The CleaverAxe is Done..

69_knives

69_knives

Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
1,855
Somebody requested pics of this when it was finished... so, here it is.

I did a cord wrapped handle with leather slabs underneath. It is cotton clothes line or something that I got 15M of from the dollar store for $2.00.

I still might incorporate a bottle opener of some sort but at the moment there is none.

Of course, it is shaving sharp.

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Feel free to critique or comment. :)
 
I've only tested it on a plastic water bottle. My feeble attempts produced 3 cuts in the bottle but no complete sever.. I guess water bottle cutting takes practice too!

My roommate probably thinks I'm strange enough without seeing me hack up 2x4's with something like that. :)
 
Looks like a good camp/survival tool.

One thing I would change if you make another one is the saw-out corner where the handle meets the head. It is a perfect 90 degree angle. Next time, make it a continuous curve. It will greatly strengthen the axe, and eliminate the most probable failure point. That is also a prime target for a heat riser to make a stress crack in HT. It may not show, but if it is stressed there in HT, it will fail in heavy use......and you don't want a survival axe to fail when you actually need it. I would test it on some heavy chopping (Trees or 2X4s) and see how the axe works and balances. Also, to see how the edge holds up.

I would dye the leather black or dark brown. That unfinished leather looks.....well.....unfinished. At the least, soak it down with neatsfoot oil. Another choice would be to dye the leather dark green, and use green paracord for the wrap.

Not really a critique, but in the photo, the wrist strap looks too tight to the wrist.

Stacy
 
Thanks Stacy. That corner bothers me a bit as well. it isn't a perfect notch, I'd say the radius is roughly that which a 1/4" drill bit would produce but I don't know of that is enough to keep it from cracking under use.

Something about the white and clean leather bugs me too, makes me want to bring out the black spray bomb and spray it down. I like the oil idea.

The wrist strap is adjustable each strand has a slip knot around the other strand so you just pull to make it bigger.
 
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Well, I just had to test it today and here are the results... the post measures 6.25" x 6.25"

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It still managed to do this after hacking the post apart:

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And this is the radius in question: Not all that bad..

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Well done, how long did it take you to get through? I'd say it does it's job WELL.
 
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Didn't seem like that long. Barely broke a sweat, which says a LOT for a big not-in-shape guy like me. :)

I think the handle will darken up nicely over time with my big sweaty mitts on it.
 
Looks good. Testing is where the answers come from. The radius looks better in a close up. Nice axe.
Now, dye that leather or oil it, and put on some paracord. Send me your address by email, and I'll ship you some paracord.
Stacy
 
I made the mistake (possibly) of buying Neatsfoot Compound a while back and didn't realize there was even such a thing or to even look out for that. Is the compound OK for something like this handle? I've seen people specifically recommend against the compound but not any explanation as to why.
 
I've heard people recommend against Neatsfoot Compound on sheaths because it may soften the leather too much. Doesn't sound like a problem for a handle wrap to me.
 
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