Think I goofed and hung it upside down.

J_mcrane

J_mcrane

Joined
Dec 7, 2013
Messages
580
Pretty sure I goofed and hung this baby upside down! This a Welland Vale i rescued from in laws farm. This is the start:

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And here it is now. But I'm pretty sure I hung it upside down. Put it on a 21 inch handle, perfect for size and weight.

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To me, it looks correct. I am ignorant in how to determine this but looking at the toe of the head it is more rounded then the heel of the head. Making me think it got struck more and therefor worn down more. This is just my ignorant observation though.


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The manufacturer's stamp on the vast majority of axes is on the port side, (the left) of a head. Judging by the pictures, your head looks to be symmetrical front to back so this niggly detail won't make any difference. But, were the eye to have a built-in taper, and then have been hung backwards, whether you like it or not you'll quickly find out if you goofed. Otherwise get out there and enjoy your 65 +/- year old piece of southern Ontario manufacturing history.
 
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Well, that upswept tip would make it a little easier to stick if you're throwing it. :D It has a tad more clearance in the event of an over-rotated throw, possibly sticking before contacting the top of the handle.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
Well, that upswept tip would make it a little easier to stick if you're throwing it. :D It has a tad more clearance in the event of an over-rotated throw, possibly sticking before contacting the top of the handle.
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I cringe whenever a novice throws a nice axe. Even the most structurally sound handles don't hold up to that kind of abuse.
 
All experts were novices at one time. Broken handles are a given in learning how to throw a new axe type. And if you throw long enough, every handle breaks. Just the nature of the sport.

When I started with 14 inch handle hawks, I broke 6 handles the first 2 months. Then I went 9 months without breaking any. Added 22 inch handles for some long distance throwing and broke 2 getting the distances dialed in. Broke 2 handles on Vaughn Lath hatchets (none at 1/2/3 spin, but broke them on 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 spin training).

About 2 months ago, I took up 2-1/2# and 3-1/2# double bit cruisers with 27" - 28" handles. I've broken 4 so far (28") on some, but all 4 were old, gray, dry handles that I expected to break quickly.

The one thing I haven't gotten around to doing yet is drill pinning holes in the heads. Due to an injury at a throw in 2010, the 2011 European double bit axe throwing rules were changed to require 2 5mm steel pins, with at least 1 through the wedge. And each axe is inspected for cracks or other damage each morning prior to being allowed to throw.
 
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That's a whole different game! I doubt very much that folks grab whatever prize axe is in their shed or woodpile when they go out to one of these. Classic thick cheeked domestic axes probably don't fare all that well at this anyway. I notice that Swede outfits and Ox Head even market specific throwing axes. Makers will ultimately come up with some sort of resilient nylon handle for these and they'll probably rig them so they thread in like a broom stick.

When I was a Junior Ranger in Temagami 47 years ago the sturdy Ojibway foreman used to signal quitting time by two arm tossing a full size axe 15-20 feet into a tree trunk. He made it look like nothing and we never saw him miss or bungle the strike. The axe would stay there overnight. Lots of us tried to imitate him but we got raked over the coals by the superintendent about a week in due to all the busted and loose handles that were cropping up.
 
The double bit handles take a beating because the eyes on the lighter axes (1-1/2# to 3-1/2# heads) are relatively narrow and won't take a mishit nicely and the thicker eyed axe heads are 4#+ and the inertia from a mishit is brutal.

Those "special" throwing axes have wide eyes (I think) for the weight. The special Granfors Buk throwers are only made in small runs at weird intervals and make gold look cheap.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
Those "special" throwing axes have wide eyes (I think) for the weight. The special Granfors Bruk throwers are only made in small runs at weird intervals and make gold look cheap.
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That figures! All competitive sports involve luxury/custom/specialty items that look superficially as if they could be used for what they evolved from. If you wanted to start a thread on these it's obvious you have much more experience then the most of us and 'all things axes' are of interest on here. In the meantime I hope not to see too many veteran Welland-Vales with symmetrical blades sticking out of fence posts, hydro poles and sheets of plywood around here.
 
You can and should take the head off and put it on the right way.
The head should be down snug against the shoulder of the handle (the part of the handle where it gets much fatter..it should be at least a good inch or so lower down the handle than you have it set now.

It should sit down against the shoulder of the handle, and you would cut the top inch or so off that's sticking up and cut the kerf (the slot which the wedge goes in) deeper if need be. There is lots of rasping involved with hanging it properly.
 
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isn't that thing meant to be symmetrical? if it's just an issue of hanging at the same end as the original handle, it might not be a big deal (or is it?)
 
nzedge said:
You can and should take the head off and put it on the right way.
The head should be down snug against the shoulder of the handle (the part of the handle where it gets much fatter..it should be at least a good inch or so lower down the handle than you have it set now.

It should sit down against the shoulder of the handle, and you would cut the top inch or so off that's sticking up and cut the kerf (the slot which the wedge goes in) deeper if need be. There is lots of rasping involved with hanging it properly.
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That is what I was thinking, whether it is upside down or not(I can't tell) it needs to be rehung so it it sits on the shoulder.
 
The eye of the axe should be tapered. The smaller end goes on first so when you wedge the handle it expands and cannot let the head slip off.
 
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