Axes and associated items

[maulhead]

8". Might add steel to the back like the "buster" (make it balanced) or a RR spike driver...and bang wedges with it.

Japanese Splitting Axe

Japanese Splitting Axe for Green Woodworking at Workshop Heaven fine woodworking tools. Friendly service. Next day delivery option. Lifetime guarantee.

www.workshopheaven.com

He was a neat dude! I watched that video a few times, when it was first uploaded years back.

I read a few posts by Rooster (he works at council designing new axes) 8 or 9 years ago, on a axe forum he was on the hunt for an original buster to design a new council splitting axe kinda similarly modeled after a buster with a heavy pole, I'm pretty sure he got his hands on some of Tom's drawings and I think even a buster axe from what he said back when he was hunting for one. The redesigned heads on the 5 lb council & FE 6lb share some likeness with the buster I think from info I've read.

 

[davidwyby]

I removed the head, chamfered inside it and the shelf in the handle, and seated it 1/4” deeper.

After swinging it more in knotty pine, I think it definitely needs 2lb added to the poll. Bit-heavy is inaccurate and it just doesn’t have the weight. For easier splitting stuff it works very well. Better than a 3lb axe I’m sure.

 

[maulhead]

I like the looks of the profile on this one, the price on his website for the rafter is $450 and it's sold out.

I'm not a black smith, nor do I know the amount of time & work it would take to make one, but a lot of these new popup blacksmith shops seem high on the prices? Maybe I don't know anything thou....

5lb rafter 18

5lb head 26" handle

conradblacksmithing.com

 

[maulhead]

I removed the head, chamfered inside it and the shelf in the handle, and seated it 1/4” deeper.

After swinging it more in knotty pine, I think it definitely needs 2lb added to the poll. Bit-heavy is inaccurate and it just doesn’t have the weight. For easier splitting stuff it works very well. Better than a 3lb axe I’m sure.

That piece of steel hanging out the top of the head, is that part of the head, or is it the wedge to hold the head on the handle?

 

[KS Plainsman]

I like the looks of the profile on this one, the price on his website for the rafter is $450 and it's sold out.

I'm not a black smith, nor do I know the amount of time & work it would take to make one, but a lot of these new popup blacksmith shops seem high on the prices? Maybe I don't know anything thou....

5lb rafter 18

5lb head 26" handle

conradblacksmithing.com

A lot to consider. Anvils, power hammers, the tax man, rising cost of living.......all that is expensive. $450 a piece might be a little, or a lot, depending on how many he does a month and if that's all he does. I don't know anything about the guy.

I wouldn't pay that for an axe, but I'm a bit on the cheap side too.

 

[maulhead]

A lot to consider. Anvils, power hammers, the tax man, rising cost of living.......all that is expensive. $450 a piece might be a little, or a lot, depending on how many he does a month and if that's all he does. I don't know anything about the guy.

I wouldn't pay that for an axe, but I'm a bit on the cheap side too.

I'm sure there's a lot of costs to factor in, I was not trying to knock the guy. I like the axe, just more then I could/would pay. I would buy one just to support a small time entrepreneur if money was no issue, but that is not the case.

Some of the other smaller blacksmith shops I found in the USA, are around $450-500 per axe (with a $150 or so deposit) some of them on their sites say 12-18 month lead time. Axes seem to be trendy, so if they did not have a demand they would not be that busy. I hope it all works out for them, and they are still in business 20 years from now.

I used to have two gransfors bruks splitters, but they would not preform like I wanted them to, they got stuck more often, then they split, and when a $20 8 lb council maul would out split a $200 GB, it was goodbye GB's. They sure were fine looking, fit and finish was so nice, and the craftsmanship was sweet, often times I took them to the pile just to stare at them, while the councils did all the splitting. After a while that got old, GB's have a following so I did not loose any money selling them second hand. Sometimes I think about buying another GB, in case I get a different species of wood.

 

[davidwyby]

That piece of steel hanging out the top of the head, is that part of the head, or is it the wedge to hold the head on the handle?

The wedge. It comes just started.

 

[KS Plainsman]

I'm sure there's a lot of costs to factor in, I was not trying to knock the guy. I like the axe, just more then I could/would pay. I would buy one just to support a small time entrepreneur if money was no issue, but that is not the case.

Some of the other smaller blacksmith shops I found in the USA, are around $450-500 per axe (with a $150 or so deposit) some of them on their sites say 12-18 month lead time. Axes seem to be trendy, so if they did not have a demand they would not be that busy. I hope it all works out for them, and they are still in business 20 years from now.

I used to have two gransfors bruks splitters, but they would not preform like I wanted them to, they got stuck more often, then they split, and when a $20 8 lb council maul would out split a $200 GB, it was goodbye GB's. They sure were fine looking, fit and finish was so nice, and the craftsmanship was sweet, often times I took them to the pile just to stare at them, while the councils did all the splitting. After a while that got old, GB's have a following so I did not loose any money selling them second hand. Sometimes I think about buying another GB, in case I get a different species of wood.

I don't think it came off like you were knocking the guy and I hope my post didn't come off like I was implying you were.

From an outsiders perspective, not being fully immersed in the axe scene, it seems like axes, and small axe companies, are where knives were 15 years ago. It seems like there were countless knife makers that came out of nowhere and started small businesses, and the majority seemed to keep more than busy.

I like seeing small business thrive and would rather see that than huge corporations controlling every space, or industry.

My only problem with it is, I can't afford to support all of them. Lol

 

[davidwyby]

Yeah…

 

[maulhead]

I don't think it came off like you were knocking the guy and I hope my post didn't come off like I was implying you were.

From an outsiders perspective, not being fully immersed in the axe scene, it seems like axes, and small axe companies, are where knives were 15 years ago. It seems like there were countless knife makers that came out of nowhere and started small businesses, and the majority seemed to keep more than busy.

I like seeing small business thrive and would rather see that than huge corporations controlling every space, or industry.

My only problem with it is, I can't afford to support all of them. Lol

No I didn't think you were, I'd hoped you didn't think I was. I just wanted to be clear that I wasn't.

I'm not into the knife scene, other then to spread butter, and cut a steak or such, that's all I use a knife for.

 

[Moparmyway]

I like the looks of the profile on this one, the price on his website for the rafter is $450 and it's sold out.

I'm not a black smith, nor do I know the amount of time & work it would take to make one, but a lot of these new popup blacksmith shops seem high on the prices? Maybe I don't know anything thou....

5lb rafter 18

5lb head 26" handle

conradblacksmithing.com

$700.00 for his 6# offering is just ridiculous ! I’ll split with a sledgehammer and wedge before I pay for something that salty

 

[Gullet]

$700.00 for his 6# offering is just ridiculous ! I’ll split with a sledgehammer and wedge before I pay for something that salty

Dang...
Went OFF!

I agree tho, redamdiculous!

 

[Gullet]

Burled White Oak.
Close to impossible to split by hand.
I have TONS more of it to cut.

 

[davidwyby]

Got some deuce parts today…and a 4lb.

Also a Swedish 2-1/4lb showed up in the mail. Pics didn’t show the weight and going off the scale of the pics it looked like maybe a rafter. Oh well, I didn’t have one that size yet.

 

[Gullet]

I'm a 2 1/4 pound Boys Axe fanboy...

I use a chainsaw out in the forest.
Cut em shorter than normal & bust em with a Boys Axe (I gots some gooduns).

 

[Gullet]

I cut my way out of the forest once when it was so cold in the morning, trees started popping & falling over.
I was in a first gen Toyota 4 Runner & literally cut my way out with a Collins Boys Axe!

 

[Gullet]

Got some deuce parts today…and a 4lb.

Also a Swedish 2-1/4lb showed up in the mail. Pics didn’t show the weight and going off the scale of the pics it looked like maybe a rafter. Oh well, I didn’t have one that size yet.View attachment 373717View attachment 373719

So is that Boys Axe Cracked?

 

[Gullet]

Got some deuce parts today…and a 4lb.

Also a Swedish 2-1/4lb showed up in the mail. Pics didn’t show the weight and going off the scale of the pics it looked like maybe a rafter. Oh well, I didn’t have one that size yet.View attachment 373717View attachment 373719

Cracks?
Geeze, looks like multiple cracks.

 

[davidwyby]

So is that Boys Axe Cracked?

No, chopped/sliced. Nothing damaging. It’s 4lb. Little 2.25 Swede tomorrow…it was quacked, someone welded it…probably do it up a little better.

 

[davidwyby]