Bushcraft axe review

[Randall]

I like this dude. He is passionate about axes and skill using axes. In this review he just tests them for processing firewood - no bushcrafting. It should be really labelled "Pack axe review".

 

[Kindliing]

I like this guys get in there and get it done attitude. Fits well with my attention tolerance well

Makes a quick couple handles and gives some good reference points .

 

[Randall]

I like this guys get in there and get it done attitude. Fits well with my attention tolerance well

Makes a quick couple handles and gives some good reference points .

Yes, I think with wooden handles that's a good thing. They do break and come loose, and sometimes, despite your best efforts you overstrike. I would spend most of my time finding the right piece of timber, and not so much time making it, I hope. Better putting time into sharpening and skills

 

[Kindliing]

I ended up carving out a long tomahawk handle today from a piece of big old heavy gum Branch that came down a while ago after getting motivated.

Bought a cheap fibreglass tomahawk which I thought if the handle fails, I'll take out and replace.

Came across a grub half way in , bush Tucker. Had enough timber to thin past it.

Used the tomahawk to rough the handle down after first making the flat sides profiles in alignment to follow on with the knife.

The bahco was a really awesome impressive little carving knife. Still razor sharp after hours of hard work.

 

[Randall]

Actually, after my comment on the axe handles, I thought more. If I was making tomahawk handles, they would be worth more time. Very unlikely to break. They also need a really nice fit to hold well because they don't use a wedge. I don't think the handle on your cheap axe will ever need replacing; well, not in your lifetime.

 

[Kindliing]

Actually, after my comment on the axe handles, I thought more. If I was making tomahawk handles, they would be worth more time. Very unlikely to break. They also need a really nice fit to hold well because they don't use a wedge. I don't think the handle on your cheap axe will ever need replacing; well, not in your lifetime.

That would be nice if it didn't break , it's a good tool. Fibre glass can last a long time sometimes. I put it on the stone when I first got it to sharpen it a bit more.

I have a bear bow with fibreglass limbs from 1978 and it's still shooting good.

The tomahawk handle was hard carving (timber), I will keep my eye out for a head for it now.
It was a good exercise in learning and fun making this first one.
I love the look of the hand worked timber.
It got a coat of oil.

 

[Randall]

That would be nice if it didn't break , it's a good tool. Fibre glass can last a long time sometimes. I put it on the stone when I first got it to sharpen it a bit more.

I have a bear bow with fibreglass limbs from 1978 and it's still shooting good.

The tomahawk handle was hard carving (timber), I will keep my eye out for a head for it now.
It was a good exercise in learning and fun making this first one.
I love the look of the hand worked timber.
It got a coat of oil.

re time: yeah, I made a wooden mallet with my 1.6kg head axe . It's much less work and more primitive than your handle. The wood is a type of wattle - tougher and more dense than anything I've cut or played with. I think I spent over an hour on it. The axe is sharp. I wasn't wearing gloves, so had a big blister - using the axe one handed. It's an awesome mallet though - I've been using it a lot. I have since given it a coat of old engine oil All the axe work was done on a chopping block.

 

[Kindliing]

I'd say you would have got a good one forearm popeye workout then with the size of that axe after an hour.

You've started something now I found an old hytest axe at a second hand shop for 35$ .

Gave the head and handle a steel wool , now going to soak in old sump oil , and re oil the handle.


Been wanting an axe on the ute for in case I need to cut my way in or out of somewhere.

Put it on the stone , it's sharp , has a good edge profile already. Some slight pitting not deep. Won't bother me.

 

[Randall]

gee, similar looking to the plumb axes. Is the handle complete in the eye there? Is there a bit missing or is it just shadow. Mine had a missing a piece right where the shadow / missing piece on yours is. I made a tiny wedge and tapped it in. Whoa, 4.5 lbs - 2kg; that's a felling axe I think. Should be a good chopper with a longish handle. I soaked the head of mine in oil to try and swell up the timber - it was loose. After a few thick nails to supplement the wedge, it's holding up now. Also, even old engine oil preserves wood. Here in tassie there are still a lot of old apple sheds made out of vertical timber - they're all treated with sump oil. Don't get it on your skin though. I dried the handle of mine off before use - most of the oil had soaked in. In my picture above, the axe and mallet are lying on the deck of the old house on the block I have. That timber is ancient. It was really dry when I bought the place - it's had a few coats of sump oil over the years. Saved me having to replace it. For sure linseed is better, but pricey. If I had a new handle, or a good old handle, I would have used linseed. Actually, olive oil is really good too. I resurrected some old knives that had dried out wood scales with olive oil - the transformation was amazing.

 

[Kindliing]

Yep, theres a small piece missing in the corner , I am going to do the same as you did with a small timber slither and I will after I am happy fill it in with some epoxy .

It's soaking in a bucket of sump oil now , and I have pasted the handle with it too. It will do me maybe later it can have some linseed oil , will see how it goes.

I've done the same in the bush up here with sump oil and posts directly in the ground for white ants.

They are persistent though and can start at the other end while your building and destroy things pretty quick.

 

[Randall]

I'm not sure how the epoxy will go with oil, either before or after.

 

[Kindliing]

Me either, I'm planning to use it to fill any small gaps and help keep things tight anyway .

 

[Kindliing]

I had no idea these axes were collectable and expensive. I went in to see if I could find a tomahawk head for the handle I made.
There was 2 axes and this one looked nicer to me.
The head isn't actually loose when I tried wobbling it .
It may be worthy of a new handle and a polish one day now

 

[Randall]

I had no idea these axes were collectable and expensive. I went in to see if I could find a tomahawk head for the handle I made.
There was 2 axes and this one looked nicer to me.
The head isn't actually loose when I tried wobbling it .
It may be worthy of a new handle and a polish one day now

I'm going to use mine as is - if it breaks, I'll replace the handle. My axe new (it's a pope brand) was probably only $30. It was left in the garage of our house when we bought it. I've used it for learning - hit a stone with it when I chopped through a log The handle will probably last forever ; it's not very elegant. I've since added a couple more nails to it, thinking "what the hell". Now it's solid.

Did you know to sit the head as low down as possible on the handle, you hold the axe upside down (head off the ground) and hit the end of the handle with a mallet or a piece of 4 x 2? I tried it - it works really well. I should probably polish mine too - it might cut a bit deeper

 

[Thrud]

Could one of the Mods shift this thread to the cutting tool section please?

 

[Kindliing]

I'm going to use mine as is - if it breaks, I'll replace the handle. My axe new (it's a pope brand) was probably only $30. It was left in the garage of our house when we bought it. I've used it for learning - hit a stone with it when I chopped through a log The handle will probably last forever ; it's not very elegant. I've since added a couple more nails to it, thinking "what the hell". Now it's solid.

Did you know to sit the head as low down as possible on the handle, you hold the axe upside down (head off the ground) and hit the end of the handle with a mallet or a piece of 4 x 2? I tried it - it works really well. I should probably polish mine too - it might cut a bit deeper

View attachment 27254

View attachment 27255

Mate that axe will probably last for years. May not impress your bushcraft buddies who may or may not think they need to import some overpriced dragonhawk 5000 special axe , where they've tried to recreate the wheel and give it a poxy name.ive probably cut hundreds of tons of wood with something like it when I was a kid living in cold winters. That your getting in there and having a go is the main thing.

Funny I do know that about banging the handle down.

I will give it a go later today when I bang mine down after I pull it out of the bucket of oil and post an after pic.

 

[Randall]

Yeah, it makes sense if you think about it. See from about 3min. I didn't hit anywhere near as hard or as often as that dude - mine went further down than it had ever been. I was getting worried that it might break.

 

[Kindliing]

After putting slithers in to fill gaps near wedge, most was still intact. Worked well no movement after chopping some hard gum logs.



Quick file cleaned up burred jagged edge ,
Then another stone.



Sump oiled handle may be a bit dirty for now , looks nice and gave new life.

They're a "Tasmanian pattern axehead" from down your neck of the woods.

 

[Randall]

Gee, that's a really nice job. Yes, a couple of old time manufacturers made the tassie pattern. I think plumb was the first to use this big time and make them well known - they exported axes to australia. Hence, my associating the look of your axe with a plumb. As a kid, I think there was a plumb nearby every woodheap, and they were already old, probably from the previous generation or earlier. Most were neglected and not appreciated, as they are now - isn't that an irony Looking again at your handle - that's an awesome piece - look at the grain orientation! I wouldn't be surprised if that handle has some age too, made when people knew what to look for.

 

[Kindliing]

I went back to the second hand store today and had a look at the other axe they had there. Sure enough it said plumb on the head.
Small head though , near half the size , and they had 65$ on it.
Maybe they're aware it's worth something.
On my first visit I thought it was expensive for an old axe.
Probably be treasure to someone out there.