My German axe from the UK - NOW WITH SHEATH

Thomas Linton said:
Possibly Helko-Werke. They make one of that pattern.
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what i was thinking also.
harbor freight sold a bunch of this style a few years ago, i was not sure at the time if they were German or not
traditional German axe shape, maybe someone will add some details for us.


buzz .
 
bearhunter said:
nice work memphis! that looks great. cant wait to see the finished product...

congrats...:)
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Thanks, Dude. I'm really busy right now with work, and now I'm feeling really crappy. But I'll update when I finally get around to finishing up.
 
Thomas Linton said:
Possibly Helko-Werke. They make one of that pattern.
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PayetteRucker said:
HW Means HELKO Werk Axe. It is stamped on the Helko I just purchased. They are made in Germany. Nice piece. This is a Helko axe made of Sandvik steel, not a Sandvik made axe.
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Thanks guys!!!! This solved a question i had about my little axe bought here in Europe under a "store-brand" name (store is "Obi", their brand-name is "LUX"). My axe is 1000gm, OAL 60cm and has the "HW" stamp on the bottom side of the pol.
 
Finally finished carving the handle last night. Has some small cracks from drying, but I beat the crap out of it last night on a big elm log and it held up fine. It feels VERY strong. I think the elm has less flex than hickory or so it seems. We'll see how she holds. I have a five day rafting trip next week and it's going so that will be the test of it.

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Just for fun.
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Thanks.

Thanks to G-Pig for the handle carving tutorial!!!:thumbup:

ETA: the handle and wedge are American Elm.
 
That thing looks great. Even though I am a huge fan of the american pattern axes and I think they are the best users, I am starting to get a craving for one of those euro styled axes with the wide bit and small poll. a 1 3/4 on a 25" handle would be a sweet size for that style, would be awful handy for general tasks.

Good job on the handle too. Looks almost as good as one of mine :cool:
 
M3mphis said:
5 days on the Grande Ronde steelhead fishing. We will be on "no access" river most of the time!!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!
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nice, nice, nice...!
some friends and i are going over to N. ID in march... been over there several times... always a good time... beer, fishing, camping... what more could a fellow as for?
 
Went over to my friend's house today, went over the details for my saddle. And we threw this sheath together in preparation for our trip on Thursday.

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Just don't compare it to Robin's, please! ;)
 
oh man, that looks great... should serve you well on the rafting/fishing trip...
i reall like the buckle, it adds a nice touch...!

just keep it on a lanyerd... wouldnt want that thing going into the drink...;)

btw; good luck on your fishing trip... i expect pics;)
 
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Great job M3mphis...I'm not sure about the grain of the haft though. It looks like it has come from a fast growing tree. This is not a criticism, just an opinion.
The thing I like most about your axe is...You haven't ground or polished the character out of it.
Items like this just get better with age. Well done mate.

regards...Frank
 
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M3mphis

great package. i have a few pieces of Elm in the shop. it is hard wood , i can see why you used it for a handle.

if you don't have Hickory you use what you have.

all good

buzz
 
Frank-New Zealand said:
Great job M3mphis...I'm not sure about the grain of the haft though. It looks like it has come from a fast growing tree. This is not a criticism, just an opinion.
The thing I like most about your axe is...You haven't ground or polished the character out of it.
Items like this just get better with age. Well done mate.

regards...Frank
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Thanks for the compliments, Frank. Many arborists adamantly insist that the faster growth, wider grain sapwood is a more durable tool handle than tight grain. I've been wanting to research this, but have not put much time into it yet. One of these days I'll start up a thread with some of the things that I've found. I'm not sure who's right, but it is interesting.

Thanks, again.
 
M3mphis said:
...Many arborists adamantly insist that the faster growth, wider grain sapwood is a more durable tool handle than tight grain...
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From the Tuatahi site:

"...A reliable indication of the strength of hickory is its density. That is to say, of two pieces of the same size and dryness, the heavier will be found to have the better strength properties... The man who is buying only one handle will usually find a visual method of judging hickory more convenient and practical than weighing. A fairly reliable visual guide to strength is found in the proportion of summerwood appearing on the end of the piece. The summerwood is the solid looking or less porous portion of each yearly growth ring. It is quite easy to distinguish from the springwood portion of the ring, which is full of pores or small holes. The summerwood has much greater strength than the springwood, because it contains more wood substance per unit volume. Wide bands of summerwood and relatively narrow bands of springwood, therefore, indicate a stronger piece of hickory than bands of summerwood and springwood of nearly the same width. The greater the proportion of summerwood in a tool handle or other piece of hickory, the greater will be its strength."

"The number of growth rings per inch also affords some means of grading hickory. Few growth rings per inch, as shown on the end of the handle, indicate a stronger and tougher piece than many rings, provided of course, that it is straight-grained and free from defects at important points. Acceptable handles commonly show not more than 20 rings per inch, although much good hickory will be found with as many as 40 rings per inch. More careful inspection, however, by weight, is recommended for this very slow growth material..."

quoted from http://www.tuatahiaxes.com/axehandles.html
 
That's very cool M3mphis. Did you come up with that design on your own or have you seen in somewhere? It looks very handy for the multiple carrying and/or lashing options it has. That really has turned out to be a very unique axe you have. I can't wait to hear how it performs for you.
 
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