KEECH TIMBERMAN KC23 AXE TEST (bucking Aussie hardwood, raw footage)

Testing the re-built Keech/Keesteel KC23 on some Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera).
Axe specs: 2.3kg (5lb) head, 2.15kg (4.75lb) after grinding. 20 degree chisel with microbevel, 13 degree overall cheek angle, slight hollow. 145mm (5.75inch) edge length.
Handle specs: 3/4 size Engineered for Axemen race hickory, hung to 720mm (28.5inch). Total weight 2.6kg (5.7lb).

[@elemental4rce]

probably my favourite axe video on youtube

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate! Was a fun day out bush, and showed the value of "super-tuning" your tools

[@elemental4rce]

@@kurts64 been so long since i've had a tree worthy of the keech

[@kurts64]

@@elemental4rce Keech the Destroyer! Haha yeah less than 10 inches and it's almost like cheating

[@adamgreenizer]

Your a savage with that axe 🪓 . I enjoy chopping and watching a skilled chopper. Please send me some old Aussie 🪓 , I’m all Kelly perfect 👍 thanks hehe

[@kurts64]

Haha Kelly perfect's not a bad problem to have😁 cheers for watching mate! 👍

[@breadbaconcheese]

beautiful axe and chopping as always!

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate, thanks for checkin out the vids!👍👍

[@jamesgroves5294]

That is an amazing axe! Your skills are first class 🙏🏿🇺🇸🪓

[@kurts64]

Appreciate that James, hope your doin well thanks for watching mate!👍

[@ervintaylor6508]

beautiful work Kurt, one of the sweetest axes I've ever seen I'd love to have one keep up the good work

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate, I'm really hoping they decide to put out a few more, thanks for watching and leaving a comment, much appreciated!👍

[@KillingerUSA]

Love that axe! Great job man!

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate, she's a new favourite I reckon!

[@MDR-hn2yz]

She cuts eh!! Love those chips flying!

[@kurts64]

Go the Keech! Cheers mate!👍

[@greenfaring2501]

Looking good. You really get a good snap on that beast. Thunk!

[@kurts64]

It is a fun axe to throw around! Cheers mate👍

[@Jesusiskingamen7]

This is my favorite axe I have for bucking thing chews wood and spits it like no other

[@kurts64]

They are a beasty thing! Cheers for watching mate!👍👍

[@brettbrown9814]

Great job Mate! I bet you are loving the shorter handle and it cuts like crazy now. What a beast!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate! Yep the shorter handle was just what she needed, it's amazing the difference a tune up can make!

[@shaveclassy9986]

Crikey all mighty that chops

[@kurts64]

She's a beast!😁 cheers mate!

[@Brian2bears]

Awesome vid Mr. Kurt, that is a deep biting axe right there....

[@kurts64]

Cheers Brian, thanks for checking it out mate!👍👍

[@guyvanderveken5595]

You swing that bad boy like a champ, great vid, good to see them flowing again, bit of a workout aye. Cheers Bru

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate, yup gets the heart goin!👍

[@bundufundi]

Super job on that axe and in your hands making short work of that hardwood!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate!👍👍

[@PencilProper]

Nice video as usual. Awesome axe too. My Tuatahi work has arrived too.... cant wait to use it.

[@kurts64]

Thanks Chris, glad to hear your Tui got there! If you don't mind, let us know your thoughts on it when you've given it a run, cheers mate👍

[@PencilProper]

@@kurts64 Yep I will do!

[@940joey2]

Wow Kurt great job on the axe man !! That thing sinks deep that’s crazy sharp man !! That wood seemed like pretty gnarly stuff !! Notches looks really clean too man great job !!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate! That turp is pretty fun to cut in the clear wood, it's all those little knots that drive me nuts, they're everywhere!😄

[@940joey2]

@@kurts64 oh yeah I can imagine !! If I’m chopping any kind of softwood tree up my way I start to get tired of chopping out all the knots. What kind of wood is Turp is it a hard wood or a soft wood. It seems dense like it would burn really well. Keep up the great work man !!!

[@kurts64]

@@940joey2 turpentines a hardwood, similar to gums but tends to branch more, hence all the little knots. I like it for firewood, burns long and hot. Some people think not to burn it in the house cause of fumes or something but it's never worried me. If you check out my vid "camp prep", I felled a couple and split em down. Those two turp kept that camp in firewood for months!

[@waynejorgensen4433]

You have certainly tuned that keech well! Enjoyed the sound too.

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed! I love the keech, well worth the work in building it up!👍👍

[@waynejorgensen4433]

I inherited a keesteel washboard hatchet from the father in law. It was fantastic steel but seemed too heavy for a hatchet at 21/4 lb. I put a longer 27 inch handle and it is now a really nice camp axe. I presume keesteel is the predecessor of keech?

[@kurts64]

@@waynejorgensen4433 that would be an absolute beaut camp and light/medium chopping axe! Perfect handle length for that weight. I believe "Keesteel" is the name Keech gave to its line of axes it started back in the 40's, which continued up until 2020. Hang on to that thing!

[@waynejorgensen4433]

@@kurts64 thanks Kurt. Greatly appreciate your time and expertise!

[@Codi_Clapper]

Those are some pretty notches sir! That ought to be one of your better performing axes; looks great👍 Have fun out there and have a great day, Cheers!

[@kurts64]

Cheers Codi!👍👍

[@lifebehindtheaxe3835]

First bucking swing was pure axe porn

[@kurts64]

Hahaha that's what I thought too😆

[@chimmy4244]

Wow your Keech cuts waaay better than mine! Looks better too. Must be because it's autumn there and spring here. I've been chopping through all that running sap lol! Nice axe and chopping!

[@kurts64]

😆Don't worry she's all stained and beaten up already now! Cheers mate👍

[@chimmy4244]

Off topic but it's always green there and I was wondering if there are any deciduous trees around?

[@kurts64]

@@chimmy4244 sorry mate i just saw this. No not really, probably 99% of Aussie species are evergreen, there's only about 4 or 5 native deciduous species I can think of but none are really around in any big numbers. 3 of these species grow in my area, the red cedar (Toona ), white cedar (Melia),and the Illawarra Flame Tree (Bracychiton), you should check em out they're all pretty speccy trees. Apparently the 'unstable' climate here (floods, droughts, fires), and lack of distinct 4 season weather gives the edge to evergreens, and deciduous plants tend to be "unable to capitalise on sudden favourable conditions"... the red cedar can grow huge though, makes beautiful timber and used to be a highly sought after logging species here in northern NSW . I find remnant big ones occasionally in the bush, would love to go old school logger on one! It's cool you noticed that, the deciduous trees in the background of vids like yours always spin me out!

[@chimmy4244]

@Kurt S thanks for the info! Checked out those trees and the flame trees are amazing and the red cedars are awesome gnarly! If you go "og" on one of those make sure you get some footage!

[@KevinsDisobedience]

You cracked me up 😂. “There’s another tree under there. I’ll cut you too.”

[@ivanlyons5277]

I don’t know what’s more impressive, you , the axe or how many trees you find lying around ?🤣 Great video mate .

[@kurts64]

Haha Log Hunter! Cheers man😁👍

[@axesofoz717]

Trying to get a Keech Timberman, they have a casting foundry in my home town lol

[@kurts64]

We need to storm the office till they make more! the dealer is an hour from here, I check in on em every time I go past 😆

[@Brian2bears]

AxesofOz, that is cool...

[@benscottwoodchopper]

nice axe, cuts deep and doesn't stick. such a shame these stopped being made

[@kurts64]

Cheers Ben, I'm hoping they do just one more run...or ten😁

[@KevinsDisobedience]

What are the chances they do another run? When was the last one?

[@ervintaylor6508]

beautiful work Kurt, one of the sweetest axes I've ever seen,I'd love to have one

[@benscottwoodchopper]

@@KevinsDisobedience i think 2020

[@kurts64]

@@KevinsDisobedience not sure if there will be more. Keesteel seems to mainly specialise in making heavy equipment parts for the mining industry now, and I'd heard that they'd also recently been sold. I believe the occasional axe run they did was actually produced at a loss and more of a heritage thing for the company.

[@amc31b]

How did you get so accurate with your chopping? I couldn't see even one miss! Well done mate.

[@kurts64]

Haha cheers Tony, I'm sure there were a couple in there somewhere! 😉 Thanks for watching mate, and taking the time to comment, I appreciate it!

[@GoLongboardBroseph]

bustin chips!

[@kurts64]

Cheers for watching mate👍

[@ronkay1573]

Does the Keech stick in the wood more than a Tuatahi? Also, would you chose a Tuatahi over a Keech?

[@kurts64]

I'd consider the Keech a pretty free axe but it would stick more than the Tui. The Tui camp is just so thick it doesn't stick, but it doesn't quite get the penetration of the keech either. I would consider both as two of the world's best axes available, for sure. As for choosing one or the other, Keech now go for crazy prices. Over $500 is average and I've even seen em over $1000. A brand new Tui camp on a handle is cheaper, and even a brand new Tui Work Axe (if you were after a 5lber, same as the Keech) would come in cheaper. Another super-premium axe in this class would be the Engineered For Axemen 2kg work axe. If your trying to decide between the two, there's more footage of both chopping blackbutt in "The Axe Balance Challenge". Cheers for watching mate!👍👍

[@leegibbs5387]

Is that log you are cutting on some kind of Willow? Lee Gibbs

[@kurts64]

Nah this is Turpentine, Syncarpia glomulifera, an Aussie hardwood. Hard, dense, and often knotty and twisted. It's often a pain to work but this one chipped out nice, probably the nicest I've ever seen it.

[@Joey-L]

Wow, she bites deep in that wood. What's your verdict on the axe ?

[@kurts64]

I love it now. Was always cool but as you know I didn't really click to it before. The handle change made a massive difference to the swing, and the new bit shape feels like it's contacting better. Definitely worth the time, should have fixed it ages ago! Cheers mate👍👍

[@anhtieuphubungbu.9253]

That's great Kurt! Can you tell me how long that handle is?

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, the keech is on a 750mm/ 30inch handle, the finished hung length is about 710mm/28.5inch

[@anhtieuphubungbu.9253]

@@kurts64 Ideal length for the best chop. I tried the 800mm handle for the 1.8kg True Temper ax head, which was too long for me to use comfortably as I am only 1m65 tall. I will try again with a new handle. Thank you very much !

[@kurts64]

@@anhtieuphubungbu.9253 your welcome mate. I'm about the same height as you, I find 680-720mm the best overall length for chopping too. 👍👍🪓

[@KillingerUSA]

Second!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate!

[@leegibbs5387]

How can a axe man in the USA get one of those Australian axes? Lee Gibbs, Scotts, Michigan, USA

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, cheers for watching👍 Best bet would be to jump on ebay Australia and keep a lookout for keech, hytest, brades, elwell etc. Another option if you've got Facebook, would be to join up with "World's Greatest Tasmanian Pattern Axes". There's a lot of knowledge on there and also a fair bit of trading too. Good luck!

[@mickaeldeguil5924]

Bonjour Ou peut on trouver ce p'tit bijou car introuvable sur le net? Cdt

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, malheureusement depuis 2020, ils ne sont plus fabrques, il doivent donc très problement s'aprovisionner auprès de collectioneurs. Ils appraisement parfois sur Australian EBay 👍👍🪓

[@mickaeldeguil5924]

Merci pour ta réponse... Continue tes vidéos... elles sont géniales 👍

[@MatthewAmsbaugh]

First comment?

[@kurts64]

Haha Cheers mate!

[@KevinsDisobedience]

For as deep as she bites, she’s relatively free in the cut.

[@kurts64]

Yeah it's a pretty stout wedge, usually pops out pretty good