Wilderness Pack Axe

scottishsmith24

scottishsmith24

Joined
Sep 4, 2012
Messages
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I wanted to get input on my new Wilderness Pack Axe from a design stand point as I will be doing a lot of them with the first run being fifteen. I made a prototype a while ago but wasn't too found of the head geometry so I made some tweaks and here I am again...:P So any input wood be appreciated especially from anyone that does woodwork/ timber framing. Okay so this axe was forged from 1018 and a 1084 bit running back to the eye, the head measures 7 inches long with a 4 1/2 inch long edge and is 18 inches long made from hickory and weighs in at 2 1/4 pounds. In dimensions it is closest to the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest axe with the Gransfors weigh about 3/4 of a pound more. So as far as pack axes go it's on a the light side but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. This one still needs my maker's mark, but it will be my personal one to see how it is to live with as that will be the ultimate test of its design. But enough of me gibber jabbing what do you all think? Thank you for your input.

Robert

 
I think it looks awesome and I bet you won't have any problem selling those.
 
I like it. It looks well-designed and quite beautiful. I agree that is a handy size for a wilderness pack axe.
 
I think that is a very fine looking axe. As stated above I highly doubt that you'll have any trouble selling those first 15, or any number you make after that.

I'm looking forward to a review by some of the first buyers to help scratch the itch on my "send funds" finger, I'm sure they'll be great reviews.
 
Well done. It looks very 'nice and clean' to me. And the fact that it's not a short-handled item already says something about actually being useful.
 
Looks terrific, especially for a first effort. I suspect you know your way around a forge. How about a picture of the end?
 
Any chance of a top-down picture to show the bit profile? Also maybe the weight of the head alone? The GB small forest axe might be heavier overall but a good chunk of the weight is the relatively thick handle..

Overall I think it looks great for a pack axe. I used to love my SFA but these days it hardly sees use. The 19" handle is just too much of a compromise - not long enough for full two handed swings and not short enough to be as packable as a hatchet. I'd rather take a boy's axe if I need to abide by a one-axe-only mentality (though I happily pack a 14" hatchet along with a 3lb 28-30" axe because I don't often go on weight-dependent trips).

I'm sure your first run will sell very well (GB's SFA is after all one of their better sellers), but you might want to consider a 23-24" handle for your next batch. At least thats what would interest me more. I personally consider it the very bare minimum for proper two handed use and it's still short enough for finer work. While Ray Mears used to tout the SFA, the axe he eventually ended up designing with GB proved to be with a 24" handle. Even Les Stroud's collaboration with Wetterlings yielded a 22"+ handle. Honestly the type of people who would be interested in this size an axe are also going to be the kind who favor collapsable buck saws - and pretty much all of those are made with 24" blades. It just makes sense to have them be the same length if packability is a primary concern.
 
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Thanks for the comments everyone. Killa_concept I understand your points about axe handle length which is why I will be making two other axe types...a smaller hatchet measuring about 12 inches and a longer one more in the 24 inch range.
 
Looks like something I would carry. On your website you have a Wilderness Pack Axe with slightly different dimensions:...edge is 4 1/4 inches long with a 6 3/4 inch long head, the handle is 21 inches long, and total weight is approximately 1 1/2 pounds. Do you have a side by side comparison shot? I certainly don't need another axe but might be able to convince the Mrs I do;)
 
Thanks fisher, the axe on my website was the protype for this one and I will be putting the production one up with it's details shortly.
 
Looks very good for that style of axe ... Unlike many I prefer a 19-20" handle for a woodsman's axe as I have swung framing hammers for years and am used to that handle length. For those who have experience with this length it is far superior to the 12-15" handles. You can still choke up on them for fine work.

I'm also wondering if a traditionally styled Dayton hand axe would not be a good seller. I have an old pristine Collins on a 19" handle that I got from my grandpa. It has a slender bit with a high center and is a better all-round hand axe than the flat cheeked Hudson bay style axes when it comes to splitting some wood for kindling. The flat cheeked axes don't split as well and have a narrow band of steel to keep centered on the split. The Dayton style has a much wider grip on the handle and offers a wider splitting ramp area over the eye. Though the higher center does not allow as deep of penetration as a Hudson Bay style it is far less likely to stick and displaces the chips better.
I realize this is off topic but I think there would be market for custom quality Dayton styled hand 19-20" hand axes ...
Again very nice Hudson Bay proto-type
 
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