Hey Cegga my axe turned up today, but I've got to say I'm not very happy!
........ONLY JOKING MATE!!!!!
I'm over the moon!:You_Rock_
........ONLY JOKING MATE!!!!!
I'm over the moon!:You_Rock_Cegga / BR Axes - 5th (and possibly final) Group Buy
- Thread starter British Red
- Start date
Axe arrived on Saturday, but as I was away staying with friends, I only got it today. Totally delighted with it. Just the size I was after too. Fantastic work Cegga, and a big thanks to British Red for organizing it.
robin wood
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mine came Thursday but have been away the weekend so this is first chance to post.
First a big thanks to Red and Cegga....however you look at it they have got to be a bargain at that price particulalry with papal fee and individual postage. i am very pleased thanks.
Red keeps asking for a review, personaly I don't like to judge a tool untill I have owned it for several months done a lot of work with it and really found out what it can do. But rather than wait 3 months I thought I would put up a few first impresions. bear in mind that I am not using the axe for what it was designed for. I bought it as a light weight carving axe for folk on courses who find the gransfors carving axe a little heavy.
First here is a picure of my 2 Ceggas from this batch along with a GB carving axe and a little old kent pattern English axe picked up at a car boot for a few quid.
I really like the cegga head and the sheath..lovely supple thick leather. The profile I think is ideal...enough weight back from the edge but not too much. For my personal taste I find the handle a little thick, long and heavy in relation to the head, I also prefer a tooled handle as used by GB on the carving axe and Svante Djarve to a sanded one but each to their own. In time I may get round to putting a new handle on but for now I have just cut one of them down a bit, formed a new fawns foot and slimmed it a bit this has moved the balance point right up under the head which is how I like it. I do this because these axes will be held most of the time at a point just below the head for acurate hewing rather than at the end of the handle as with felling or snedding.
I am normally a fan of tooled finishes and forged hammer marks, I don't like to think I am asking a skilled smith to spend his time on the belt sander but I have to confess I do like the polished finish on the Cegga.
I have roughed out 3 spoons with the Cegga which is barely enough to get a feel for it but I was surprised how well I got on with it. I tend to think it's good to use the heaviest axe you can comfortably use all day without getting tired as the wieght does the work for you. I am very comfortable with the 1kg carving axe but the 0.65kg cegga still wastes wood pretty fast and that bit less weight means I tend to do more and faster, smaller cuts. In short it works very nicely as a spoon carving axe. I am sure it would be great for small felling/snedding, just the thing to pop in the backpack. So I think that's a pretty unreserved recomendation....the only problem is I really like to use stuff on my courses that people can go out and buy if they like it and if you like this you can't but one off the shelf.
For those amongst you who are financially chalanged and enjoy getting a good tool for next to nothing i would like to point out the little Kent pattern axe. These tools were produced in vast numbers in the late 19th and early 20th century particualrly in the Black Country using not disimilar levels of hand work + power hammers to those used by Gransfors today. At most car boot fairs they can be picked up for a couple of pounds or your local branch of Tools for Self Reliance will have plenty spare. They tend to average 1kg plus but this one is 700g including the handle, its not as good as the Cegga or the GB but its far better than a cheapie cast steel axe and there is a lot of satisfaction in saving something from the scrap heap and givng it a new lease of life.
First a big thanks to Red and Cegga....however you look at it they have got to be a bargain at that price particulalry with papal fee and individual postage. i am very pleased thanks.
Red keeps asking for a review, personaly I don't like to judge a tool untill I have owned it for several months done a lot of work with it and really found out what it can do. But rather than wait 3 months I thought I would put up a few first impresions. bear in mind that I am not using the axe for what it was designed for. I bought it as a light weight carving axe for folk on courses who find the gransfors carving axe a little heavy.
First here is a picure of my 2 Ceggas from this batch along with a GB carving axe and a little old kent pattern English axe picked up at a car boot for a few quid.
I really like the cegga head and the sheath..lovely supple thick leather. The profile I think is ideal...enough weight back from the edge but not too much. For my personal taste I find the handle a little thick, long and heavy in relation to the head, I also prefer a tooled handle as used by GB on the carving axe and Svante Djarve to a sanded one but each to their own. In time I may get round to putting a new handle on but for now I have just cut one of them down a bit, formed a new fawns foot and slimmed it a bit this has moved the balance point right up under the head which is how I like it. I do this because these axes will be held most of the time at a point just below the head for acurate hewing rather than at the end of the handle as with felling or snedding.
I am normally a fan of tooled finishes and forged hammer marks, I don't like to think I am asking a skilled smith to spend his time on the belt sander but I have to confess I do like the polished finish on the Cegga.
I have roughed out 3 spoons with the Cegga which is barely enough to get a feel for it but I was surprised how well I got on with it. I tend to think it's good to use the heaviest axe you can comfortably use all day without getting tired as the wieght does the work for you. I am very comfortable with the 1kg carving axe but the 0.65kg cegga still wastes wood pretty fast and that bit less weight means I tend to do more and faster, smaller cuts. In short it works very nicely as a spoon carving axe. I am sure it would be great for small felling/snedding, just the thing to pop in the backpack. So I think that's a pretty unreserved recomendation....the only problem is I really like to use stuff on my courses that people can go out and buy if they like it and if you like this you can't but one off the shelf.
For those amongst you who are financially chalanged and enjoy getting a good tool for next to nothing i would like to point out the little Kent pattern axe. These tools were produced in vast numbers in the late 19th and early 20th century particualrly in the Black Country using not disimilar levels of hand work + power hammers to those used by Gransfors today. At most car boot fairs they can be picked up for a couple of pounds or your local branch of Tools for Self Reliance will have plenty spare. They tend to average 1kg plus but this one is 700g including the handle, its not as good as the Cegga or the GB but its far better than a cheapie cast steel axe and there is a lot of satisfaction in saving something from the scrap heap and givng it a new lease of life.
I wouldn't worry just yet mayfly - Christmas post from Sweden - I'd give it a few more days
Red
Red
Yes, you're right, cheers. All these glowing reports about the speedy arrival of new shiny objects has got me all jittery
Arrived today. Totally up to par, very nice work. This one has a very narrow profile so I'm guessing it is one of the second batch referred to. I wasn't expecting that but it is very nice all the same. Many thanks. I'll try and post some photos later.
Hi !!
If the axe are not what you expecting don´t buy it i buy it back no problem
I want you to have what you expecting .Or I fix one that you want or try to do so
Marry christmas to all
Cegga
Hi Cegga, I had a play with it today and compared it with an axe from the first buy and with a GFB SFA, and I am very happy. It'll work just fine for me. I'm just lucky to have managed to get my hands on one at all to be honest! Thanks, Chris
HI Cegga
Im new to this forum when it comes to posting.
I have however in my possesion one of your axes.
Its thanks to British Red that i now own one as he let me know about the group buy on another forum i sit on.
After a quick talk with BR one of my queries was quickly resolved and i learned another nugget of information.
If im very honest with you Cegga after handling your axe,talking to BR and looking at pictures/videos on the net i think my future prospect in life maybe is learning smithing.
(its a dying trade here due to mass machining)Most of our metalware comes from china and is not even fit for purpose most of the time.
Would you mind if i asked you questions via pm from time to time about smithing?
Im new to this forum when it comes to posting.
I have however in my possesion one of your axes.
Its thanks to British Red that i now own one as he let me know about the group buy on another forum i sit on.
After a quick talk with BR one of my queries was quickly resolved and i learned another nugget of information.
If im very honest with you Cegga after handling your axe,talking to BR and looking at pictures/videos on the net i think my future prospect in life maybe is learning smithing.
(its a dying trade here due to mass machining)Most of our metalware comes from china and is not even fit for purpose most of the time.
Would you mind if i asked you questions via pm from time to time about smithing?
Hi!!
Your wellcome with your qwuestions .I looking forwad to get them
I love when people have interest in forging .We are not so many smith left so is good that some want to learn.Cegga
Cegga/British Red
Happy New year and thankyou for sorting this out for me, the axe arrived on Christmas eve and was exactly what I was looking for. It has been put to the test with some seasoned oak that I had lying around for a spoon, the axe performed extremely well, was comfortable in the hand and did not tire out my wrist or arm, probably more to the design than my technique... It was a joy to use, unfortunately the oak was not up to the task and will be more of a stirrer than a spoon
Thanks again guys, all your effort was really appreciated
Cheers
JFW
Happy New year and thankyou for sorting this out for me, the axe arrived on Christmas eve and was exactly what I was looking for. It has been put to the test with some seasoned oak that I had lying around for a spoon, the axe performed extremely well, was comfortable in the hand and did not tire out my wrist or arm, probably more to the design than my technique... It was a joy to use, unfortunately the oak was not up to the task and will be more of a stirrer than a spoon
Thanks again guys, all your effort was really appreciated
Cheers
JFW
What is the rave with these axes why are they better than others that are more easily available, for example a Gransfors SFA?
It's completely hand made by 1 man. All his years of skill and craftsmanship have been put into the axe. It is beautifully finished and the balance is superb. The head is properly set at just the right angle and it has proper alignment with the haft, which has a wonderfully straight grain. GB make a very fine axe, I have 2 of them, but the axe I'll reach for first is my Cegga axe.
That´s a good question .And I don´t have any good answer on it .All of them are forge with all my knowledge on making an axe ( and I have work with forging for 25 year ) so the forge I no are good .Grinding are realy not where I have my knowledge so there I have B- Red to help me and we have test some different grind on them .And we try to make them like the people here on BCUK want them I hope .
I am not a user my self (only a maker ) so I maybe not the man to tell if there are any different´s on the axes and I am maybe part in this case
Cegga
.I am not a user my self (only a maker ) so I maybe not the man to tell if there are any different´s on the axes and I am maybe part in this case
Cegga
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