Fundamental Axemanship part 1: Selecting the Perfect Axe

[@1990Co]

Gonna be under the hood welding for the next 8 hrs I’m going on a binge of these playlists

[@James-ke5sx]

This is a great tutorial I'm going to learn some good axemanship from your videos.

[@bleachwolf6936]

I find your channel very informative and honest. Glad I stumbled upon you and your work.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Thanks and welcome!

[@paulhomsy2751]

Another great video. Very informative and covering several different aspects. Thank you !

[@pascalstolz2901]

Ochsenkopf ILTIS is pronounced like ILL - TIZ. The Rinaldi Axes are superb. Thanks for the Info!

[@roymarley5178]

I realize it's kinda randomly asking but do anyone know of a good place to watch new series online ?

[@jonaswinston6032]

@Roy Marley i watch on FlixZone. Just search on google for it =)

[@christianharlem1999]

@Roy Marley i would suggest flixzone. You can find it by googling :)

[@hauki9286]

Thank you for your videos! You have a ton of good axe information here. I usually fell trees with a saw, but i help the undercut also with an axe. Like first using the saw and then come down chopping to the cut. I havent done too much pure axe felling, at least with bigger trees. I have been eyeballing a bigger felling axe for that, especially that budget line hultafors. Great to hear that it is a good axe!

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Yeah the hultafors 1.5kg is incredibly good once you thin the handle and grind, a real good qaulity tool

[@johnmutton799]

That small axe is made for camping, bushcraft. Hultafors standard range, and Husqvarna are the same axe, one dropped forged one hand forged. Ie power hammer. made by same company. Same price £44.00. Buy hand forged Hultafors and pay double, same steel. That Hultafors axe has the same steel as premium range, and half the price. I bought one and handle was perfect, grain orientation orientation was perfect. And the steel keeps its edge. I have not seen a Ochsenkopf axe with a good handle, the grain was poor. But would like a universal model. Good info mate.

[@j.o.2045]

Came over from skillcult, enjoying your insights. Looking forward to more content.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Welcome, glad you like my channel so far. some of my opinions can be quite controversial but I try to be honest with what I really think

[@j.o.2045]

@@benscottwoodchopper thanks for your reply. Honesty is what keeps me going back to Skillcult. I'm considering both the Ochsenkopf Universal and the Hults Bruk Kalix. Any thoughts on the Kalix? Or how they stack up? Do you like the Universal for splitting?

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@j.o.2045 Get the ochsenkopf Itlis 1.2kg europa, kalix is too light. The ochsenkopf universal axes are also good but its better to have a dedicated chopping and dedicated splitting axe

[@j.o.2045]

@@benscottwoodchopper excellent recommendation, however, I was looking for something to maybe attempt the cordwood challenge. One axe for all the work. I have a gransfors large splitting axe, a fiskars chopper, a cold steel spike hawk and trail boss. I was looking to fill in a gap. I'm thinking the Ochsenkopf Canada model is maybe suited to do both chopping and splitting well. Or, would you still say Europe model wins out?

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@j.o.2045 the Itlis axes have the same profile, go for the heavier europa. One axe for all work then go for rinaldi calabria

[@BobleeSwaggner]

Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I just moved to Europe so it’s very helpful to have this info. I’m a knife sharpener by trade. I prefer diamond stones to water stones for heavy work as they don’t need to be reprofiled. Have you ever considered using them?

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

Good video as usual Ben. I'm very much looking forward to the next one too. I have started my first axe video and I have already learnt a good deal from it but I have an awful lot to learn yet.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Probably old news to you, this video is kinda a reshoot of older ones. Looking forward to seeing how you get on. Its not easy and takes a lot of practice. Main thing is concentrate on accuracy, once you get that add power slowly untill you can hit full force. Then you can add speed and rhythm to your hits. I have a long way to go too if i want to be successful in competiton, its one of these things you learn more and more with every log you cut and never master

[@MrDesmostylus]

Great video! Can you recommend a decent replacement handle in the uk yet? I’ve only found the faithful hickory line and they are ok but I’ve recently had a lot or heart wood in them. I hear there’s a place in Cardiff that make high standard ash handles but they don’t have an online shop.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

I normally buy ochsenkopf or gransfors replacements and thin them down. Woodsmith experience has some good options

[@elemental4rce]

I'm about to experiment with the ochsenkopf replacement handles around 700mm/800 lengths. The faithful 36's are awful but the 24 and 30's are ok, just have to pick out good ones in person, i never order faithful handles because they can be so hit and miss. Woodsmith do some varied lengths of smedburg high quality handles but personally feel they look strange on old axe heads so i haven't bothered with them yet. I'm also going to look into shipping costs of buying handles from the U.S but im doubtful it will be worth it unless it were a very special axe.

[@neilnevill6782]

woodsmithexperience and oldtoolstore have Smedberg handles.

[@joelkelly169]

Found your channel through SkillCult and will be watching a lot more of your vids. What is the brand on the last axe you show here?

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Rinaldi

[@joelkelly169]

@@benscottwoodchopper thank you good sir, and hello from the southern USA. Mississippi in fact :)

[@benscottwoodchopper]

+joel kelly welcome, and if you are interested in this axe i have videos of it in use

[@nikasarjveladze638]

what are your thoughts about tuatahi camp axe? would it go in your recommanded axe list? thanks

[@azaba2007]

did you put the Urnieta axe handle into that Calabria? i noticed it sticks out from the head because Rinaldis have smaller eyes than Urnietas

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Yes is is a urnieta handle, still needing to fit it properly

[@azaba2007]

@@benscottwoodchopper yeah could tell. It is beech. The reason why Urnieta changed to beech was because people who use it in competition reported less heating of beech handles when they swing it too fast. LOL. That is another level. learning lots in your channel. thanks

[@sylvanstrength7520]

Hello, Victor here! I remember you recommending the Calabria to me as a good axe to get. It's definitely on my list to get someday, but for now, I'll probably be stuck with just my Trail Boss. Do you think that will be sufficient for cutting a cord? It is a bit heavier than the Council Tool axe and I feel like it has a good swing and nice power. I just need to sharpen it properly. I haven't had the chance to do so yet because I haven't been able to look for a good wood source yet.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

trail boss is fine as a starter axe, you can cut a rick with it easily. It will easily handle the challenge. After your first rick you will have a better idea of what you would change about your axe and maybe look for another

[@sylvanstrength7520]

@@benscottwoodchopper Thanks so much! I'll probably definitely go for a Calabria once I can get the funds that way I can easily replace handles as I need to. I got the Trail Boss not only because it was one of the most affordable options available to me, but it also had such a great review from Wranglerstar. I'm hoping I can take a tree or two from my In-laws' property, but it depends on whether dad will let me do it all with my axe or if he will absolutely insist on using the chainsaw lol. People keep warning me about it being such hard work but either don't realize or won't accept that hard work is the point.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@sylvanstrength7520 Honestly expensive axes are mostly hype, for spending up to six times more you get very little in return. Its hard work but not that hard, most people have never used an axe that cuts well so they have no idea what they are talking about!

[@sylvanstrength7520]

@@benscottwoodchopper Haha understood! I'll probably never spend as much as $100 on an axe. Too many good options out there for less. Hopefully I can convince some people to not bother me too much for wanting to use my axe. I asked my pastor of I could cut some wood on his land and he agreed, but he pretty much won't let me use only an axe.

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Its not that hard if youve got a shitty axe then yeah it is but as long as you pace yourself and dont try hell for leather straight away should be fine. Good excercise but manageable youll sure sleep well after providing you dont get axe jerks lol

[@jukeseyable]

Got yourself a sub chap

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Thanks!