Lets talk about Axe configurations

M

mach 5

Joined
Apr 13, 2012
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609
With the hammer back kill devil coming up it has me thinking about the axes. Which configuration is your favorite and why 1. spike backed sniper hawk 2. rattle hawk or 3. new hammer backed sniper hawk...

1. How many people have had a near eye removing experience with the standard spike backs on your backswing?
2. What might you use the hammer back for? Is your big Busse chopper of choice tough enough to take a battoning from a hammer back sniper? Is the hammer back wide enough to actually hammer a nail?
3. The rattle hawk wins for cool looks, but that thing has so many sharp edges, you can barely look at it without cutting yourself... Is this more a fighting tomahawk design.
4. For chopping purposes only, would you choose the anniversary steel heart or one of the axes?

I don't own any yet so will defer to those with experience.

And remember, to my knowledge, the sniper hawk is the only hand wielded bladed tool that has been photo documented to chop through a car.:D:thumbup:
 
Personally i prefer spike backed hawks for utility. The rattle hawk is pretty much my perfect hawk (if it was infi and didn't have that razor sharp beard). I think spike backs make for a high level of utility when you need to pry, dig, etc.

I don't find hammer backed hawks/hatchets to be any more useful, but to each his own.

question 4 is kinda easy. For PURE chopping, there's absolutely no way that a SH is going to beat a hawk. Hawks are MADE for chopping. They can be used for finer work, but they're made for chopping. The SH will cut, slice, skin, etc, MUCH better than a hawk, but it will never out chop a hawk.
 
I love my spike KDSH. It gives me another point to stick when I throw it.
 
I really like the spike back hawks as I am always finding something to do with the spike. Mostly I have found it useful for prying and digging. Also spiked into a tree it make a great quiver hanger during bow season.

The hammer back does have the advantage of taking up less space and I have to admit if I am going to turn my boy lose to cut fire wood I feel better with him not having the spike. I know boys will be boys but I cant imagine what his brain could find to do with the spike.LOL.

Garth
 
The last thing you want on an actual fighting hawk is something pointing back at you.

Just my two cents
 
Just picked up an apparently virgin KDSH w/spike off the Exchange. Have been wanting one for while, since reading that they have a much better edge profile for wood chopping compared to my Crash Axe. The edge is definitely better, but could still be improved with some thinning and convexing. OTOH, it might then be too delicate for car chopping.

Decisions, decisions.
 
resinguy said:
Just picked up an apparently virgin KDSH w/spike off the Exchange. Have been wanting one for while, since reading that they have a much better edge profile for wood chopping compared to my Crash Axe. The edge is definitely better, but could still be improved with some thinning and convexing. OTOH, it might then be too delicate for car chopping.

Decisions, decisions.
Click to expand...

I'd imagine that you could just convex it without touching the final edge (rounding the shoulder and blending to primary grind) without changing the durability of the edge. From the looks of the one that went through the car, the damage was pretty much limited to the final edge without any significant chipping near the shoulder.
 
By the time I am in a tomahawk fight things have gone so wrong that the spike is the least of my worries.Lol

I have dabbled a bit and read up on some hawk fighting techniques and I realized that it is just better for me to have a gun all the time.

The spike does make it more fun to throw though. Really increase the sticking rate, atleast for me.

Garth
 
Garth Reckner said:
By the time I am in a tomahawk fight things have gone so wrong that the spike is the least of my worries.Lol

I have dabbled a bit and read up on some hawk fighting techniques and I realized that it is just better for me to have a gun all the time.

The spike does make it more fun to throw though. Really increase the sticking rate, atleast for me.

Garth
Click to expand...

:D:thumbup:
 
aaaa_cccc said:
I'd imagine that you could just convex it without touching the final edge (rounding the shoulder and blending to primary grind) without changing the durability of the edge. From the looks of the one that went through the car, the damage was pretty much limited to the final edge without any significant chipping near the shoulder.
Click to expand...


Oh, yeah, no complaints here. Agree that knocking down the shoulder ( and polishing the edge grind ) would improve the wood chopping efficiency w/o hurting the use as a demolition tool.
 
Is the hammer back wide enough to actually hammer a nail?

Yes, but only with a perfectly placed strike. Not very well suited for this purpose having 3/16" wide face vs. 1"+ wide hammer face.


And remember, to my knowledge, the sniper hawk is the only hand wielded bladed tool that has been photo documented to chop through a car.:D:thumbup:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1020050-Oger-s-chop-shop-See-a-Car-chopped-in-half!


For chopping purposes only, would you choose the anniversary steel heart or one of the axes?


Tomahawks all day long for this task..... :)


The rattle hawk wins for cool looks, but that thing has so many sharp edges, you can barely look at it without cutting yourself... Is this more a fighting tomahawk design.


I would agree that it is more geared for general combat applications vs. the Kill Devil.


What might you use the hammer back for?


I could use it to crack mature coconuts...... :)
 
Garth Reckner said:
By the time I am in a tomahawk fight things have gone so wrong that the spike is the least of my worries.Lol

I have dabbled a bit and read up on some hawk fighting techniques and I realized that it is just better for me to have a gun all the time.

The spike does make it more fun to throw though. Really increase the sticking rate, atleast for me.

Garth
Click to expand...

:D :thumbup: +1
 
Does anyone have a picture of the back of the hammer on the kdsh coming up. In the description it says it's 1 inch wide. looking at my kdsh I just can't picture that lol.
 
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