Sorta hard going from newbie to master bladesmith in one youtube video. Anyone care to post honest photos of their first designs and efforts when they were getting into making knives or axes. The willingness to try and make something your own often leads to making something of your own. If the heat treatment of the axe head has been compromised or the design functions poorly for the intended purpose, I suspect that the fellow will adjust his design and/or methods to try and evolve. The real test of character is not whether you make mistakes along the way, but when you make mistakes along the way you learn from them rather than getting discouraged and giving up.
I'm no knife maker, but in the fields that I have accomplished some level of success at I vividly and fondly remember the advice offered with kindness and understanding. Cold criticism and mocking reflect poorly on the speaker, not the target. Anyone can be a critic. It's a rare few that can offer much needed advice in a manner that encourages the hearer as well as educates the hearer. The goal should be to build up those to whom you are speaking, not build yourself up in front of them.
Big words, I know. I am seldom able to live up to them, but they are still a goal of mine.
When I come on this forum I am always thankful for the wealth of knowledge and experience that is represented here. I rarely visit without learning something. I hope that some of the talented and experienced people here will reach out to the fellow in the video and help him grow. I liked the stylized appearance of his axe. Perhaps not the most straight-forward and practical design, but the same could be said for many Spyderco knives (which I love, by the way). I, for one, applaud him for taking the initiative to modify the original axe had and post a video. I'm sure he will learn from the experience, and his next one will benefit from process.
