My first Collins double bit

the5farrs

the5farrs

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Jan 28, 2013
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I just bought this double bit Collins Legitimus, which is my first. I am really excited to get it. If you notice the number 4, is that the weight? I was planning on hanging it on a 28" haft, does that sound about right or should I go longer? Thanks for the input.

Matt
 
Matt,

How tall are you? I would look at putting it on something like a 30" or 32" haft. Would probably be more effective that way. Looks like a good head with a lot of life left in it.
 
4 is 4 lbs.

28" sounds small for 4#. 36" would be my choice for something in that size. by bringing the axe far enough down on the shoulder of the handle, you can probably get the finished size to around 34". That or a 32" handle would work.
 
I'm with Coop. I'd put a 36" on it. 32" is about the minimum for a 4 pound axe for me. Shorter than that and they start to feel clunky.
 
Yeah, unless it's for a special application, you need that thing on at least a 32 if not longer. I have a 3 lb on a 29" (or so) that I use to cut notches in the hewing process, but I wouldn't use it to drop trees unless I had to.

John
 
Gonna be a contrarian here. There ain't a tool I possess that I would put a handle longer than 32" on. 7 pound maul is on a 32" handle. Most of my axes, that I would consider "full size", are on 28" to 31" handles. If you use a 36" axe for notching and falling, you gotta try undercutting with a crosscut (or ...another kind of saw). In green wood, you could knock the chunks out with any axe you can swing two handed. Once the tree is on the ground, a handle that long loses all its merit in my opinion.
 
Different strokes. Hey, maybe this is an excellent excuse to get another double bit on a shorter/longer handle! I know it was for me.

John
 
Size (height, arm length) also plays into this. I'm 6'4" and find 28" handles uncomfortably short to use. I'm sure someone will dispute this. I'm only giving my opinion. 30-32" seems to be a nice sweet spot for me for most axes.
 
G-pig said:
Gonna be a contrarian here. There ain't a tool I possess that I would put a handle longer than 32" on. 7 pound maul is on a 32" handle. Most of my axes, that I would consider "full size", are on 28" to 31" handles. If you use a 36" axe for notching and falling, you gotta try undercutting with a crosscut (or ...another kind of saw). In green wood, you could knock the chunks out with any axe you can swing two handed. Once the tree is on the ground, a handle that long loses all its merit in my opinion.
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Makes a guy wonder how 36" kind of became standard for full size axes.
I always thought that they were made for the average size man and it was because I am on the small side. And maybe that is so.
 
garry3 said:
Makes a guy wonder how 36" kind of became standard for full size axes.
I always thought that they were made for the average size man and it was because I am on the small side. And maybe that is so.
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Lots of anecdotes out there. Including the one that 36" was only common in the west where there were bigger trees, and out east here they were 32" at most (or even 30"). I don't get too worked up over what was the norm or what have you, I just settled on what I like by making handle after handle and scrapping the ones I didn't like.

A handle that long makes an axe more or less useless to me. Even for splitting I like a handle around 32" at most, since there is a lot of lifting and using the axe to nudge pieces around-- it needs to be fairly limber.
 
G-pig said:
Lots of anecdotes out there. Including the one that 36" was only common in the west where there were bigger trees, and out east here they were 32" at most (or even 30"). I don't get too worked up over what was the norm or what have you, I just settled on what I like by making handle after handle and scrapping the ones I didn't like.

A handle that long makes an axe more or less useless to me. Even for splitting I like a handle around 32" at most, since there is a lot of lifting and using the axe to nudge pieces around-- it needs to be fairly limber.
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From what I have seen in old vintage axes the west with the longer handles seem to hold true. Standing on a spring board and chopping a old growth giant with the short handle would not work well at all.
Speaking of long handled axes I am not at all sure I understand the design implications of the Puget sound axe. I have a couple Puget sound heads, I guess the best way would be to hang it and use it. But I still may not get it with out a spring board and a giant tree.
 
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