SP 16 in the woods?

[ghostguy6]

I have a huge piece of O1 tool steel I was thinking about making something similar to the Spax. Insted of the sharp curve on the blade I would make it more like a standard hatchet and then drill some holes to cut down on the weight. Since I hike often on steep and icy slopes I was thinking about loosing the spike on the back and bolting or welding on a blade from an ice axe. The handle would be made out of African black wood since I have a few extra pieces laying around. Anyways i was wondering what everyones thoughts on this would be?
This would be the pick I would use on the back half.

SP16 - Spax

8" Blade, 13 1/8" Overall
1/4" Blade Thickness
National Stock Number (NSN): 1095-01-515-9877

 

[JStrider]

I'd be wary of doing a self arrest with a big blade like that on the other side of the pick...

couldnt really get your shoulder behind it without risking getting cut...

 

[Kevin the grey]

Ask somebody else but having a hole in a blade you will split wood with might hang up in the wood. The spike sounds alright . It is designed for ice so it may not work that well for woodlands.

I will be interested to hear other replys.

 

[ghostguy6]

I'd be wary of doing a self arrest with a big blade like that on the other side of the pick...

couldnt really get your shoulder behind it without risking getting cut...

There is a technique for swinging an ice axe correctly, when done right it keeps the blade above the shoulder so i dont think the blade will be much of a problem. Im also planning on making a kydex sheath that will allow the use of the ice pick while covering the blade.

 

[PhoulPlae]

What is the purpose of the oddly shaped hole on the SPAX? Also given the NSN, does anyone know if this item really issued and who uses it?

 

[ghostguy6]

The hole is designed to open fire hydrents. It supposably is issued to flight crews so they can cut thier way out of a downed aircraft. I personally have not seen one on a plane or chopper though. Maybe they remove them while they are at airshows?

 

[Boats]

When I was in the Navy, aboard a destroyer, we had rescue gear and crew on standby for helicopter operations. As I served aboard a ship made during the Kennedy administration, it did not have the Sea Sprite hangars or fantail area sufficient to land a copter like ships of today mostly do, so the helos hovered over the ship to transfer personnel, supplies, or mail.

Therefore, we had damage control personnel standing by for the worst. They had something like the Spax, but I don't know if it was by Ontario or not, since the crash axes have been around the wet service since God knows when, but at least since WW2. The ones we used had a "trianglish" hole, not the well defined nut cut like the one pictured above, which looks sized to fit a hydrant or gas cut off or something else land based. I was told that the hole on the shipboard crash axe is for use as a valve wrench, or for prying leverage on something like a handle to a helo door or a watertight door dog. It is sized to do those things, and the shape was also supposedly the size it was to enable one to shut down or open a fire main valve on the ship if the control wheel were snapped off of it.

They also had nozzle extensions and hooligan bars for crash rescue, along with the metallic "fireproof" suits.

The one on the left is a ringer for the one I saw in the Navy.

 

[tiros]

Just my two cents,

If you are going to weld a pick on the back of an axe, I would not use a recurve pick like the one pictured for two reasons:

1. If you plan on self arresting with a pick that agressive, it would most likely grab to agressively and tear out of your hands.

2. If you plan to use it for its intended purpose (veritcal waterfall ice) the risk of the tool "popping" should you have to lock off could be dangerous with a sharpened edge on the opposite end. I agree that proper form helps, but I've never run across an ice climber that hasn't taken at least one tool to the face in their time climbing. I use hammers on both my ice tools for this very reason.

Instead I would either find or make a more classic shaped pick, they self arrest much more safely and will climb near vertical in a pinch.