes....
 
I agree with all your points about versatility. I have several tomahawks and hatchets that have become mostly for throwing, machetes are just for cutting in the dirt and Bowie's are a dusty collection. HI put them out of a job.:thumbup:

This would be a different tool/job set. I heat with wood so we do a lot of chopping hear at the house. Spent today splitting wood for next week. (Was working out of town for the cutting season this year) Just don't see myself 'battening' 4-5 cord of firewood with the M43.

Besides it would look good on the wall with a 24 inch Seax!
 
An Axe like that would be awesome.

Long pole for a walking stick. head should be removable so you could pack it (around a pound)

Would be a great thing.
 
put me on the list for one. i dunno the idea of taking out a TREE with a kuk doesn't appeal to me.... unless maybe it was a big kobra....
 
twoShoots said:
put me on the list for one. i dunno the idea of taking out a TREE with a kuk doesn't appeal to me.... unless maybe it was a big kobra....
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I don't know if I'd use a kobra to take down a tree.. they're rather slender and much more sword-like than ax. I'd prefer something stouter like an AK, CAK, BC or M43.

That said, taking down trees with a kukri is quite doable actually... my 18" Vojpure took down three 6-7inch thick, dead, frozen pines while I was up in Canada. I tired out after that though because I was breathing in chilly -15C air and couldn't get good footing in the snow. I ended up having to use two hands to finish off the last one :o

I don't ever see myself having to do more chopping than that in one sitting, and probably not in that sort of weather. Anyways, I'm not arguing against an HI ax and would actually like to see what the Kamis would come up with... just that the only time I would use an ax over a chainsaw would be if I were out in the wilderness and didn't have a chainsaw handy... and if I were out there, I would want my pack to be light and the things in/on it to be versatile in usage (hence why I switched out my hatchet/machete for a khuk)
 
The idea of axes come up pretty often. However keep in mind that the HI bancharo started out in the same fashion of demand. If I remember correctly, it turned into a Venn diagram of problems. Handles ate up a lot of room in the box where steel could have gone. The axe head socket is round and not very "western" meaning that custom fitting would need to be done in order to replace the handle. Some customers are very handy at this. Some were not/didn't want to mess with it.

I have an HI Bancharo and I love it. It makes a great camp axe once you familiarize yourself with it. The head weighs nearly 2 lbs, the round socket means that a glancing blow will turn the head a bit. However, it hits like a ton of bricks, smashes and drives pegs like crazy, and "breaks down" into packable parts quite effectively. All my tomahawks are collecting dust because of this brute:D

However, I dunno if the kami representation of a bearded axe will be everyone's cup of tea. Don't get me wrong. If Yangdu says it can be done, sign me up:D:thumbup:

Oh and the correct way to fell a tree of substantial size is by 22" Ganga Ram. Ask the stacked logs at my mom's old house who put them in such a state and they will quake with fear. "Uber...Uber did this to us! A flash of steel, a rush of displaced air, and a THUNK that drove the beast 4" into us with each merciless chop!" Uber is 22" and 3lbs of bidnezz when it comes to getting trees parted out. It's like a giant ant surgically cutting a leafy grasshopper to bite sized pieces:D
 
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Aka Zero said:
An Axe like that would be awesome.

Long pole for a walking stick. head should be removable so you could pack it (around a pound)

Would be a great thing.
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There's precedent for that: in Eastern Europe (Hungary?), there was s once a traveler's weapon called a "shepherd's axe," or fokos, a light axehead on top of a walking stick.
 
Yea thats what im saying.. I'm up in British Columbia Canada. I'm not talking 6-7" pines im talking more like 15" pines or bigger. I'd usually go with my 5lb axe. Im sure a kuk is up to the job I just see it being a bit more of a job. If a 5 lb chain saw could be made I'd prolly use that.
 
Handles ate up a lot of room in the box where steel could have gone. The axe head socket is round and not very "western" meaning that custom fitting would need to be done in order to replace the handle. Some customers are very handy at this. Some were not/didn't want to mess with it.
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The eye is drifted into shape to get the Oval/egg shape. I have one for Tomahawks (small). If the shop had a drift that would give a 'western' shape, handles could be standard and replaced from the hardware store. This would allow the Head to ship with out the wood. This may make a more customer frendly product and keep shipping down?

(I did a quick search for a Axe sized drift and did not find what I was looking for. It would not be to hard to make one if I knew what handle to shape it for. A Couple hours on the belt sander?)



I don't want to get to involved in company logistics and/or 'get in there business', just thinking out loud.
 
Why is the amount of space the haft takes up a problem?

I can see before it was eating into Yangdu's profit. But since she charges separately for shipping now, they just need to be ordered with the understanding that shipping costs more. Maybe even agree to have it sent parcel instead of priority if the buyer wants to save money.
 
Handles ate up a lot of room in the box where steel could have gone.
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Was what made me think.

Why is the amount of space the haft takes up a problem?
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I was thinking about shipping from Nepal if a standard Axe or sledge handle from the local Home Depot/ Lowe's (etc) would fit. Save the company on importing.
 
That's a sound idea, and I think that Yangdu would be fine with it; if HI can ship khukuri blades with no handles, for someone to work on, I'm sure a "head-only" axe is a valid request.
 
fokos (or cuipaga in poland ): (my oldest one)

fokos003_DCE.jpg

fokos001_DCE.jpg

this one has a brass head with a sharpened edge covered by a screwed on sheet brass edge cover. steel heads were outlawed in the 1930's or thereabouts, brass ones are effective against unarmoured wildlife (wolves or human). later ones and the current 'tourist' models are all wood.
the steel alpen spike end is also rather deadly.

my newer ciupaga, chrome plated brass head:
axe1.jpg

axe2.jpg

the shafts on these are normally decorated, carved, painted.

there is a smith in hungary makes proper steel fokos heads, as well as regional traditional hungarian style sabres, swords, daggers, axes etc.
bard06.jpg
 
I have already sent order and picture to shop and Kamis, thank you all for your interest in bearded Ax.
 
:eek: Wow, that was quick! Well if the kamis DO feel like making any of these, I hope my financial situation turns around so I can grab one! :thumbup:
 
I really don't see how handles would be a problem. Most axes will be no longer than a katana or long Tibetan, and the shipping on swords is actually less than for the very large/heavy khukuris.
 
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