Knob end fawns foot

Agent_H

Agent_H

Joined
Aug 21, 2013
Messages
3,898
So, I'm working on the handle for a fire axe. I've got the handle cleaned up, head fitted, and the shoulders tidy.

The swell. I was trying something new and taped it off for shaping a fawn's foot. Most of the shaping was with a cabinet scraper then a half round file. Haven't approached it like this in the past. My brother brought Knob Creek to lubricate the situation so what seemed pretty neat last night...

Should I cut off the material under the tape and just go for a nice angle? Of course there is more work to be done regardless.
Or...
I remember a thread here discussing round/bulbous/knob ends past the grip upsweep or a fawns foot:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1250002-Knob-End-Handles?highlight=Fawns+foot+swell

Here's where it stands now:
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Myself like the looks of a knob end vs a flat 45. Less likely to chip and with a rounded end you can still set the head if/when necessary by tapping the butt on a stump, but with a 45 you'll have to clip the foot first.

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Go knob, easy on the knob creek or the knob may turn out bad. But that is tasty whiskey.
 
Chignecto Woodsman said:
I found this when I searched for city's axe:
http://www.odellstudios.com/2015/07/the-illusive-octagonal-knob-end-axe.html

Hope you don't mind that I posted the link, it has some good information on making the handle. Sweet axe.
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Absolutely! That is a fine axe and skilled work on that handle. It is actually the one I was thinking of.

Being a 6lb axe head, I am leaving a little more meat on the handle than I would for a smaller head. Should be fun to try out.

rockman0 said:
Go knob, easy on the knob creek or the knob may turn out bad. But that is tasty whiskey.
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This is really good advice. :thumbup:

Exactly why I left it alone after a certain point that evening...
 
NP by me so long as mods don't care. I figured most people made (or could - full disclosure I guess) the connection with my watermark anyway.
 
So I finally got the chance to go see my neighbour's well-used custom axe again.

Now I've got more questions than answers, but here's so far:

This is the handle end. Hard to tell exactly, but it's not only a knob, but is slightly triangular. Really fits the hand:



That really looks like a hand-made handle. It's roughly octagonal, but clearly cut by eye rather than by measurement.

The whole axe:

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I note that it is quite close-hafted. The neighbour is dreadfully embarrassed about that overstrike. He was splitting wood in the basement and couldn't take a proper swing. The guy really does know axes, as I'll get to in a moment.

The head:

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The head is pinned to the handle. The hole above the heel is for the pin that secures the plastic sheath. The bevel looks to have been added later but is very even on both sides. The head is stamped "N Gagne, Le Courrier du Bois" on one side and "Pour Geoff Swannell" on the other. Normand Gagne lives in northern BC, a 75+ year-old Quebecois logger who is still an active timbersports competitor and runs a family-owned timbersports show.

Pictures I've found show that all of the show's axes have his handles, though usually on what look like Tuatahi heads. Geoff's wife got him the axe -- I mis-remembered that it was a retirement present for his time in the Forestry and Conservation services. M. Gagne apparently asked for Geoff's arm measurements, height and so on when setting up the axe.

I'm not sure who made the head -- it could have been M. Gagne but aside from being stamped with his name that's unclear. (I've written to him for some additional information.) I suspect he may have repurposed an old competition head, because of the bevel and the pin through the handle. We'll see what he says.

So, while I'm there, Geoff says, "You want any of these?" and points to some rusty axe heads in a bucket. Cut to the chase; one Wetterlings 2 1/2 pound Hudson's Bay, one Gransfors 2 1/2 pound Hudson's Bay, and one True Temper/Welland Vale pulaski head went back home with me.

The two Hudson's Bay heads have "BC GOV" stamping on them, the Welland Vale is not stamped. My comment was to the effect that "I see why they didn't give you an axe for your retirement -- you took them all on the way out the door!"

They're in MY bucket of axe heads now, waiting in line with two Sagers, an Ardex, a Forester and I think one other. Time to spend some time shavin' hickory.

One interesting note from McPhail's axe book: it appears that Welland Vale's production included Sager heads for Canadian Warren-Pink -- so that may be the maker of my two Sagers, rather than Collins as I had suspected from the stamps.
 
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Great thread with nice examples pictured, I just got a Hibbard boys axe in recently that needs a handle. HH 28" boys axe handle arrived today and I'm inspired to try my hand at a knob. One thing about HH their handles are fat so it leaves plenty of wood to shape up like you want her.
 
I'm not sure if this qualifies as a knob necessarily. Perhaps a ball foot? In any case, I'm a big fan of forgoing the fawn's hoof in favor of something a little more unique. The slimming of this handle could have been smoother, but I'm a big fan of the end.

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It's one of those no-name post-war/pre-reunification "Made in W. Germany" 2 1/4 lb axes. It's one of the first I've ever hung, and as such has a metal wedge that split the haft. It's also a momento, since I picked it up in my wife's hometown the first time she took me home to meet the family. It's hard steel and feels great in the hand but I don't get a chance to swing it much.
 
I like the Made in W. Germany axes. Beauty pageant winners, no- good steel, unusual lines, yes.

Believe I have 3 of the 1 1/2lb hatchets, a double bit, and a boy's axe 2 1/2lb head in a drawer. They all want good handles. I like them and will pick them up when presented at a decent price. Great users, interesting; even without a pedigree.

Here is the swell that I worked for the fire axe. Steve Tall reminded me earlier of Sweet Home, Or as a possibility for the stamped Fire Department name.

Sweet Home's butt:
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I left as much meat on it as I could. You can see the staple holes in it. Filled them in as best I could with filedust and BLO but they still show. Even got a pick out to pack it in there lol.


35”. The head weighs enough that am I happy I did the majority of rasping before hanging it. It is a nice axe with just enough meat on the handle to wield (at least for me). The bit is in great shape with no nicks in it.

The swell fits my anchor hand well and feels really nice with gloves on.
 
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cityofthesouth said:
Nicely done! I think the whole concept is open to variation and interpretation, and it shows off the grain.
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I agree. One thing to keep in mind is sand the end grain a grade or two higher/finer if staining so it will match the rest in color and not get so dark as to obscure the grain.
 
BG_Farmer said:
I agree. One thing to keep in mind is sand the end grain a grade or two higher/finer if staining so it will match the rest in color and not get so dark as to obscure the grain.
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Agreed. I ran a cabinet scraper over that portion. I only went to 150 grit by hand. Sprayed it three sessions to raise the grain, let it dry, sanded. Spot sanded that spot and tried to apply my mix to it. Wouldn't take. Think going finer.

New handle. Might blend in with time.

I do like how it turned out though:

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