With that tomahawk thread being necroed it got me thinkin about buying an axe. Not a throwing axe or a weapon, just a camp tool with style. Basicly what I'm looking for is a semi short, ~2', bearded axe with a hammer head on the reverse side, and a pommel for balancing. I have recently found that an axe is very useful as a hook for pulling limbs, and brush from a debris pile. I figure that while the pommel will add weight it will make it easier to manuver. It also will allow me to hack at the pile with a khuk in my right hand and pull at it with the axe in my left. My question is: do you know of some one who already makes this design (not likely), or do you know of someone who takes custom orders?
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OT: axes and their makers
- Thread starter yoippari
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Yoippari good luck in your search. I know there are some bearded axes out there but none of them that I've seen has a hammer head let alone a pommel. I'm thinking this will definitely be a special order but I don't know of anyone who would do it.
Maybe the knifemaker that posted his 'hawk in this thread....
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2588741#post2588741 might be able to help you. Email him and see.
And I would be prepared to pay a pretty hefty price as most 'hawks and axes don't come cheap, let alone special ordered ones!
Maybe the knifemaker that posted his 'hawk in this thread....
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2588741#post2588741 might be able to help you. Email him and see.
And I would be prepared to pay a pretty hefty price as most 'hawks and axes don't come cheap, let alone special ordered ones!
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- Aug 12, 2002
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- 2,259
There are several talented hawk/axe makers who post over in the Shop talk forum. If you get a good idea of what you want, and even possibly make a drawaing, would be worth asking over there. or if you prefer to keep it less public, do a serach in there for hawks, and start emailing the makers you find who have posted hawks they've made, especially if they've made something similar to the one you want.
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don't have a hamer poll. Look for another style, or have a custom one made.
A good and simple axe is something that the average blacksmith can manufacture with little difficulty, so I'd suggest hooking up with a smith on this one. You don't need to go to a pricey custom maker (I reiterate this many times) to obtain a good working axehead.
I had a guy make me one, and he even added some embellisments for me. I wanted him to follow the Mammen Axe in style, and he did pretty good. hammer back is handy.
Pommel--in an axe, this is unnecessary, and actually a bit counter-productive. It is the massy, weight-forward feel of the axe that makes it good at chopping. If it balanced any more neutrally, the work would require more strength on the part of the user. Try this experiment--get an axe, then go to ha hardwar stor and look for the biggest hex nut you can find. Duct tape it onto the end of the haft, opposite the blade end. Now try swinginng it. Sure, it feels more weight neutral now. Now, go to your chopping target, and give it a few swipes. Okay, now undo the tape and remove the pommel. Now strike a few blows. See how the blows made without the pommel cut deeper?
Another option would be to investigate axes with smaller, lighter heads, and longer hafts to counterbalance the head.
I have a viking bearded axe that has a 26-inch haft. If I want to deliver a powerful cut, I hold it far down on the haft, near the end of it. If I want a more neutral "alive fighting axe" balance feel, I choke up on the haft so that my hand is 8-10 inches form the end of the haft. This brings the balance more to the neutral, but it does sacrifice some cutting power. On a soft target, it is still dangerous.
So, to sum up--don't put the pommel on, just 1)change grip positions to change the balance, or 2)investigate lighter headed axes. I recommend ragweed forge. Check out the Franciscas--they're fighter/thrower/belt axes from the Germanic tribe called the Franks, ancient ancestors to the French. They're compact, throw well, and make a useful and compact cutting/hooking tool.
There is also an advanced reverse grip for an axe, but no need to go there now (it is mostly used for fighting with axe, not in a tool application).
Keith
Keith
A good and simple axe is something that the average blacksmith can manufacture with little difficulty, so I'd suggest hooking up with a smith on this one. You don't need to go to a pricey custom maker (I reiterate this many times) to obtain a good working axehead.
I had a guy make me one, and he even added some embellisments for me. I wanted him to follow the Mammen Axe in style, and he did pretty good. hammer back is handy.
Pommel--in an axe, this is unnecessary, and actually a bit counter-productive. It is the massy, weight-forward feel of the axe that makes it good at chopping. If it balanced any more neutrally, the work would require more strength on the part of the user. Try this experiment--get an axe, then go to ha hardwar stor and look for the biggest hex nut you can find. Duct tape it onto the end of the haft, opposite the blade end. Now try swinginng it. Sure, it feels more weight neutral now. Now, go to your chopping target, and give it a few swipes. Okay, now undo the tape and remove the pommel. Now strike a few blows. See how the blows made without the pommel cut deeper?
Another option would be to investigate axes with smaller, lighter heads, and longer hafts to counterbalance the head.
I have a viking bearded axe that has a 26-inch haft. If I want to deliver a powerful cut, I hold it far down on the haft, near the end of it. If I want a more neutral "alive fighting axe" balance feel, I choke up on the haft so that my hand is 8-10 inches form the end of the haft. This brings the balance more to the neutral, but it does sacrifice some cutting power. On a soft target, it is still dangerous.
So, to sum up--don't put the pommel on, just 1)change grip positions to change the balance, or 2)investigate lighter headed axes. I recommend ragweed forge. Check out the Franciscas--they're fighter/thrower/belt axes from the Germanic tribe called the Franks, ancient ancestors to the French. They're compact, throw well, and make a useful and compact cutting/hooking tool.
There is also an advanced reverse grip for an axe, but no need to go there now (it is mostly used for fighting with axe, not in a tool application).
Keith
Keith
The primary idea of the pommel is so that I can use the axe as a hook with out as much strain. I figure I might be able to even use it like the wheel pomels on euro swords and hold the pommel with my second hand. I think I will try the nut thing though. Just as an experiment.
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- May 16, 2002
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good idea! It is in this way that you can see what best suits you. If the pommel thing doesn't work out, try the other suggestions as well. A lighter axe still hooks.
Keith
Keith