Total noob here, need some help/advice

S

sandspeed

Joined
Jan 24, 2012
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Ok, I am not entirely new to blades, I just have very little knowledge about them aside from how to use them, and I especially don't know much about axes. Here's the situation: I am in the Air Force and our squadron commander leaves soon. It's traditional for us to get a going away present for senior leadership in a unit, so we are trying to think of something cool and fitting. Our unit's nickname is "Recce Warriors" (We maintain U-2 reconnaissance aircraft) and our unofficial unit insignia is a gauntlet holding a double bladed battleaxe. Seeing as we are in Northern California, I came up with the idea of finding a battleaxe and either just mounting it to a redwood plaque or finding one with a nice redwood handle and then mounting it on the redwood plaque. I just can't seem to find a decent quality axe that will look nice and maybe even be useable. We don't want the crazy sci-fi/fantasy look, but something more medieval/rugged and custom, or customizable. Does anyone have any idea where I can start to look? So far ebay/etsy/google/etc. don't turn up much that isn't pretty cheesy or way in the other direction and basically a craftsman woodcutting axe. If it's something nice, but basic, we can always doll it up with our laser cutter/etcher at work. Please give me any input guys. I appreciate it!

PS: I am also probably going to pick him up a SOG axe and then laser etch it with some cool stuff and special words. The colonel is big on shooting, hunting and fishing, so he will probably appreciate that.
 
Get a SOG Double Hawk, strip the coating, put a patina on it and maybe make a redwood handle yourself?
 
How about a Gransfors double bit. It's got a rugged classic look, and is of the highest quality.
48u0307s1.jpg

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Felling_01.jpg
 
I agree the Gransfors double bit would be the highest quality and a real user, the shorter version is actually made for throwing.

Less of a user would be the Paul Chen Hero's Axe:

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Here's a user that's smaller than the Gransfors, it's the Condor Double Bit Michigan Axe:

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[photos from Google Images]
 
Make it removable from the plaque. I always liked that. I second the SOG double axe, since you say you want to get him an SOG anyway.
Developed by Thag the Conquerer in 406 B.C., the SOG Double Headed Axe is one of the oldest items that has been in continuous production. (Yes, beer is older.) But, according to Thag, the Double Headed Axe would never even have been invented if it weren't for beer. Thag also maintains, 'UNGH,' and 'AWGH,' and a few other guttural sounds that we didn't know how to spell. What he's trying to say is that the Double Headed Axe is based on the construction and durability of the Tomahawk. It can shape and split wood if you're out camping or sculpting those ridiculous bear-shaped front-door decoration things. It can also be used during military operations for breaching or extraction. The stainless steel head is mounted to a ballistic polymer handle with heavy-duty bolts and a steel ferrule to stand up to any punishment that you can dish out, whether you're chopping wood or lopping off zombie heads.
 
Ok, after talking to my bosses, I clarified that we want to go more in the direction of something that may have been used in battle, or has that appearance, not really something you would chop wood with. And now I'm being told it needs to be imposing in size, like a 6 foot pole. I guess I would just like to know who I could talk to about maybe commisioning a custom head, then we can have a pole/handle made for us as well. Any other ideas?
 
Hopefully someone will jump in to direct you, but just to let you know, we haven't used anything like what your talking about in ground battle in a long time. The closest is from our vehicle BII, the 4 1/2 lb, single bit axe, 36 1/2" long. And, the issue entry / extraction tools. That is what is used by our conventional guys. Any hand axe / tomahawk is a personal item, they range from about 10" to 24" and about 1 to 2 pounds. The basic combat load and fighting load of our Infantry soldiers, plus as much ammo one can carry is the max our legs and backs can handle. To see a hawk or axe strapped to a combat soldier on patrol is very rare. You may be thinking of something from medievil times, but that's cool. I'd like to think that most guys in this forum probably had previous lives back then anyways.
 
leebrewer said:
Hopefully someone will jump in to direct you, but just to let you know, we haven't used anything like what your talking about in ground battle in a long time. The closest is from our vehicle BII, the 4 1/2 lb, single bit axe, 36 1/2" long. And, the issue entry / extraction tools. That is what is used by our conventional guys. Any hand axe / tomahawk is a personal item, they range from about 10" to 24" and about 1 to 2 pounds. The basic combat load and fighting load of our Infantry soldiers, plus as much ammo one can carry is the max our legs and backs can handle. To see a hawk or axe strapped to a combat soldier on patrol is very rare. You may be thinking of something from medievil times, but that's cool. I'd like to think that most guys in this forum probably had previous lives back then anyways.
Click to expand...

Sorry. Let me clarify: A medieval style axe is in the insignia for the squadron. Believe me, I know there aren't infantry guys out there in plate armor with long swords and halberds. I only carried 270 rounds and assorted battle rattle, and I wouldn't have added an axe to the two knives I carried back then. This is a presentation piece. He already has a replica of a Colt Peacemaker in a presentation box and we want to one-up that with a big-ass ridiculous double-bladed axe like a guard outside a castle would have used 400 years ago. I found a couple nice 17th century Persian axes, but they are a bit small. The problem is that I can find combat axes or hooligan tools or even your everyday axe for chopping wood, and then on the other extreme I can find sweet looking axes that are made with crappy quality and would probably fall apart fairly quick because they are meant to be in a display case. And yeah, this is for display too, but it has to exude badassery. Young Airmen should be intimidated when they have to go see the commander, and having a 6 foot tall poleaxe should do it.

As far as the SOG axe goes, that will be a separate gift, something he could actually use when out screwing around/hunting/camping/etc. and we will doctor that one up a bit. And yes, I know I'm a tough customer.
 
If you can't get one custom made in the USA, you might be interested in this model that's made in Eastern Europe.

The head size is approx 11" by 16.5"

double-edged-battle-axe_2.jpg


It's the "double edged battle axe" from Wulflund.
 
Have you tried a search for -Battle ready pole axe- or -Battle ready halberd- ?

One other thought is find the nearest kingdom of S.C.A. (Society for Creative Anachronism) and ask them.
http://www.sca.org/

The Herald or Armorer could probably point you to a good axe.

A friend of mine was in the nearest group and he would regularly attend meetings and "lay-to, left and right upponst his fellow brethren".
Some just like bruises and broken fingers...




Did some digging on a few SCA sites and found this guy;
http://www.kirbywise.com/frampage.htm

Quite nice, beautiful inlay work and usable to boot!
 
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