Paul Chen Axes; Any good?

O

oz23

Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
298
Thinking about getting one of the Paul Chen axes, probably the Francesca.
Any thoughts?
 
I have francescas and they're probably the best 'fighters' in my collection. I don't know about throwing, and I wouldn't want to limb a tree with one. As fighters however, they are light, and well balanced. Be prepared to secure the head to the haft however, as all three of mine eventually 'let loose' at inopportune moments... ;)
 
Bladewolf said:
I have francescas and they're probably the best 'fighters' in my collection. I don't know about throwing, and I wouldn't want to limb a tree with one. As fighters however, they are light, and well balanced. Be prepared to secure the head to the haft however, as all three of mine eventually 'let loose' at inopportune moments... ;)
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Thanks for the advice. :) .BTW what's the best way to secure the head on one of these?
 
I personally like to use gorilla glue for this type of thing. It expands as it dries, and is very strong.
 
J.Davey said:
I personally like to use gorilla glue for this type of thing. It expands as it dries, and is very strong.
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That's exactly what I used, and haven't had a problem since. If your going this route oz23, watch how much you use, and if any foams onto the haft,try to remove it before it sets completely. The first time I used gorilla glue, I was trying to fix a sword handle. After what I thought was sufficient setting time, almost a full day, I sheathed the sword, and left it behind the seat of my truck. Unfortunately, it was a hot day, and after leaving the truck in the sun for 9 hours, I left work to discover that the glue had continued to expand through the guard and had effectively glued the sheath to the blade. As J.Davey says, this stuff is strong, and I can't begin to describe the time I had
separating blade from sheath. Neither has ever been the same :(
 
I'm not sure that we get Gorilla glue over here in Blighty, sounds like strong stuff though! Are we talking something like Araldite or what? Name an analogue that's available here. :D
 
I'm not sure what's available over the pond. Look for any expanding, high bondage epoxy or glue. These glues work best on permeable surfaces such as wood. It's a good idea to 'rough up' the surface of the haft normally covered by the eye hole of the head, and then soak the end of the haft in water for a few moments before applying the glue. As I've said, use an expansion glue sparingly, as it will seep from the eye hole when to much is applied. With that said and done, I think you will like the Francesca. :cool:
 
I know that with Gorilla Glue, you can file or sand off any excess once it's dry. I had to do this with my Cold Steel War Hammer. I then coated the entire handle with black PlastiDip (two and a half cans worth of it...it's the new duct tape), and also brought the coating up and over the sides of the head and over the eye. I've pounded some particle board into oblivion, and slammed the spike through a steel drawer on an old office desk more times than I care to admit. The tip on that thing didn't blunt at all (and I had made it pointier when I first received it)! I wish someone like Ranger Knives would make a modern war hammer. I honestly like them as much as tomahawks.
 
Thanks for the tip about the PlastiDip J.Davey, it occured to me after reading your post, that it might be a great way to protect the haft under the head of some of my wooden handles. Since you can get it in different colors now, I can even get artistic :cool: I may have to get me a War Hammer too, since I like the 'demolition' aspec of those kinds of tools, as I do with my hawks. ;)
 
Great advice chaps, I'll let you know how I come on with the Francesca when I get it. :)
 
Bladewolf (great name, by the way...two of my favorite things), the cold steel warhammer is great for the money; I recommend it highly. Albion Armors also makes a great warhammer head, too, and I think it might be longer and heavier than the Cold Steel head. (60 bucks just for the head, but it's a beauty).
http://albion-swords.com/axes/warhammer.htm
 
Cool :cool: I'm considering it, it might be fun to haft myself. Thanks J.Davey
Yeah, me and the missus are into wolves too. Tattoos, artwork, the whole bit. If you want to see the full size image of my avatar, go to www.catskillcomics.com and look either under recent commissions, or, the artwork of Harry Roland. He did Shewolf for me based on our love of blades and wolves. :)
 
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