Theoretically, you just can't beat a longer handle. Of course practically there are other considerations, like aim, etc.
I think the longer handle is better up to a point. You lose accuracy as the handle gets longer. Short heavy axes feel clunky to me. They may deliver the same energy as a lighter longer axe but it's spread out over a wider bit and so doesn't penetrate as deeply.
yeah, definitely true about accuracy (what I referred to as 'aim') as the handle gets longer. I'm not sure if you caught that last line of my original post. I think as a classic dynamics problem it's interesting, as there's always a trade off, but in general from a physics standpoint the answer of a longer haft versus a heavier head seems clear. Velocity wins the day in this kind of rotational dynamics problem. That might be why a short handled, heavy headed axe seems clunky to you (or maybe all of us)! For the same moment of inertia you could have better momentum in a lighter headed, longer hafted axe.
Just like you say, increased bit length means increased resistance in the wood. Really it's also the taper of the bit, since the width changes the contact area. In terms of depth of penetration, a longer bit with the same bevel results in shallower cuts. That's why I'm wondering about OP's new Swedish axe head- it looks comparable to most hatchet sizes out there- judging from the dollar bill, it's probably a 3 1/4" bit. That's only about a half an inch smaller than the Flying Fox.
It’s (apparently) a paper label HB hatchet, although there’s no maker’s mark. Collins and dollar bill for scale. ... I paid more than I should have. Probably due to hipsters and Gransfor, vintage Swedish heads sell at a premium. ... It’s too small so it’s going to EBay.
She looks pretty good to me! Just out of curiosity... what's she going for?
It seems like you're equating weight with bit length, which might not be the best assumption... for a 1 1/4 lb head, that's ball park what I'd expect. The Estwing E24A has a 3 1/4" bit (1.6 lb total weight), and the flying fox has 3 7/8" bit length (1.6 lb
head weight). I think I've read that the Gransfors Small Forest Axe has a 2 lb head with a 3 1/4" bit.
Even a Vaughan half hatchet is 1.375 lbs with a 3 1/2" face.
Out of curiosity, what length of a bit are you looking for? That might be a good starting point.
--------------------------------------------------
in other, related news to the OP's first post...
--------------------------------------------------
I went camping this past weekend in Vermont where they supply split wood for cabin woodstoves, but all outdoor fires (which I use for cooking) must be fueled with found wood from the forest floor. I brought my Estwing E24A sportsman's axe with me, and it did all the wood processing for the whole weekend. As a side note- there was a 1/2 mile hike to the cabins with my wife and two year old, so I carried all the gear.
I made kindling for two cabin woodstoves from seasoned and split hardwood, fell a standing dead spruce tree (10" diameter), cut it into logs, and sized all sorts of branches made from everything from spruce to white ash. I cut all the wood to fuel an outside fire for all waking hours on Friday afternoon through Sunday morning.
My friend and his girlfriend stayed in a nearby cabin and we shared a communal fire. I explained how I can't wait for my Council Tools Flying Fox to arrive, and after seeing me using the Estwing, he asked how much better can a hatchet get? Part of it is my own personal skill- I've gotten a lot better since I started using the E24A. Part of it is also my reprofiling of the bevel on diamond stones, I'm sure, and it's consequently extraordinarily sharp edge.
Conclusions: Great chopper, okay splitter. This was the most use it's seen in any one stint, and it's still pretty sharp and working effectively. The lower 1/2" of the bit is
really sharp, leading me to believe I've only really been using the top 2 3/4" consistently. The edge is intact despite carelessly driving the edge into knots a few times. It's a weak splitter, which I believe is due to how far back the divergent part of the axe sits; all the way back at the poll. I believe more traditional hatchets will have advantage there- there is be less driving of a bit to get splitting leverage. I did notice that particularly in harder woods the Estwing cuts more effectively at more oblique (lower) angles.
I'm
very excited to get that new Flying Fox in hand and give that a try. If the Estwing truly is an average performer, then I'm in for a treat with something deemed to be "the finest hatchet on the market".
