Axe/Hawk Heads that fit long sledge hammer handles

[enoch]

I bought some of those axe head a couple years ago and they were very well made .
I made a Valaska or Fokos out of one. It's a walking cane from the eastern region of Poland ang Hungary made for shepperds. Basicaly an axe with a slimmer handle waist high made for protection ans walking aid in mountain hike. Practical,useful and fun.(Also known as shepperds axe)

 

[pirate604]

Order placed. Thx

 

[Hollow Point]

mine arrived today.they look and feel great. just need to get some handles. thanks Corwin Arms.

 

[KDW__]

I haven't even had a chance to do anything with the 4 axes I ordered yet since I'm out of country. Looking forward to playing with them soon.
Anyone got some pictures of their axes to show off to us?

 

[riversrest]

I bought some of those axe head a couple years ago and they were very well made .
I made a Valaska or Fokos out of one. It's a walking cane from the eastern region of Poland ang Hungary made for shepperds. Basicaly an axe with a slimmer handle waist high made for protection ans walking aid in mountain hike. Practical,useful and fun.(Also known as shepperds axe)

Enoch, I like it. I've been looking at that style but have no experience with Valaska or Fokos.

The shephards I've seen always used a "shepards staff", about 6-7 feet long. It looked like a rather small planting shovel with a hook on one side to catch a sheep's leg when one of his dogs drove it by him.

They often leaned onto the staff and had a smoke and/or conversation while watching the herd.

Which, axe head would you recommend for a Valaska/Fokos ? Btw. I'm serious. Thx, RR

 

[RRCo.]

Sorry to say the very short sockets may look cool, but they're highly impracticable in a working tool. OK for a tomahawk used for fighting once in a while, but the heads will work loose fast in kind of chopping wood task.

The Finns has the right idea; if you like a straight handled hatchet:

 

[riversrest]

^^ Hammers, have shorter sockets than most axes.

Would you deem 'em useless/impractible ?

Just asking...

 

[riversrest]

Sorry to say the very short sockets may look cool, but they're highly impracticable in working tool. OK for a tomahawk used for fighting once in a while, but the heads will work loose fast in kind of chopping wood task.

The Finns has the right idea; if you like a straight handled hatchet:

That looks too heavy for a walking axe.

 

[RRCo.]

^^ Hammers, have shorter sockets than most axes.

Would you deem 'em useless/impractible ?

Just asking...

If you think about how a hammer is used and where the impact and leverage occurs relative to the position of the socket you will perhaps see what I mean. An axe with a wide blade, like those faux Norse/medieval battle axes can exert much more leverage on the socket and handle at either end of the blade than a hammer can.

Bury one of those axes in a piece of wood and then start levering up and down with the handle to get it free; you'll soon get the handle free anyway.

As for a "walking axe" I'd suggest a "walking spear", or a plain old round socket trade pattern hatchet head you slip over your walking staff as required. I see GBA is making a "French trade axe", but the socket is still too short. This is more like it: ht tps://veteranarms.com/Primitive-Axe-Tapered-Oval-Socket-p692183331 Taper the end of your staff accordingly, and choose a suitable wood. Drop the head over the end of your tapered staff, a couple of taps of the wide end on the ground and you're done. To remove, tap the opposite end on the ground.

 

[riversrest]

^^

Bury one of those axes in a piece of wood and then start levering up and down with the handle to get it free; you'll soon get the handle free anyway.

Well, some don't read the specs and don't know how to use a tool for it's purpose. YMMY,

 

[RRCo.]

Situations, like missions have a way of changing unexpectedly; why be limited when you don't have to be? Axes are for chopping and splitting wood most of the time. If it can't do that consistently and reliably you'd be much better off with a saw. In fact most of us are better off with a saw, a decent hatchet/bowie/kukri and maybe a light spoke shave like the Mora type they used to sell here. A hammer face is always useful on an axe or hatchet, so a small head with a long, round socket a sensible blade width and a good hammer poll would be ideal IMHO. With the spoke shave you can make another handle for your hatchet or axe if you have to, and round is easier to find and fit if you're in the woods somewhere.

Some projects, just so you know I'm not making this up.

 

[riversrest]

^^ How do you "split" wood with a saw ?

 

[riversrest]

I haven't even had a chance to do anything with the 4 axes I ordered yet since I'm out of country. Looking forward to playing with them soon.
Anyone got some pictures of their axes to show off to us?

Here,...

I didn't get them for splitting firewood or heavy duty forestry/timbermen work. I have enough axes for that purpose like Huskies, Oxhead, Gransfors, Bison, Fiskars,...

I think they are good for lighter tasks like carving, whittling, blazing a trail, get rid of bush, throwing (for fun), hammering in a nail to fix a broken fence, aso...

So far so good, I like them, Ymmv...

 

[RRCo.]

^^ How do you "split" wood with a saw ?

If you're talking about firewood, you select wood of a moderate diameter, relative to type, grain and dryness, then you cut it into relatively short lengths.

Then if you were not bright enough to select wood of a small enough diameter that you don't need to split it, or if you want to split it for some other reason such as building a seat, you drive your hammer poll hatchet in well with one swing, pick up the length, invert it and strike the hammer poll on some suitable hard surface as many times as it takes to drive the hatchet in far enough to split the piece of wood into two.

Or, you can make a starter cut with your folding saw across the end of your lengths deep enough to set a durable plastic or fibre falling wedge in the cut, invert the length and pound as above.

The Silky Katana Boy or Big Boy are about the best folding saws on the market. No other handsaw comes close for speed of cutting.

 

[riversrest]

The Silkies are overpriced and overrated. Very expensive to replace a dulled out blade.

I'm sticking with more tradional, more economical saws if you are smart enough to assemble it !

Replacement blades are available at pretty much any hardware store in different styles for around $10,-

But to each their own.

Maybe Martin can bring a diy set set for this kind of saws, dunno ?

Otherwise I will use one of the pictured axes and make a saw frame myself...

 

[RRCo.]

I've got a bunch of NOS Swede saw blades. They cut pretty well, but have distinct limitations You'll notice the teeth are electrically hardened; not sure if you can file those. I believe the Swedes probably invented that process back in the 40s or 50s and from there it migrated to Japan.

As for the prices of Silky saws they can be got a lot cheaper than NA retail if a person shops around. Depends how much a person values having the best outdoor gear they can afford; just like axes, boots, scopes, rifles, whatever.

A wooden framed saw that like may be fun in the workshop, but does not pack as easily as a Japanese-style folder. Nothing like as strong or weather resistant either.

Silky saws can be sharpened with a small diamond lap if a person has the eye-hand coordination for it.

 

[riversrest]

The silky saws have almost twice the weight of a tradional bow saw and don't pacvk any smaller.

You must not have been in the bush for a while - talking workshop ?

 

[RRCo.]

It has been a while, but my memory is pretty good. Would never bother with such a thing in the shop. Only got the blades because they were cheap and I had the steel frames already so thought I might as well have the blades "in case". Wood frame may be lighter, but their shortcomings don't out-weigh that. The one thing the swedes do have going for them is the blades are cheap, but in terms of how many cutting teeth per inch, they don't match the Silkys and you can't cut a round larger than the distance from the edge of the blade to the crossbar.

 

[enoch]

Error

 

[enoch]

Riversest I would recommend the "C" heads. The shaft should be waist high or so , the"C'" heads provide you with a walking cane handle. In that manner you have a cane and axe and a potent self defense weapon (if in the remote possibility you need it). Make it a little long and trim it has you find your sweet spot. At the base you could pierce a drill hole and put a spike or glue a drill bit so you gain traction on muddy or rocky hill. If you prefer a cane rubber cap can be use.