Re: Lemme AXE you a question
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2022 11:19 pm
As long as you pick a good axe handle where the grain runs through and through in straight (roughly) parallel lines without coming out the sides i wouldnt worry about breaking an axe handle. At least not to the extent that I'd choose a tomahawk over an axe because its easier to replace said handle.
As much as I like hawks as toys an axe really does everything (that i'd use it for) better except maybe for wearing better in a belt.
In my experience axes split better (though not as good as splitting mauls obviously) and the extra weight helps them chop more efficiently than a tomahawk.
So for me I'd say axe though when I made my shepherds axe (completely different animal from both conventionsl axes and tomahawks) I based the axe head on a common mass produced tomahawk pattern BUT I scaled it up a bit to give it more weight for chopping (I'm told historically the real fokos/Valaška was lighter for combat and pictures seem to support that). Also I didnt taper the eye on a mandrel like a tomahawk's so that I could hang it like a conventional axe with a wedge on a longer beefier also un-tapered handle.
As much as I like hawks as toys an axe really does everything (that i'd use it for) better except maybe for wearing better in a belt.
In my experience axes split better (though not as good as splitting mauls obviously) and the extra weight helps them chop more efficiently than a tomahawk.
So for me I'd say axe though when I made my shepherds axe (completely different animal from both conventionsl axes and tomahawks) I based the axe head on a common mass produced tomahawk pattern BUT I scaled it up a bit to give it more weight for chopping (I'm told historically the real fokos/Valaška was lighter for combat and pictures seem to support that). Also I didnt taper the eye on a mandrel like a tomahawk's so that I could hang it like a conventional axe with a wedge on a longer beefier also un-tapered handle.