New pocket axe

[British Red]

I thought I would post this purely as an "interest" item.

A while back Jimbo got me interested in the power of the "mini" axe. I have wanted to experiment with one for a while but was reluctant to commit the cash for a GB mini.

On another forum I saw mention of a Wetterlings mini. Couldn't find a source until weaver stepped in (cheers mate :You_Rock_ ). Here it is

Here it is - 10" long at the longest point

Or with a point of comparison - next to my Wetterlings Larger Hunting Axe and Laplander saw

First impressions are....better overal heft than a Granny B mini but (as always) not near as well finished.

The handle is dry, the ring wedge poorly fitted, the profile uneven and poorly ground



Bad buy? Not a bit of it. It was £15 (as opposed to nearer 50 for a GB mini) and nothing I can't sort out in an evening!

All axes need the grind to be hand finished - its a few hours work.

An hour on the haft and it will be passed over to Singteck for a new mask. Then we'll take it out, find a baton and see what it can do!



Red

 

[Ogri the trog]

Nice one Red,
I'll be watching your progress with this one. I have a cheapy axe that has cleaned up well, I just want to shorten the haft on it to make it a bit more pack friendly, though 10 " does sound a bit optimistic.
Was the source a private deal or somewhere we can all peer at?

Cheers

Ogri the trog

 

[British Red]

Ebay trader in the US that weaver put me onto mate. I sent him a message. He sent me an axe for £7 postage (airmail) took 4 days! So its fair to say it cost £22 delivered - still think thats a bargain sompared to a GB mini!

If you want a link just say

Red

Edit to add

Too small? Can't so much with a small axe?

This is the picture Jimbo showed me to prove "its not what you've got, its what you do with it"

(through kind permission of the master axeman - Old Jimbo)

Now its fair to say it'll be a cold day in hell when I know half the amount about axes, however, in the spirit of many other threads, if I don't try, I won't learn!

Check out the size of the Vaughan mini in the end of the trunk!

 

[chrisanson]

Funnily enough I got this from a shop that dos house clearance’s for about 20p. I have modified it a bit and put a handle on it from some ash left over from a bow I mad that was left over from another job. So I think I cost me about 30p and about 3 hours work. Its 15 ½ “ long and is about 1 Lb in weight and cuts very well!
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v310/chrisanson/?action=view&current=mybow.jpg
chris

 

[Shambling Shaman]

I remember seeing a Axe head with a course thread were the handle goes. The idead was you only carried the head and found the handle as and when you needed? I think it was by BCB??

 

[singteck]

I have been thinking the same actually, Carry a GB tomahawk with a short handle and then use that to make a long handle when needed. Don't know how big is the head

Sorry off topic

singteck

PS: Have to compare that one to the GB mini!!

 

[British Red]

singteck

Its got all the finish stripped off the handle and the blade half re-profiled right now. I'll finish up over the weekend and hope that Jack has sent the bill hooks out and I'll give you both to work on.

Red

 

[leon-b]

jesus christ singtech could give up work with all the leather work jobs hugh keeps giving him lol
leon

 

[singteck]

I think I'll hear that from BB soon too.

Sure Red, when ever you are ready.

singteck

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Red,

Looks like a really good buy at £15!!!!!

Hope you'll post some pictures during the "pimping" process

Have fun with your new axe

Phil.

 

[British Red]

I'll post a "finished" picture Phil - thing is, it won't look much different! You have to see the bevel up close to see the difference.

Still I'll post one - you never know (it'll look nicer with a proper mask anyway)

Red

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Hey Red and singteck,

While you guys are on the axe tip is there anything that you could do for Spikey's new toy: -

It looks like it needs a re-grind and various other forms of help

(only pulling your leg SDP)

Phil.

 

[British Red]

Phil,

see my comments on original thread

Red

 

[forginhill]

That looks handy. I've enjoyed reading Jimbo on axes too. I'll be looking forward to hearing how it works out for you. A quick question: how does a hawk compare to a hatchet? I know you can use a baton with a hatchet. How does it work with a hawk that doesn't have a poll on the back to hit? Todd

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Hey Red and singteck,

While you guys are on the axe tip is there anything that you could do for Spikey's new toy: -

It looks like it needs a re-grind and various other forms of help

(only pulling your leg SDP)

Phil.

It makes a hell of a throwing weapon

 

[philaw]

That looks like a good buy, Red. That might be just the christmas present my wife didn't know she wanted to buy me.

It sounds like that's probably the best budget/ beginner axe out there. Do you think that's a fair assessment? Wetterlings seem highly rated and £15 is cheap. The size would suit someone like me that doesn't have their own forest.

Here's the big one: Does anyone know a UK source for wetterlings? People talk about them a lot on here, so there must be one, right? I'll ask on BB as well and let you know if someone knows.

I checked online all over the shop, but they're scarce to absent..

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Phil,

see my comments on original thread

Red

:You_Rock_

I thought that was Damascus and not Hammerite

Phil.

 

[British Red]

Philaw,

Id wouldn't be my first choice as an "only" axe. For that, go for something with an 18" to 20" haft (a Wetterlings Large Hunters, Gransfors Bruks Small Forest, Roselli Large All Round)

This little baby is Tiny. I have bigger knives!

Try Andrew at www.outdoorcode.co.uk for a GB or Roselli.

These guys sell Wetterlings but, personally, I won't deal with them (nuff sed)

http://www.essentialadventuregear.com

If you want a Wetterlings by mail (and you really should ask to see a few and check them over - see the thread on "selecting an axe")

Try this guy - its cheaper even with the US shipping - his name is Ragnar - great guy

http://www.ragweedforge.com/ThrowingCatalog.html

Red

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

:You_Rock_

I thought that was Damascus and not Hammerite

Phil.

Its NOT soddin painted !! :aargh4:

 

[OldJimbo]

You are going to end up with a very nice little hatchet after a bit of work!
At first I was a sceptic about tiny hatchets, because the one I carry is even smaller and really does look like a kid's toy. After a couple of years, though, it's my number one tool. Naturally I always hope that if I break a leg out in the bush, that I'll have a bigger tool around to make splints, crutches and a fire, but often those bigger tools get set down while I haul logs and such.
That big log was split up some more and then it was easy to get bits off to have fires - quite a few - until the remainder got washed away. I'd cheated a bit and used a saw to section up a big driftwood branch to make the wedges, but it wouldn't have been harder, just more time consuming, using only the hatchet. Shaping wedges could have been done with a Mora and baton, and I did try that method later. It just comes down to having a log split by the time the wedges are made with a knife and baton.
The big plus for me is being able to break lower dead conifer branches off trees, lay them along a log and drive the tiny hatchet through the branch into the log (using a baton with such tiny hatchets). Then with a bit of twisting I can get the split opened in both directions, and repeat until I have matchwood and a fire. A heavy duty knife can be driven point first through the branch into the log to work the same - but on one occasion I ended up with a knife throwing atlatl when the knife came free, while the branch it was stuck through was really bent...
If a person will think "outside the box" a little, and practise, it's amazing what a tiny hatchet is capable of. I often use mine to make fires even if I have big tools along, just for practise.
People will still look at it and laugh at the little toy - but being a non threatening toy-like thing is a virtue too.