South American / Trade Axe: Rehandling, Chopping and Splitting Test

[@jeffreyrubish347]

I think this is similar to the axes used by Czechs, Poles, etc. in the middle ages. It was s lightweight head slip fitted onto a 3' or longer handle. It could be used as a hiking staff of sorts, and for light cutting. Called a valaska or shepherds axe.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Quite a lot of designs that work the same way but oval eyed instead of round. Pretty typical even to this day in southern and central europe

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Always made more sense that they'd have a slip fit handle given that the eye is so tiny on those.

[@turtlewolfpack6061]

I am fascinated by axes and I recall seeing TV shows as a child with this style of axe. It certainly fills a certain niche. If someone were to more of a wedge shape and maintain the eye shape I would love one for my woods bumming.

[@victorpetroni]

Hey! Brazilian here! I have never seen a slip fit head with round eye. Our axes have oval shaped eyes

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Oval is more common but if you look at old export catalogues round eye is also an option

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

I daresay in my neck of the woods that would be useful as theres loads of Willow growing straight. I have a French axe with a similarly shaped round eye but its at least four pounds but has quite a nice angle to the edge and destroys most firewood even knotty Holly.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

It's very hard to find truly straight ash Ben. You could use heat to straighten out the kinks, as I'm sure you know, I hasten to add. I realise you were demonstrating how quickly you could make a handle. A cool axe that would be very useful in a wilderness setting...if we lived in a wilderness setting.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Yeah I doubt many people would choose to use an axe like this, I still think the rinaldi axes are much better options. Maybe it could be useful where wieght or bulk is an issue and you really would prefer not to carry a handled tool. It was fun to try out anyway

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

I guess Hazel would be more likely straight. Ive used a sledgehammer on a Hazel handle is actually pretty nice.

[@Gungeek]

That would be a great axe for beat around in the Canadian back woods :) lots of small birch and maples for handles lol.

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Many of the natives in canada would have used ones very similar to this. Makes sense when you have no hickory or ash lying around

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Yeah like a Birch or Aspen sapling would be perfect there were a lot of those where I was in Canada ie the whistler squamish area. Or even yellow cedar might be good.

[@Sager-fs9bv]

5 min axe handle. Love it.

[@thekchile]

Now I get why all the axes arround here in Chile have that design, I thought it was because of shitty manufacturing (well it kinda is) but now they have another motive

[@ThrowingItAway]

You have to remember that the modern pattern of axe with a poll, top hung handle, and wedge shaped bit didn't come about until relatively recently. Forged castings and foundries allowed axe companies to produce more complex shapes with greater ease and better steel. Until that development Axe making was up to a local blacksmith or hand forged from a steel bar, and large pieces of good steel were hard to find. By using the simple design that Ben has, it made it easier to produce the axe in larger numbers with the materials of the time. They also were easier to ship unhung and didn't require handles to be sent with them which would be more time consuming to make than the head itself.

[@samzeng159]

Yeah I would bet that axe is designed for export in central and south America. I know in China your average Chinese villager will use a billhook for cutting very small sticks, like 1"-2" diameter for their stoves (along with coal). I don't think I've ever seen an axe used in China but then again I haven't looked too closely and have only spend time in the south. Always interesting to see different patterns and designs.

[@alliswell-pb9vo]

You are quite right, billhook is especially popular in the southern mountain(more like hill) regions, but axes are quite popular in the north along with larger billhooks

[@robbowman5857]

One of the few videos I've seen of someone making a field handle for any axe. Would flattening the sides of the handle make it easier to gauge edge alignment? If you didn't want the head to rotate on the handle, you could have a hole drilled in the eye for putting in a screw or nail. Would love to see you make a handle in the field for the Rinaldi!

[@benscottwoodchopper]

Thats a great idea with the screw, will have to try that. Will definetly have a go making a rinaldi handle

[@GravityRoller]

@@benscottwoodchopper Wondering about the Rinaldi handle project (350g head Hand Axe or 400g)?

[@cookscatapults]

Hahaha Freak’n Awesomeness.....Thanks for the Insight.....

[@exekon]

Surprisingly hard to get.