Has anyone had any experience of this particular tool? It looks interesting and I'd appreciate any feedback from anyone about it.
Many thanks.
Richard
Many thanks.
Richard
Orford Nordic Carving Axe...
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no experience but it looks a dog's breakfast to me.
The 'beard' or cut-away shape on an axe is usually so you can get your hand behind the edge - so extending the edge up like that seems to defeat the purpose. The only 'traditional' axes I've seen with that shape have been for throwing.
Full-tang construction puts weight where you don't need it; not behind the edge. It will be horrible to chop with as the steel will transmit the impact to your hands.
The 'beard' or cut-away shape on an axe is usually so you can get your hand behind the edge - so extending the edge up like that seems to defeat the purpose. The only 'traditional' axes I've seen with that shape have been for throwing.
Full-tang construction puts weight where you don't need it; not behind the edge. It will be horrible to chop with as the steel will transmit the impact to your hands.
It struck me that the weight distribution might be a bit cockeyed but I hadn't thought of the soaring upper edge of the blade making it tricky to use. It does look odd but I was wondering if it actually felt odd to use as well.
thanks for your comments; I hope that someone who actually owns one might chip in and put us straight about what it's like.
thanks for your comments; I hope that someone who actually owns one might chip in and put us straight about what it's like.
It is a similar profile to the everyday carry axe used by vikings etc. They used them for everything. Don't like an axe with a tang though.
I played with fulltang axes years ago,before I could forge proper ones. I can't stand them and wouldn't make them again.
Not only is the weight in the wrong places (though this can be tinkered with by drilling holes etc), it vibrates and shocks in the hand when used hard, the glue and pins can easily give way when the tang flexes, the handle gets damaged if it goes into a tree/log, the naked section of tang is unuseable in the hand, the exposed metal of a full tang is unpleasant in the cold and the thin blade is not ideal for a lot of things that axes are good at.
Al in all I think Ben as come up with a crap tool for once! (sorry mate, if you are reading this)
Not only is the weight in the wrong places (though this can be tinkered with by drilling holes etc), it vibrates and shocks in the hand when used hard, the glue and pins can easily give way when the tang flexes, the handle gets damaged if it goes into a tree/log, the naked section of tang is unuseable in the hand, the exposed metal of a full tang is unpleasant in the cold and the thin blade is not ideal for a lot of things that axes are good at.
Al in all I think Ben as come up with a crap tool for once! (sorry mate, if you are reading this)
But with no eye to open out you could batton it through a paving slab and only need to worry about the edge retention - every cloud
Doubtful you'd get a small jackhammer stuck in something you couldn't get it out of... it's probably not much safer bashing the top of a jack hammer with a log either. Mind you, with a small axe/hatchet (I've got an Estwing Sportsman, for example) and it's bashable through lots of stuff it wouldn't split if you hit them with it. I'm not sure if it qualifies as a full tang though... do they do stick tang axes?
Estwing axes have much heads that are much thicker than the tangs, basically they are proportioned more closely to a proper axe. Also the tangs are totally enclosed by rubber or leather (ala stick or mortice tangs), degating the shock/pinching/cold problems of a truly full tang handle structure
I cant see any benefit to a full tang axe, pretty sure Dave is right about vibration (remember our discussion on the parang Dave?).
It looks good and I think Ben is a cracking craftsman but i think he's making these just to make something different for guys with money to burn (penis extentions!).
It looks good and I think Ben is a cracking craftsman but i think he's making these just to make something different for guys with money to burn (penis extentions!).
Well, that's decided me then: I'm out. I'll look for a carving axe somewhere else. Many thanks for all the observations!
