Elbow adze, starting out

[mr dazzler]

I started yesterday to make an elbow adze handle. I have had a job finding suitable crooks. The hawthorn I cut 2 years ago wasnt good enough (too many crack's and faults), so I thought I would have a go at fabricating one instead.....(The 2 ash handles in the picture are going to be attempts at building an inuit type adze, they dont generally have a rebate for the blade to sit against. Also in there is a straight knife I made from scratch including stock removal shaping, hardening and tempering-it will handle dry hawthorn without the edge turning).

Any way, I cut the basic shape from a 1 1/8 inch oak board with a saw and a brace and bit, and shaped it a little with axe and rasp

I added a reinforcing rod to strengthen the cross grain area. I drilled a 1/2 inch hole, reamed it out either end to flare it a mm or so. Then added a tight fitting ash peg, which I wedged either end to provide some tension.

Some more shots of my new knife. Blade made from a sliver of billhook steel, epoxied into a hawthorn handlle, with whipping made of 3 lengths of waxed linen stitching thread twisted up into a cordage. It needs the grind tidying up. Now the handle is fitted that should be easier to get neat.....it was difficult just holding the little blade

More pics to follow when I add the adze blade.
cheers Jonathan

 

[Sean Hellman]

Cant wait to see the finished result.

I like these light weight adzes as they can be used for a long time with little strain. Lots of fast chopping instead of slower but heavier thumping with our big heavy lumps of steel

 

[SOAR]

Nice work Jonathan, nice looking knife aswell, I like the blade shape, very much like the Lauri drop point. looking forward to the finished adze.