Well I finally get to use my new roselli axe (long version of the "all round" axe that my dear wife did buy me for my christmas prezzie). Its not a bad little axe. Who said it split's wood like a demon? I would like to second that opinion. Bearing in mind its light weight (not that much more than tommy clap knife 
) It's astonshing just how well it splits with minimal, even casual, effort. Works well one handed also. The logs just blast in 2. I'm not daft, its not gonna split 18 inch wild bits of elm, but for small to medium firewood, its the bizz. As for chopping (felling) tree's, I dont need to, so dont know. But for close up acurate shaping/carving/roughin out, its the best I've handled yet, rip cut's and cross cut's. The blade edge is fairly close to the axis of the handle, it gives it a "weight forward" (estwing hammer design) feel and I noticed an immediate imprvement in precision compared to the sandvik I used for the last 4 years or so. Bearing in mind its high cost, I was a little disapointed with the sloppiness of the factory grinding, it was mostly a sligh convx grind, but there was slight concave "hoollow ground" sections at either end of the edge, which required work with files/diamond files/stones/strop etc to sort out. I will use it without seconodry bevel's, just keep them flat or very slightly convex. The steel is rather soft compared to my sandvik, I know it was designed for use in northern pine forest's, will it handle oak/ash etc? time will tell. At least bad knot dings canbe sored out fast with a file/stone etc. cutting-wise theres not that much between the sandvik and the roselli, although the edge isnt perect yet, theres still a few file marks but they are disapearing with the diamond autosol strop that I use, so theres likely to be some scariness in store sharpnes-wise. To be honest the roselli is ahead because of it's ergomonic handling, it feels comfortable, it does what you want it to do, very spontaneous, feels like a natural comfortable extension of the boddy. I have personalised mine with red/orange oil stain on the handle, I like the tack handle grip you get with that, the finish is very glassy smooth from the factory. I dug out a biggish 2 1/2 pound gilpin axe head, and fitted a finnish type hanlde. I stropped it (the axe head not the handle, and not for very long at that) and frankly the edge on that axe knocked the sandvik and roselli right into the watter, its ridiculusly sharp and its not perfect yet (few file marks/scratches etc) Dont know how durable it is though? I will post some pics soon, and update comment's on the roselli as I get more used to it
) It's astonshing just how well it splits with minimal, even casual, effort. Works well one handed also. The logs just blast in 2. I'm not daft, its not gonna split 18 inch wild bits of elm, but for small to medium firewood, its the bizz. As for chopping (felling) tree's, I dont need to, so dont know. But for close up acurate shaping/carving/roughin out, its the best I've handled yet, rip cut's and cross cut's. The blade edge is fairly close to the axis of the handle, it gives it a "weight forward" (estwing hammer design) feel and I noticed an immediate imprvement in precision compared to the sandvik I used for the last 4 years or so. Bearing in mind its high cost, I was a little disapointed with the sloppiness of the factory grinding, it was mostly a sligh convx grind, but there was slight concave "hoollow ground" sections at either end of the edge, which required work with files/diamond files/stones/strop etc to sort out. I will use it without seconodry bevel's, just keep them flat or very slightly convex. The steel is rather soft compared to my sandvik, I know it was designed for use in northern pine forest's, will it handle oak/ash etc? time will tell. At least bad knot dings canbe sored out fast with a file/stone etc. cutting-wise theres not that much between the sandvik and the roselli, although the edge isnt perect yet, theres still a few file marks but they are disapearing with the diamond autosol strop that I use, so theres likely to be some scariness in store sharpnes-wise. To be honest the roselli is ahead because of it's ergomonic handling, it feels comfortable, it does what you want it to do, very spontaneous, feels like a natural comfortable extension of the boddy. I have personalised mine with red/orange oil stain on the handle, I like the tack handle grip you get with that, the finish is very glassy smooth from the factory. I dug out a biggish 2 1/2 pound gilpin axe head, and fitted a finnish type hanlde. I stropped it (the axe head not the handle, and not for very long at that) and frankly the edge on that axe knocked the sandvik and roselli right into the watter, its ridiculusly sharp and its not perfect yet (few file marks/scratches etc) Dont know how durable it is though? I will post some pics soon, and update comment's on the roselli as I get more used to it
