SkAxE opinions ?

[S.Grosvenor]

Well tell me what ya think, going for a combo skinner/axe I will tape up the handle later and see how it swings, just took it out of the oven.

The consensus was to focus on the skinner part of the blade, so it's heavy on the Skinner and light on the AxE.

 

[dms p.a.w.]

that is very cool

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

While it looks cool, the problem is the fusion of uses.

I would love a compact car that can haul all my equipment to a hammer-in, but that takes a bigger vehicle. No amount of design changes will make a large vehicle small.

In the same way, there is no way to make an Axe and a skinning knife blend. The edge geometry is totally different....very totally different. If it skins, it will be ruined by any chopping. If it chops, it won't skin.

It would be better to make a set with a belt axe and a skinning knife.

 

[S.Grosvenor]

Well put a test handle on it and went to work, a quick 5min edge and tied into a 2x4

While it didn't excel at this, I do think If I changed a few things it would be suitable, I'd hate to have to chop enough wood with this to keep a fire going.
The customer wished to use it for chopping deer pelvic bone, should work for that, but guarantee that's not all he's gonna what to do with it.

Off To the campsite to cook supper,

Its a much better 'kitchen' (use that term lightly) knife actually peels nice and easy and while now fillet knife, does a nice job skinning the Salmon, our cat thought she could do just as good, if she was given the chance.

Did a edge test before and after today's trials

This is just like anything else that you try to make one thing work for, while it may be just o.k. for everything, it fails to be great at any one thing.

 

[Matthew Gregory]

I used to make fun stuff like that. They rarely worked out, but they were a hell of a lot of fun to beat the snot out of!

Looks like you had a good time, too...

 

[Matthew Gregory]

btw, Stacy, here's a link to Gransfors Bruks skinning axe:

Hunter's Axe

The concept, although unusual, certainly isn't new.

 

[AcridSaint]

I think it would work out better for the skinning/slicing bit if you bright the grind higher.

 

[sunshadow]

Nice attempt at something kinda Hollywood looking, looks like it works somewhat well, but the best solution I have seen so far is the Hudsons Bay axe I had as a kid, something like this:

http://www.snowandnealley.com/products/axes/hbca24.htm

the hudsons bay axes are derived from trade axes from the late 1600s,

-Page

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

I like it, looks like it pulled off a variety of tasks pretty well, plus it looks cool!

 

[S.Grosvenor]

I like it, looks like it pulled off a variety of tasks pretty well, plus it looks cool!

Thank you sir, I think with some slight geometry changes I believe it would handle the chopping a little better, I'm happy with how it skins.

I would like to try rotating the cutting edge down so the point is 1/4" below the top of the handle rather than above and adding a little length to the bit... more to follow.

If it would have failed completely yesterday I would have given up, but I think with just a few tweaks I can make it a decent compromise, no compromise is ever great but acceptable is what I'm shooting for.

 

[james terrio]

If it would have failed completely yesterday I would have given up, but I think with just a few tweaks I can make it a decent compromise, no compromise is ever great but acceptable is what I'm shooting for.

That's completely reasonable. If that's what the client wants, go for it!

 

[scout_77]

I like were you are going with this, but I would add a little weight to the blade to improve it's chopping power.

 

[st8yd]

It might work pretty fair.

I've watched a friend, which is an older gentleman skin a deer with a hawk as fast as any young man could with a good knife.

I use a hawk for cutting the pelvic bone and cutting the ribs off.