That's not an axe..........

[British Red]

Or to paraphrase Mr Dundee, "This is an axe"



And, with a 14" camp hatchet for scale




Now to be honest, I can see that not many people would have a use for it compared to an SFA or Scandy. That said, I'm lucky enough to need a large axe (keep trying to get ahead of the log pile - the last two cords of wood went in about 6 weeks). I have really wanted a top quality working axe for a while. So, having had a chat with Andrew at Outdoorcode (fantastic service yet again - shameless plug for the guy), he got this one in for me from Gransfors Bruks. Now they do do a throwing (?) version. Not sure what all that is about (its shorter and has a straight handle), but this is the pukka swell polled 3' long working job. Now other than the usual all GBs problem (a light wire wool and plenty of oil on helve required), this is good to go. Properly set up with different grinds on each bit (one broader for splitting, knots and ground work, one finer for true cutting). IMHO this is truly a work of art!

Red

 

[nooky]

Your right NOW THAT IS AN AXE. Does it cut as good as it looks?
Andrew.

 

[British Red]

Your right NOW THAT IS AN AXE. Does it cut as good as it looks?
Andrew.

The terms "hot knife" and "butter" spring to mind! On the cutting rather than chopping / splitting edge, imagine a grind as fine as a Scandinavian Forest axe....now sling a 3 lb head weight on a 3' helve behind it ! That really has some errr, "penetration"

Red

 

[nooky]

Well if I need a lot of wood cutting I know who to call.
Andrew.

 

[torjusg]

Don't like small axes. Large axes are safer, since the blade is so far away from the body that hitting your knees or feet is unlikely.

I have always been puzzeled by the double blade. What is it's purpose? Is it because then you can use the second edge when the first one has dulled? Or maybe that you can kill the man in front of you and then take a backwards swing and kill the one behind you?

A potential situation: You notice that someone with a sword or an axe is stalking you. You pretend as nothing has happened and start felling a really big tree. The stalker gets bored, since the chopping seems to last forever. You have of course placed yourself so that anyone moving in from behind will cast a shadow in front of you. When you see that the person behind you is lifting the sword (well, potential problem there, you can also stab with it) or axe. When you are seemingly preparing for the next blow, you continue the movement backwards, just like a olympic hammerthrower. This should embed the axe blade (nr. 2) securely in his chest and the problem is solved! :AR15firin :swordfigh

Torjus Gaaren

 

[British Red]

Well if I need a lot of wood cutting I know who to call.
Andrew.

Now what it needs is practice....about 4 or 5 tonnes split into nice 18" lengths should get you to "apprentice" level

Although after a bad day with the boss....the first few feel kind of good

Weirdly it is actually an art form....next week I'm showing a bunch of guys to use a maul and wedges to split sectioned rounds....almost a lost art these days...right tool for the right job and all that!

Red

 

[nooky]

From what Red said the two ends have different grinds to it so you use one end for normal cutting and you use the other end for chopping through knots and otherheavy duty work.
Andrew.

 

[nooky]

Although after a bad day with the boss....the first few feel kind of good


Red

I know what you mean about it feels good. nothing like a good workout ( especially if it involves breaking or shooting at targets) to relief stress and frustation.
Andrew.

 

[British Red]

Torjus,

Pretty much what nooky said. The profile is quite markedly different between the blades. Not like a true maul I hasten to add, but more the difference between a "splitting axe" and "felling axe"

Red

 

[Snufkin]

Very nice, I want one. I don't need one, or have a use for one but I still want one .

 

[British Red]

Andrew,

The last really bad day I ended up at the Archer range (in your neck of the woods!). 450 rounds of 0.303 in 37 minutes. Now that wasn't a problem ("targets will fall when hit" and all that) - picking up the jungle carbine by the barrel though - owwwwwwwwwww

Red

 

[torjusg]

Sorry, didn't read properly. :sad6:

PS! Just had to try the cool smilies.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[nooky]

Andrew,

The last really bad day I ended up at the Archer range (in your neck of the woods!). 450 rounds of 0.303 in 37 minutes. Now that wasn't a problem ("targets will fall when hit" and all that) - picking up the jungle carbine by the barrel though - owwwwwwwwwww

Red

Owwwwwwwwww I know how that feels had to do that with a GPMG in the fire support role after firing a fair few rounds we had to pick up the gun and run back to a wooded area (flight in retreat or something) luckily I had a NI glove on and the other one cupped in the same hand but it melted the glove and I could feel the heat through the gloves.
Andrew.

 

[British Red]

The terms "tiger by the tail" and "hot gun by the barrel" are probably interchangeable in the metaphor :;-)

 

[OldJimbo]

I must have missed this thread somehow.
Those a fine axes. Mine are 50 year old ones from the time that GB sold axes to the forestry depts of provinces here. they must have made quite an impression too, as Swedish axes were the only ones sold around here thirty something years ago.
The thin wide blade smade them very handy for felling and chunking up smaller trees with softer wood - though they also work well on seasoned wood in smaller sizes. Smaller here means 12-18 inches diameter, not sticks. The big falling axes on the coast were very specialized designs, about 13" from edge to edge but with narrow blades (3") to bite in deeper. Like what you have, the big ones chop better than a person would ever expect due to their balance and accuracy - but they're only good for chopping into big wood and bursting out chips.
Now we'd drop a tree, chunk it up with a saw, then split the chunks with the axe. In the old days with smaller trees, they'd drop the tree with the axe, split it with wedges, then walk along chunking up the split sections with the axe. It goes very fast. People who read the RD Lawrence books will be sceptical of his claims to put up many cords of split wood per day with just an axe, but they wouldn't be if they saw the method in action. And that's the type of axe that was perfect for the method.

 

[British Red]

OldJimbo,

I think you said it all when you used the word "balance"! I though my Stihl logging axe was well set up, but its not a patch on this GB. the narrow blade profile cuts like a demon and, so long as I do my part (getting my angles right) its chucking 2" deep chips on each cut. I splits beautifully too....I think my pleasure is summed up by my e-mailing Andrew (the guy who sold it too me) today with the message "order me anothe couple of helves - this ones a keeper"

Red

 

[OldJimbo]

Balance and "feel" are easily explained because the double axes are symmetrical and the grain continuous down the straight handle. I've never been able to explain the accuracy over single bits.
In the old days - and maybe still over there, matches were made from aspen and easily split. We used to split them into two with a fingernail just to get more cigarette lights. People used to put a match into a crack in a log and light the match with an axe chop. That's not hard. What is hard is splitting the match so that each half of match is burning on each side of blade. Some people were really good at it.

 

[British Red]

Balance and "feel" are easily explained because the double axes are symmetrical and the grain continuous down the straight handle. I've never been able to explain the accuracy over single bits.
In the old days - and maybe still over there, matches were made from aspen and easily split. We used to split them into two with a fingernail just to get more cigarette lights. People used to put a match into a crack in a log and light the match with an axe chop. That's not hard. What is hard is splitting the match so that each half of match is burning on each side of blade. Some people were really good at it.

Guess I still need a little more practice (or to get out of my desk job). That I'd like to see - seen the match trick done with bullets but never an axe!

Red

 

[Squidders]

nice... I also like this axe http://www.raven-armoury.co.uk/snaga.htm

things like this seem to bring something primal out in me

 

[British Red]

Hmm,

Very Lord of the Rings! Not sure I'd want to wield it though - all those ridges on the helve would rip lumps out of your hands!

Red