The best bet for a small, quality carver on the cheap, is simply to trawl boot sales and then re-model an old hatchet head and give it a new handle.
I've done several of these over the last few years and ended up hanging up my GB tools and using my boot sale specials instead.
I eventually sold my GB sfa and wildlife hatchet as they were just gathering dust.
I currently only have one axe on duty and it's another boot sale special, re-modeled, with a new handle made from local ash and a simple diy leather jacket;
I set it up originally as a carving tool, in the same vain as the GB carving axe, heavy'ish but very sharp and ground to cut rather than split
I actually had it up for sale and indeed sold, at one point, but when I dug it out of the garage, I found the head had loosened off so withdrew it from sale. I later sorted it out with the addition of a second large copper wedge and in spite of some serious abuse since then, its never moved again
On the subject of good or bad tools, I agreed to run the courses for the FC etc, on the understanding that I was given a decent budget for purchasing quality tools, as I refused to go with their original suggestion of "just going to B&Q"
They were not bothered what tools paying clients would use but I was and was determined to offer top class kit for my courses. I didn't buy a load of GB axes but bought good knives,etc as already mentioned.
If I needed to acquire decent quality, sturdy hatchets or axes for running courses today, I wouldn't waste money on GB tools,which while they are fabulous tools, are still way overpriced and I'd go with "Fiskars" for students/clients use. The main reason for this being that paying clients rarely if ever, have any respect for the tools issued to them.
One option I
seriously considered, was giving the knives and firesteels away, as part of the package.They would be issued a knife and a firesteel to use, then take away with them.
This would have meant charging a few quid more (actually
not a great deal) for the course but would have avoided the issues around people abusing and damaging tools and the faff of having to repair or replace them. It would also have meant an ongoing but
self sustaining requirement for purchasing more kit from my supplier, a bit of a win/win position in my opinion.
That
may be an option worth considering for
your courses Pete.
Anywho, good luck with your venture, I hope it's a great success.
best wishes
Steve
