I don't know much about axe's at all so I came here for a little help. I'm making a game and I wanted to use an axe for a weapon but I wanted to make sure I got the proportions right, the character is 5'6 and I was wondering how tall the axe should be. The axe I was gonna use was a 4 pound Dayton pattern that was 36 inches but it seemed a little too big. So I'm a bit lost. I also tried looking around but I didn't get anything close to an answer, so I thought I'd come on here.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
What is the preferred height of an axe for a 5'6 person?
- Thread starter lilyphila
- Start date
Lily, welcome to BF. If you were a real 5’6” person seeking an axe to use as a weapon, I would tell you that weaponing is not the best use of an axe. However, if you saw that as your only option, I would suggest you try an axe with a 30” handle, then a 32”, then a 36 if you hadn’t found the sweet spot yet. A lot of it would depend on what materials you intended to chop with it, on your body geometry and upper body strength, or where and how you intended to store and carry it.
I mean to say this as gently as possible, but I don’t see how that process of experimentation and discovery can apply to your fictional character. You want to get the axe length “right”. How much does the concept of right axe length matter in a game? Are your gamers going to somehow sense the difference between a 30 and a 32?
Parker
I mean to say this as gently as possible, but I don’t see how that process of experimentation and discovery can apply to your fictional character. You want to get the axe length “right”. How much does the concept of right axe length matter in a game? Are your gamers going to somehow sense the difference between a 30 and a 32?
Parker
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2008
- Messages
- 25,965
Depends on the context. Is this a store-bought axe being used, or are we talking about one that was customized by the wielder or one made custom from scratch?
If we're talking about using an axe that's being used as a weapon in a context where it's being improvised for the task (say, in a case of something like a zombie or Mad Max situation or a disaster that's caused civil unrest) then a 36" single bit curved handle will be the single most commonly found configuration, so the proportion being "too big" for her kind of won't matter. A 3-1/2lb head is the most common North American size for a full-size axe, with so-called "boy's axes" being the next size down, usually being 2-1/2lbs and having a handle either 28" or 24" in length. If you're talking a found/vintage head outfitted on a custom handle, I find generally a handle length corresponding roughly with your inseam length tends to be a good proportion. Alternatively, and more properly, take the measurement from the ground to the socket of the hip joint (not the crest of the hip.) However, if we're talking a custom piece, a Dayton or other conventional axe is a poor weapon, being much too heavy and slow for conventional melee combat vs. other dedicated weapons.
Without more details I can't provide much more in the way of guidance.
For what it's worth, I'm 5' 7.5" and I've found my preferred axe handle length range is 27" - 32" with the sweet spot being about 29". My prefered axe head weight is 4lbs and my favorite axe head pattern is Jersey. This of course is for chopping trees.
I can appreciate your attention to detail and your desire for realism.
I can appreciate your attention to detail and your desire for realism.
This might not be relevant, but here goes. I am 5’ 7”, by the way.
I have split firewood my entire life since a kid until now and always used a standard 36” maul/axe.
Reading “experts” on the internet, it was implied that some one my height should use a shorter handle.
So I bought one, tried it for some time and absolutely hated it,
Perhaps I was just too use to the standard 36” handle using one for decades, but the shorter handle didn’t have the right reach or leverage—for me at least.
I have split firewood my entire life since a kid until now and always used a standard 36” maul/axe.
Reading “experts” on the internet, it was implied that some one my height should use a shorter handle.
So I bought one, tried it for some time and absolutely hated it,
Perhaps I was just too use to the standard 36” handle using one for decades, but the shorter handle didn’t have the right reach or leverage—for me at least.
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2008
- Messages
- 25,965
Splitting is a bit of a different circumstance. There's few downsides to having a long handle on a splitter. In chopping work it's a bit different.
I also favor a 36 for splitting, I agree not very relevant to the OP’s question.
My favorite limbing axe is a 2-1/4# Dayton on a 32” hand carved maple handle, and ordinarily it suits me well. However, recently a friend of a friend’s son and nephew mis-falled a grand fir that ended up hanging precariously over the neighbors’ driveway (and barely escaped injury in the process), and I was asked to rescue the situation.
Steep slope, 25’ of tip cantilevered out past the pair of alders it was hung on (desired to save alders), very brushy uphill. Couple of limbs sprung such that they would twist hard downhill when severed.
I decided to limb it first in the air to reduce the twisting. I’m kinda short and stout, and wished I had brought a longer axe in a couple spots because I needed just a little more reach. I ended up using my pole saw and controlling the springback with a chain.
Little tricky in places, but I got it sectioned down. The lady appreciated how I studied it for almost an hour before starting in, said her son wanted to just cut the alders out from underneath it. I told her that would have been dangerous and made a big mess.
Looking back, I guess I just channeled Wild Willie a little bit from across the continent. Next time I’ll call you in, bud.
Parker
My favorite limbing axe is a 2-1/4# Dayton on a 32” hand carved maple handle, and ordinarily it suits me well. However, recently a friend of a friend’s son and nephew mis-falled a grand fir that ended up hanging precariously over the neighbors’ driveway (and barely escaped injury in the process), and I was asked to rescue the situation.
Steep slope, 25’ of tip cantilevered out past the pair of alders it was hung on (desired to save alders), very brushy uphill. Couple of limbs sprung such that they would twist hard downhill when severed.
I decided to limb it first in the air to reduce the twisting. I’m kinda short and stout, and wished I had brought a longer axe in a couple spots because I needed just a little more reach. I ended up using my pole saw and controlling the springback with a chain.
Little tricky in places, but I got it sectioned down. The lady appreciated how I studied it for almost an hour before starting in, said her son wanted to just cut the alders out from underneath it. I told her that would have been dangerous and made a big mess.
Looking back, I guess I just channeled Wild Willie a little bit from across the continent. Next time I’ll call you in, bud.
Parker
scdub
Basic Member
- Joined
- May 29, 2004
- Messages
- 2,965
Maybe consider a tomahawk/hatchet. For a weapon I’d personally choose either of these tools over a full-sized axe (unless it’s the “slow zombie” apocalypse - then obviously reach is more important than speed
).Are we talking RPG, LARP or other type game?
Will these just be used or drawn in imaginary context of the character such as picture, diagram, reach, etc such as TTRPG? Or do you expect to have a physical ax such as LARPing?
Do you expect it to really be able to chop/cut if it is going to be a physical ax?
So said, these would all come into play for sizing accordingly.
Good luck with the game!
Will these just be used or drawn in imaginary context of the character such as picture, diagram, reach, etc such as TTRPG? Or do you expect to have a physical ax such as LARPing?
Do you expect it to really be able to chop/cut if it is going to be a physical ax?
So said, these would all come into play for sizing accordingly.
Good luck with the game!