Axe Review Part I: Ochsenkopf “Europa”

I review a new axe. Then take it apart. If you want the gist-of-er, it’s not good.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

You dont have to rehang the axe further down the handle, just rasp away the material upwards

[@KevinsDisobedience]

I suppose I could have, but it’s too late. I cut the head clean off because I’m damned impatient. Lol

[@justicar5]

@@KevinsDisobedience my guess on the huge handle, is that they have taken a pattern meant for birch or oak, and made it in hickory, same reason Russian axes have huge eyes, if all you had was not that great, you made it beastly to stop it breaking.

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

​@@justicar5Ash would be the main choice oak would give far too little.

[@szilardfineascovasa6144]

@@ajaxtelamonian5134Ash, Black Locust, Hop-hornbeam. Black Locust is very close in every way to Hickory (except it's more sensitive, while drying, to splitting, if yku don't lnow what you are doing). European Beech is decent, too, albeit less springy...harder on your hands. Everyone makes oversized handles the same way they put ridiculously blung angles on their axes (nore like a "courtesy grind") because they expect the user to have no idea what they are doing. So..."make it solid as a tank...even if less useful. Second...you make an axe yours 🙂, if you know what you're doing. The theory about the oversized eye sockets, though, applies to Northern climates, indeed.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Absolutely agree with the sheath bieng useless, handles are very thick but they do thin down into a nice shape. I use them for a lot of my vintage heads because most replacements dont have enough palm swell. I think once you put a nice chisel grind on it you will see why I reccomend them

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Oh I was just being dramatic. I know it’s a nice head, that’s why I’ve wanted one for so long. I re-hung it and put a chisel-grind on it. I’ll post the second part tomorrow, or maybe later today if I get to it.

[@SkillCult]

'm guessing you'd do this a lot different now. I expect to have to remove some shoulder wood on the back as most stock axe handles, even good ones, leave a lot extra there. A common assertion in old lit is to hang the axe low to the shoulder, but it would be better to state the goal rather than assuming the best way to get there. I don't know how strength and resilience plays out in those long shoulder areas on those axes. It might be favorable, but handling is awful obviously

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Yes and no. It depends on the hang. If it’s straight and ostensibly snug then I’ll leave it, but otherwise I often rehung it right away. I hate rasping away the shoulder (which I prefer to remove as much of as possible) only to have a head come loose six months later, but yeah I probably should have just moved the shoulder up. I actually hate this axe. I’m going to get rid of it. I bought a different model to give them another shot, but I haven’t had the energy to make it usable. They take so much work to make them comfortable to use.

[@susannschmidt6915]

2:08 it’s actually completely normal for German Axes to be hung that high as far as I know it’s so that the handle doesn’t break on an overstrike

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Yeah, it’s definitely their norm. I think from the days when ash was all they could source.

[@Jesusiskingamen7]

Just thin the handle down. Mine is amazing now that I thined it very very good axe for the money

[@zombiefighterof1987]

I dig this style of handle, aside from the curves. The long shoulder means i can buy an 80cm handle but because the shoulder is long i can knock the head down and get a 75-ish cm handle, which is my preffered length. And being so thicc once you thin it down you get an actual palm swell.

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Sure, handles are more a preference than anything else. And you don’t necessarily have to knock the head down. You could leave the head where it’s at and move the shoulder upwards by filing wood away, but now I know it isn’t coming loose. Thanks for commenting.

[@elemental4rce]

Entertaining as fk 😂

[@KevinsDisobedience]

I’ll post the second part tomorrow or later today. Thanks for watching. I’m enjoying making them, so I’ll continue for now.

[@the_sharp_carpenter]

No need to put the head down, just move the shoulder up. I'm sure you will like it once in the woods

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Too late for that. Lol. It’s already re-hung. I’ll post second part tomorrow.

[@katelblez464]

i just was thinking the same "What is it" got me, good laught

[@KevinsDisobedience]

I thought I was being hard on this axe, but after a few months of use I like it even less. The steel is super soft.

[@katelblez464]

@@KevinsDisobedience So that a shit ? Somes videos said geometry of the head is good for felling Soft steel isn't good for an axe ? I guess it's good to haven't a chip on the edge

[@KevinsDisobedience]

I don’t like the one I have compared to other axes I own. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for other people’s purposes. And yes, soft still will not chip as easily. This is the softest steel I’ve ever filed. It definitely won’t take the steep profile I prefer for hardwoods. Maybe it’s just a bad head, a one off...could be I just got a bad heat treat or something.

[@alx252]

This axe is a multi purpose axe for loggers. It is used to clean all the stuff on the tree stump and around the tree, that potentially can dull your chainsaw. So it removes sandy moss and stones from the foot of the tree, it's used to clean the brush around the tree the loggers want to fell. It hits sand, dirty, stones and the ground. It's for limbing of tiny limbs, the logger didn't get with the chainsaw. So the edge is made to withstand rough use. If you want a sharp felling axe, you need to buy one made for this purpose. These type of axes have inlays of harder steel on the cutting edge and a really sharp edge as well.

[@KevinsDisobedience]

I bought another. Give it one more try. We’ll see.

[@1südtiroltechnik]

No Axe made in Europa uses Inlays of Steel since ~1960. They are Allsteelaxes today.

[@seff2318]

😂 love it! My sheath is basically all electrical tape lol. And yea the handles are trash for the most part but you can pull the shoulder up on it them if you don’t want to lose handle length.. It’s a little late now but it’ll be alright haha. We all talk highly of these axes but mostly for them being customizable and having great steel and geometry. I have no doubt it will be one of your favorite limbing/felling axes when it’s fully tuned up. If you want to make quick work of tuning and thinning the handle, use a flap disc on an angle grinder. I didn’t because I’m too much of a pussy but it turned out really well regardless. At the end of the day it’s a tool for professionals thats meant to be customized. What’re you gonna do 🤷

[@KevinsDisobedience]

I will post the second part tomorrow or a little later today if I get the chance. And yes I went at it with a flap disc. Lol

[@seff2318]

Kevin Kevech yaaaas 🙌 proud of yew

[@rnilazarev2553]

👍👍👍🤝🤝

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Thanks for watching my old vids. That’s practically my first one.

[@moselkultur5109]

Oxenkopf: Older than USA 😂

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Probably is. Wish old meant good. I had two of these and they fold like a cheap coat unfortunately. I wanted to like this axe so bad.