Evening…

looking for a small carving axe (to also be used for general purpose when camping), anything else to consider than the usual GB or Wetterings stuff?

Cheers

http://holtheathwoodentreen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/axe-file-number-3-stefan-ronnqvist.html
Needs to be sharpened, and a handle made up, but looks like just what you’re looking for.
Someone in the comments mentions getting a Westermann axe head, here’s the bloke to get in touch with:
http://nicwestermann.co.uk
He does demonstrations around the country, including forging axe heads, and makes to order. Worth getting in touch, I’ve got one of his knife blades that I made a handle up for, he’s a damned good knife smith and forger.

Anyone who needs an axe works in IT.

yeah, but £135 for the head alone is a little steep.
and nope not an IT bod here. I do green wood carving and my axe (cheap splitting axe that I have reground, borrowed from a friend) is old and out of shape. I have a little spare cash atm and its about time I bought one

OP, do you live in Hoxton?

Are you Beardy McAxerson in disguise?

CFH… Guilty as charged ( not really) 😆

Best value would probably be the GB small camping axe, then.
Of course, whatever you get, it’ll last your whole life.

which is the best axe for carving, bushcraft, general use?

Hopefully CZ it’ll last my son’s too!

Looked after, there’s every reason that it should. 😀
Here’s another alternative, but again, not cheap:
http://traditionalskills.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/hans-karlsson-sloyd-axe/
Compares to the GB, it’s better, but of course, more expensive, as it’s a more specialised shape.

I guess the other route would be to find an old axe head off ebay and re-handle it. I do have some nice teak/mahogany in the store which I have been looking to use for something… hmmm

A lot to be said for that, many wood carvers find old tools and customise them for their own purposes.
As well as eBay, what I would suggest is getting out to some country fairs and traction engine rallies, you often find people with large stands selling lots of old tools, especially axes and the like, that need a bit of work getting the edge back, and new handles fitted. Treefest at Westonbirt in Gloucestershire later in the year is ideal, there’s lots of woodcraft stuff there, many old tools, and Nic Westermann is always there, demoing forging, so it’s very informative watching him, and you can ask his advice on stuff as well.
Really worth looking on Google for events during the year, being able to actually handle the axe means you can judge if it’ll be too large, small, the wrong shape, etc.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/pdf/pdf99232823.pdf

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz3rs-eaN3E&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

Silky ono

If you’re anywhere near Banbury area, Workshop Heaven has some beautiful axes and other tools, and has a little demo area to try stuff out.

joeG loved that video and thanks for the pdf… good read. trout just don’t like the look of that one, love the saws though. Kayak23 for some reason I cant see any of the pics of the axes, however might give them a look next time I’m up that way

This might be a useful place to look: http://www.oldtools.co.uk/tools/Adze_and_Axes.html
http://www.oldschooltools.co.uk/index.php?p=1_13_Axes-Hatchets-
http://www.antiquetools.co.uk/toolbox.php?category=Axes,%20chisels%20etc
Lots here, but they’re in Australia: http://toolexchange.com.au/Axes-Hatchets.html
Lots of lovely old tools here, but no axes, sadly: http://www.toolbazaar.co.uk/tools.asp

This little Husky one might work: http://www.radmoretucker.co.uk/category/Axes/product/Husqvarna_Carpenters_Axe/?gclid=COKDjMLK8b0CFQEXwwodKqAABg
These are a bit more expensive, the Sculpture Axe is 1000SEK, or about £90
Useful tip about buying and reshaping a really cheap axe: http://seanhellman.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/quality-tools-cheap-axe.html

have looked at the husky one, like their products as I used to use the chainsaws. and I’m quite practised at reshaping axes, used to do the ones for my local scout group… axes used by scouts tend to need A LOT of shaping!!

FWIW, I’d love one of these little Roselli axes, the bearded head lets you choke it right behind the cutting edge. Not cheap, though.
http://www.knife-heaven-shop.com/roselli-r860-roselli-hatchet-small.html?___store=english&___from_store=german

oooo I like that…. I did look at the Japanese bearded axe from axminster but the blade is so thick it would take forever to reshape. quite like the Viking axe from that site too

Actually, I’ve just found a blog about reshaping axes for carving, and he doesn’t rate the Rosetti, it’s too thick as well:
http://woodsroamer.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/inexpensive-woodcarving-axe.html
Shame, it’s a nice shape.
This one has a nice feature about making up a new handle, with a printable template:
http://timmanneychairmaker.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/turn-your-hatchet-into-carving-axe.html

nice blog that. I have an old spoke shave (c1830-50) that needs new handles that I have been meaning to fix, guess this gives me the impetus now.

Just thought I’d revisit this thread, having seen an advert in the back of the latest Bushcraft magazine with these axes featured in it: http://edgedarts.com/modern-tools/hudson-bay-camp-axe-1-75lb-made-in-the-usa-by-council-tools-ct-175hb18

£35, which I thought was a pretty good price for a forged head, and hickory handle, US-made, and a nice, almost bearded design which allows it to be choked right behind the cutting edge.
Apparently based on French trade axes traded with Native Americans.

well I finally got an axe…
[/url]IMG_1233 by daftvader77, on Flickr[/img]

got it from moonraker knives. its light, with a small cutting edge. just what I was after for the carving I do. once I get hold of some decent green wood I will see what it can do. only gripes I have are that the handle doesn’t look like it will put up with much punishment but I have a rather large lump of strait grained teak to replace it with when it breaks

Nice! Moonraker do some nice stuff. That looks like it’s got a serious edge on it, too.
I was looking on their site the other day, as it happens, on this particular page: http://www.moonrakerknives.co.uk/puma.html
I happen to have a couple of Puma knives, the Hunter’s Pal, and the White Hunter I. I bought mine from a shop in Weymouth many years ago, when I doubt I paid more than ten or twenty quid for them!
I do like the Kukhri for brush clearing, though.

They look alot like the cudeman blades….way more expensive tho. And funnily enough I have spoken to one of my gurkha friends this morning about getting a decent kukhri… and will hopfully have one soon…