Photos Pictures of my new Wetterlings Hudson Bay Axe (is everything fine with it?)

zakazak · May 4, 2017

Today I pulled the trigger after checking out a few axes at one of our most known "axe/knife/razor" stores in our country.

The guy showing me around explained to me that from all the axes this would probably fit my needs the most and this is also what I understood when watching several reviews/videos of different axes:

Allrounder for felling, limbing, chopping and splitting
Although I will mostly be splitting
Will only be using a few times a year (do get another stock of firewood for my grandparents / for myself)

Woodcraft · May 4, 2017

1. No. No matter what anyone tells you no. (When it comes to felling bucking limbing and splitting no. Shorter is more dangerous for the newbie)
2. Little late now that you own it. Perhaps if you re hang it.
3. If you like it, sure pick up a spare.
4. Put a longer handle on it, but that's just me. I'd say 28" 29" should do.

zakazak · May 4, 2017

Woodcraft said:
1. No. No matter what anyone tells you no. (When it comes to felling bucking limbing and splitting no. Shorter is more dangerous for the newbie)
2. Little late now that you own it. Perhaps if you re hang it.
3. If you like it, sure pick up a spare.
4. Put a longer handle on it, but that's just me. I'd say 28" 29" should do.

1. Alright, I just short meant its easier to aim
2. Ye sure I own it now.. but still I am curious about it? I read in a several online articles that the balancing point is one of the least important factors when choosing an axe?
3. + 4. I might get a Wetterling Forest Axe handle then which should be the same length as the "GB Scandinavian Forest Axe" which felt great !

Last but not least: Did you by any chance inspect my pictures?

Woodcraft · May 4, 2017

zakazak said:
1. Alright, I just short meant its easier to aim
2. Ye sure I own it now.. but still I am curious about it? I read in a several online articles that the balancing point is one of the least important factors when choosing an axe?
3. + 4. I might get a Wetterling Forest Axe handle then which should be the same length as the "GB Scandinavian Forest Axe" which felt great !

Last but not least: Did you by any chance inspect my pictures?

I looked. The wooden "split" on the proud part of the handle is nothing to be worried about. You want that part of the handle to be expanded over the head, it locks the head to the handle. And it is a small split.
As far a balancing point, what way do you mean? As in bit to heel balance? As in how it hangs with a plumb line? Or where on the handle does it balance on a finger?
Yes, balance is important. Perhaps it may not seem so in quick little sprints of work. But even then, over time if you give yourself the opportunity you will notice the benefits of a well balanced ax. Overall balance is what makes a straight handle with a three pound double bit seem quite lite and nimble. A properly made curved handle (as well as a balanced head) does the same for a good single bit felling ax. A balanced tool is a more accurate tool. And on and on and on.

If you do pick up some spare handles I would try to avoid run out.

Square_peg · May 4, 2017

Looks like a nice axe.

zakazak · May 5, 2017

Woodcraft said:
As far a balancing point, what way do you mean? As in bit to heel balance? As in how it hangs with a plumb line? Or where on the handle does it balance on a finger?
Yes, balance is important. Perhaps it may not seem so in quick little sprints of work. But even then, over time if you give yourself the opportunity you will notice the benefits of a well balanced ax. Overall balance is what makes a straight handle with a three pound double bit seem quite lite and nimble. A properly made curved handle (as well as a balanced head) does the same for a good single bit felling ax. A balanced tool is a more accurate tool. And on and on and on.

I just learned that there are two different kind of balances an axe needs. Is there a an easy/quick guide on how to test the balance of an axe and what it should result in?
Then I could post the results here of the Wetterlings Hudson Bay Axe

Woodcraft · May 5, 2017

Not that I'm aware of. Woodtrekker used to set an ax on the arm of an office chair to show bit to poll and handle balance.
I personally do it by hand. I balance the ax on the pointer finger to find bit to poll and head to foot balance. Then I hold the handle in the bottom hand position with a plub line to show "hanging" balance.
As far as your Wetterlings it is bit heavy with a light short handle. It does however hang with a plumb line more balanced than one would think. The line is however, in front of the eye. I do believe a boys handle would cure that.

zakazak · May 5, 2017

Woodcraft said:
Not that I'm aware of. Woodtrekker used to set an ax on the arm of an office chair to show bit to poll and handle balance.
I personally do it by hand. I balance the ax on the pointer finger to find bit to poll and head to foot balance. Then I hold the handle in the bottom hand position with a plub line to show "hanging" balance.
As far as your Wetterlings it is bit heavy with a light short handle. It does however hang with a plumb line more balanced than one would think. The line is however, in front of the eye. I do believe a boys handle would cure that.

And what would the positions that I "measure" tell me and where should they be?

Thanks for your detailed explenation !

Woodcraft · May 5, 2017

zakazak said:
And what would the positions that I "measure" tell me and where should they be?

Thanks for your detailed explenation !

On the finger would be showing the bit to poll balance. Roughly. The balance point can be found better off handle. I argue that taking the balance point on a curved surface, be it the inside of the eye or on the handle is not the most accurate. But, whatever.
The finger will also show where the head to foot balance is. Personally I feel It should be head end loaded.
The plumb line should run down the handle to the balance point bit to poll of a well designed ax. So on a double bit, dead center. A handle can be designed to "reel in" the imbalance, so on an ax that is bit heavy to an extreme a plumb line will show that the curvature of the handle "fixed" the imbalance and where it is "in the swing" so to speak.
Despite all the tinkering and twisting, bad balance and design is still just that. It has been said by many people in many different ways. Cook, Mores whatever his name is, really bit heavy axes are not desirable, they do things that are undesirable. The further the balance point gets from the eye,the more you are asking for trouble no matter what you do to fix it handle wise. An ax is a striking tool, it has to be balanced both to swing, and that balance, or lack thereof will also effect what happens on strike.
Of course one can point to specific examples of axes designed for a very specific task. I am speaking about an ax that will be used for felling, bucking, limbing and splitting. The best you can do for balance is a good double bit. The good ones are quite frankly, perfect. So that is the benchmark for balance tests in my opinion.

FortyTwoBlades · May 5, 2017

To find the center of gravity, drop a plumb line from two different points on the axe with it pinched between forefinger and thumb, with the axe allowed to pivot freely. Where those two lines would intersect in space is where the center of gravity is. An ideal handle will have as much of the length as possible running towards/through the center of gravity. Depending on the head, this may require a certain amount of offset in the neck of the handle to allow the main length to be brought into proper alignment.

garry3 · May 5, 2017

The swirling grain will eventually lead to a warped handle.

You guys are ruining this site with BS. It's not that hard or complicated and I haven't seen many one legged axe users.

FortyTwoBlades · May 5, 2017

Ultimately the axe looks fit for use. I wouldn't get hung up on any of the little stuff and would use it as-is until you run into some kind of handle failure. Then you can fiddle around with things as much as ya' like, but there's nothing keeping it from being put to work right now. Shorter handles are easier to use, but more dangerous if they glance and good technique isn't being employed, so just be careful and mindful when using it. Which you should really be doing regardless of handle length, anyhow.

Woodcraft · May 5, 2017

Here is cooks opinion on the matter.

FortyTwoBlades said:
To find the center of gravity, drop a plumb line from two different points on the axe with it pinched between forefinger and thumb, with the axe allowed to pivot freely. Where those two lines would intersect in space is where the center of gravity is. An ideal handle will have as much of the length as possible running towards/through the center of gravity. Depending on the head, this may require a certain amount of offset in the neck of the handle to allow the main length to be brought into proper alignment.

Lol, this coming from the guy who stated the Council tool classic Jersey had "perfect balance".
That nonsense is a perversion of science, (at least one ax manufacturer referred to it as "twisted science") designed by you to make people think it was ok for an axe to have an axis outside the handle and eye. It's not, it's pretty well understood by anyone who has held an ax why. That is why you swing your axes with your hands apart because they are unbalanced bit to poll. Because the axis lies far outside the handle and eye.

300Six · May 5, 2017

Congratulations! Opening your attachments is painfully slow so I only looked at the "should I worry about this" files. Small chip is no big deal and I'm really impressed how much wood the factory left sticking out. Most axe makers cut the handle flush with the head.

Because the handle is relatively short, and the primary purpose of the axe is not for splitting firewood, don't be in any hurry to lay in a spare handle because the one you've got could well outlive you. And a few years from now you may choose to switch over to a straight haft or a longer one, and/or you may have become bewitched enough with quality chopping tools that you decide to whittle out your own pattern.

FortyTwoBlades · May 5, 2017

If you ever decide to make a new handle down the road, here's a demo of the principles I described at work, and it's super easy to identify the right handle shape under that method. Pardon the couple of slightly blurry pics, but self-timer photos don't always come out right.

First up is a Council Classic Jersey on the factory handle. You can see that with two points of contact on the main length of the handle it will lay dead horizontal.

Next up is a Rinaldi "Trento" pattern axe from Italy, on its factory handle, which has a large, deep bit and very little poll. As such, it wants to hang bit-down. This isn't a problem when making downward cuts, but it means that making horizontal cuts on standing trees requires some compensation in your technique.

However, I really like the overall performance qualities of the particular axe, and so I made this handle for it (still in the final stages of fitting) that puts the main length in alignment with the center of gravity. Because of how bit-heavy the head is, this required a significant offset in the neck of the handle. However, you can see that it now balances horizontally when held along the main length.

There are a lot of axes that, unlike the Council, don't have the handle aligned with the center of gravity. In most polled axes, however, the amount of offset needed in the neck to correct this is pretty minimal. A big poll-less head like the Trento is a deliberately extreme example.

Woodcraft · May 5, 2017

FortyTwoBlades said:
If you ever decide to make a new handle down the road, here's a demo of the principles I described at work, and it's super easy to identify the right handle shape under that method. Pardon the couple of slightly blurry pics, but self-timer photos don't always come out right.

First up is a Council Classic Jersey on the factory handle. You can see that with two points of contact on the main length of the handle it will lay dead horizontal.

Next up is a Rinaldi "Trento" pattern axe from Italy, on its factory handle, which has a large, deep bit and very little poll. As such, it wants to hang bit-down. This isn't a problem when making downward cuts, but it means that making horizontal cuts on standing trees requires some compensation in your technique.

However, I really like the overall performance qualities of the particular axe, and so I made this handle for it (still in the final stages of fitting) that puts the main length in alignment with the center of gravity. Because of how bit-heavy the head is, this required a significant offset in the neck of the handle. However, you can see that it now balances horizontally when held along the main length.

There are a lot of axes that, unlike the Council, don't have the handle aligned with the center of gravity. In most polled axes, however, the amount of offset needed in the neck to correct this is pretty minimal. A big poll-less head like the Trento is a deliberately extreme example.

Lol. Dude, what a joke. The Council tool is bit heavy. The handle adjust it back a little on the hang. Your two finger nonsense is nothing more than a parlour trick. I would be more than happy to throw up a screenshot of you saying it has perfect balance as well.

So you are either a liar, or do not understand ax balance whatsoever. Seeing how you claimed most American felling axes had a point of balance just outside the eye/handle, I'm not sure what one it is at this point.

Square_peg · May 5, 2017

Let's stop the hostility towards one another and just focus on posting our facts, opinions, dreams, etc.

Please.

Woodcraft · May 5, 2017

An adult

An 11 year old holding the Wetterlings, lol. Parlour tricks. Bad form.

Unfortunately when swinging horizontally you will not have two distant points of contact on the handle. So holding the Apex of handle curves to prevent the bit heavy nose dive is not happening. And if you do try an use an ax with two distant separate points of contact horizontally you will quickly learn why that is a sucky way to go about things. Lol.

Kentucky · May 5, 2017

use it and enjoy it. If something eventually happens to the handle replace it buddy. Don't spend to much time worrying about such things. Just grab it and growl

Woodcraft · May 5, 2017

Square_peg said:
Let's stop the hostility towards one another and just focus on posting our facts, opinions, dreams, etc.

Please.

I'm not being hostile, I'm calling out the bs. I really do not care if people like it. Claiming the council tool has perfect balance is an outright lie. I'm done with the bs.

Photos Pictures of my new Wetterlings Hudson Bay Axe (is everything fine with it?)

zakazak

Woodcraft

zakazak

Woodcraft

Square_peg

zakazak

Woodcraft

zakazak

Woodcraft

FortyTwoBlades

Baryonyx walkeri

garry3

FortyTwoBlades

Baryonyx walkeri

Woodcraft

300Six

FortyTwoBlades

Baryonyx walkeri

Woodcraft

Square_peg

Woodcraft

Kentucky

Woodcraft