My Aussie Racing Axe...the HELL

rabanwelsch · May 5, 2012

Hi all,
yesterday my Aussie racing axe has arrived !!!!

And....its like HELL.

Only WOW...Thanks, Dave from axeoexa.

The shop-owner Dave is a really nice guy with a passion for axes, old tools and farming equipment.

Some pics..

:thumbup:

bearhunter · May 5, 2012

yes! yes! that is very nice...

screened porch · May 5, 2012

What are those other two axes in the last pic? (The racing axe is gorgeous.)

Mike157 · May 5, 2012

Very nice! Looks like nothing would stop it. There are a couple of downed trees blocking a trail in a local park I use, mind hopping on a plane and giving me a demo? Thanks. Mike

rabanwelsch · May 6, 2012

scrteened porch said:
What are those other two axes in the last pic? (The racing axe is gorgeous.)

These are bearded axes by the German axesmith Mirko Guenther. He makes great axes.

screened porch · May 6, 2012

rabanwelsch said:
These are bearded axes by the German axesmith Mirko Guenther. He makes great axes.

Reasonable prices, too, if I read his catalog right.

Frank Supertramp · May 6, 2012

This axe is just off the hook. Although the bearded axe works like hell too, you have to have the right technique otherwise you are going to have a hard time to pull it out the tree

I'm looking forward to see this one in action Raban ! :thumbup:

Bridger · May 6, 2012

scrteened porch said:
Reasonable prices, too, if I read his catalog right.

His prices are really good. The shipping kind of sucks though. I have his 1000 g bearded axe and it is a great carver. I had a friend that wanted one too and we split the shipping so I got a great hand forged axe for just a little more than the cost of my old Wetterlings. The edges need a little refinement, but the shape is good and the handle's are a bit rough for my liking, but nothing that a little sandpaper can't fix. You really can't beat them for the price.

Square_peg · May 6, 2012

Bridger said:
I have his 1000 g bearded axe and it is a great carver.

That's really what that style of axe was designed for. The old timers would call it a 'stump axe'. That is, an axe you use to carve things on top of a stump. With the long beard and short eye you can really choke up on it for controlled detail work. But the short eye won't tolerate much heavy chopping.

Bridger · May 7, 2012

Square_peg said:
That's really what that style of axe was designed for. The old timers would call it a 'stump axe'. That is, an axe you use to carve things on top of a stump. With the long beard and short eye you can really choke up on it for controlled detail work. But the short eye won't tolerate much heavy chopping.

This made me chuckle because I'm making a couple atlatl throwers for a Boyscout summer camp program that I used to work for. I started shaping at my parent's house, but I have to finish them up at my house away at school. I was using a couple big oak rounds as a seat and a block to chop on to keep my edge from being damaged. I needed to borrow my dad's truck to move some furniture for a friend whose lease was ending so I put one in the bed of the truck and took it to school so I could finish the throwers after finals are over. My roomates were very confused when they found a 70lb piece of oak on the back porch since we live in a subdivision with like 5 trees.

The eye is less short than the beard is long and it has pronounced "cheeks" for a lack of the proper term that keep it from slipping on the handle. It's about as short as you can go and still chop with both hands so the handle doesn't take as much impact as it would if it were longer. This axe really excels at chopping one handed. The weight really gives you a lot of power if you concentrate on accuracy and just let the axe do the work rather than chopping like the Hulk. I like that you can put a hand up by the eye and carve with it like a knife as well. I'm really fond of these small bearded axes and I'm torn on whether to get a full sized felling axe of some kind or small bearded axe from John Neeman since I already have one for carving. I may try and get an old Kelly flint edge or something off ebay and hang it myself since we have a large, dead-standing shellbark hickory that I need to drop at my parent's house. I'll have plenty of quality wood for handles and stuff for a long time.

My one gripe with these Euro axes is the softwood geometry. They will just bounce off of our hardwoods unless you are striking at a pretty shallow angle. I'm in the process of grinding this axe to a more suitable geometry to see if I can get some better performance. They're still head and shoulders above a crappy hardware store axe though and hold an edge more like a quality knife.