First my apologies for taking so long in writing this, it's an embarassing thing having agreed to write one in return for getting the axe at such an incredibly low price, and so I would personally offer my apologies to Red and Cegga.
Now, I am a novice with axes, one reason it's taken me so long to write this, but my first impressions of getting the box delivered was that I'd made some huge mistake as surely only a toy could fit in there. Opening it though relieved those fears and the axe itself proved to be superbly balanced, both holding up near the head for detailed work and at the bottom of the haft. The craftsmanship is clear even to an inexperienced eye and the level of finish is excellent with the head being polished clean of all casting and manufacturing marks. The haft I had been dreading being varnished, but instead the straight grain was easily visible under the oil finish. All in all, more what might be expected of a good knife and not a tool more normally relegated to utilitarian end of the scale.
The mask is well made in a good weight of leather, and while the closure is unusual it seems to work well. The only thing I could fault it on would be the small belt loop, but then I tend to use a webbing belt and not a leather one.
In use the axe is flexible though of course light in weight. However I found that it didn't cut as well I'd expected from an axe with an apparently narrow profile. I guess that the small size is deceiving and I know that it was something that was changed on the second batch. Cutting conifer branches, about one inch seemed about the maximum diameter of branch that could be cut in one blow. Hitting harder didn't seem to help as the blade bounced back out of the cut without cutting much deeper. This of course is likely down to poor technique as much as anything.
It was much better at shaping wood, and it didn't take long to convert a section of green beech from a lump blown off the side of a tree when it snapped in a gale into a roughed plank an inch thick and a foot long.
Overall I'm very pleased with it and it's small size means that it's easy to carry, fitting easily inside a pack. Obviously heavy work would be harder with it than a larger axe, but then I know it's possible even if it is a case of horses for courses.
Recommendation is 100% and it's a tool that I would place into the heirloom category given that I'll never use it enough to actually wear it out.
Now, I am a novice with axes, one reason it's taken me so long to write this, but my first impressions of getting the box delivered was that I'd made some huge mistake as surely only a toy could fit in there. Opening it though relieved those fears and the axe itself proved to be superbly balanced, both holding up near the head for detailed work and at the bottom of the haft. The craftsmanship is clear even to an inexperienced eye and the level of finish is excellent with the head being polished clean of all casting and manufacturing marks. The haft I had been dreading being varnished, but instead the straight grain was easily visible under the oil finish. All in all, more what might be expected of a good knife and not a tool more normally relegated to utilitarian end of the scale.
The mask is well made in a good weight of leather, and while the closure is unusual it seems to work well. The only thing I could fault it on would be the small belt loop, but then I tend to use a webbing belt and not a leather one.
In use the axe is flexible though of course light in weight. However I found that it didn't cut as well I'd expected from an axe with an apparently narrow profile. I guess that the small size is deceiving and I know that it was something that was changed on the second batch. Cutting conifer branches, about one inch seemed about the maximum diameter of branch that could be cut in one blow. Hitting harder didn't seem to help as the blade bounced back out of the cut without cutting much deeper. This of course is likely down to poor technique as much as anything.
It was much better at shaping wood, and it didn't take long to convert a section of green beech from a lump blown off the side of a tree when it snapped in a gale into a roughed plank an inch thick and a foot long.
Overall I'm very pleased with it and it's small size means that it's easy to carry, fitting easily inside a pack. Obviously heavy work would be harder with it than a larger axe, but then I know it's possible even if it is a case of horses for courses.
Recommendation is 100% and it's a tool that I would place into the heirloom category given that I'll never use it enough to actually wear it out.
and the misus had been getting Thorntons to deliver again 
to axes too) 
