Help needed please from all GB axe owners....

[Angst]

hiya....as a lot of you know, i'm a leathersmith and recently i've discovered that there are significant differences in GB axes....specifically the SFA and the Wildlife Hatchet....and its causing me problems....the very last thing i want to do is have unhappy customers who receive an ill-fitting sheath from me....

i've only ever received one negative feedback on ebay and it was over this. and it was an sfa.

then recently i made a sheath as a present for my mate steve581 and we discovered his sfa is several mm different too.

then a couple of months ago a customer sent me his wildlife to make a sheath for. i recently bought mrs angst one and hers is a wholwe 1/4inch different.

now the official measurements on the GB website are 3" cutting face for wildlife and 3 1/4" for SFA.

i like to make sheaths that fit. fit properly. and these discrepancies are large ones to me. could i ask please if any bcuk'ers who have these two axes would be kind enough to grab a ruler and measure in a straight line from 'point to point' the distance across the cutting face and post up their results....would be very much appreciated!

regards

a.

 

[bb07]

Mine:
Small Forest Axe: 3 3/16''
Wildlife Hatchet: 3 1/32''
Both have seen enough use to have been sharpened a number of times, but never with a file, so the edges have not been reduced in width by any appreciable amount (if any) from their new dimensions.

 

[Angst]

thanks m8....seems youre the only bcuk'er who owns either/both of these axes lol!

 

[Kepis]

Get the alphabetty spaghetti on Sonni, i'l bring my SFA & a couple of Wildlifes over for you to measure first hand.

Ive measured two of each for you

Small Forest Axe: 8.5cm
Wildlife Hatchet: 7.6cm (This is almost a brand new axe)
Wildlife Hatchet: 8.1cm


Tis part of the reason i dont make many axe masks for Gransfors without having the customers axe to hand, too many different dimensions for the same base product.

 

[dwardo]

Probably not related but I wonder that there isnt more of a mix up when people use the SFA initials with there being a "Scandinavian Forest Axe" and the "Small Forest Axe".

 

[DavidJT]

As they are hand made by a few different blacksmiths there's going to be a bit of variation. Part of the appeal!

I haven't got mine to hand to measure.

 

[HillBill]

They are made in dies though, same ones. All the smith does is hold the hot metal in the die while a big old mechanical hammer type thing gives it the good news. they should all have the same dimensions.

My small forest is bang on 8cm Sonni

As they are hand made by a few different blacksmiths there's going to be a bit of variation. Part of the appeal!

I haven't got mine to hand to measure.

 

[ozzy1977]

My small forest is 3 3/16 point to point

 

[Dave Budd]

most of the variation in shape and size comes down to use and wear, or mis grindings in the factory. Like Bill says, the forging is controlled by the dies that they all use (except on specialty axes that are hand made), but the edges are still ground by hand so one person may grind an extr 2mm into the head, shortening the edge lenght by maybe 5mm in the process

Certainly none of the axes that I use are teh same shape and size as the day they were made. I remove a little everytime I sharpenit and if I have restored an old axe or undone some damage (normally caused through teaching axe use), then the shape changes dramatically. None of the masks that once fitted tightly on my GB's (et al) fit the same after years of use.

The variation in axe and knife shapes is exactly why I don't make sheathes to sell on their own The masks they come with are very loose, so I would suggest making them on the larger end of the spectrum and then find an adjustable length strap instead. that way there is clearence for the edge lenght and the mask will be securely fitted to any axe that will fit in there, GB or not

 

[Rosahane]

My brand new SFA is exactly 3 1/4 inches. It's forged by AS!

 

[DavidJT]

They are made in dies though, same ones. All the smith does is hold the hot metal in the die while a big old mechanical hammer type thing gives it the good news. they should all have the same dimensions.

My small forest is bang on 8cm Sonni

most of the variation in shape and size comes down to use and wear, or mis grindings in the factory. Like Bill says, the forging is controlled by the dies that they all use (except on specialty axes that are hand made), but the edges are still ground by hand so one person may grind an extr 2mm into the head, shortening the edge lenght by maybe 5mm in the process

Certainly none of the axes that I use are teh same shape and size as the day they were made. I remove a little everytime I sharpenit and if I have restored an old axe or undone some damage (normally caused through teaching axe use), then the shape changes dramatically. None of the masks that once fitted tightly on my GB's (et al) fit the same after years of use.

The variation in axe and knife shapes is exactly why I don't make sheathes to sell on their own The masks they come with are very loose, so I would suggest making them on the larger end of the spectrum and then find an adjustable length strap instead. that way there is clearence for the edge lenght and the mask will be securely fitted to any axe that will fit in there, GB or not

All very interesting - I should maybe visit them one time when I'm over there.

 

[HillBill]

All very interesting - I should maybe visit them one time when I'm over there.

[video=youtube;E89nlVmPeeU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E89nlVmPeeU[/video]

 

[laro13]

And don't forget that there are two different shaped Wildlife Hatchets.

Old style(top):

New style:

I have got the old style, and de head is more convex. I have always wondered if there is a big difference in use?

 

[bb07]

And don't forget that there are two different shaped Wildlife Hatchets.

Excellent point. Here's a bit closer comparison

 

[HillBill]

And a closer one lol

 

[bb07]

And a closer one lol

Not fair! You have both, while the pic I provided is stolen from the internet
I really do like the shape of the original head better though....

 

[HillBill]

I had both, now i have neither I preferred the old shape too, i found it worked better.

 

[Two Socks]

My reasonably unharmed SFA edge measures 8.3 cm from tip to tip. The google tells me that that must be 3.25 inches.

 

[sycamour]

[video=youtube;E89nlVmPeeU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E89nlVmPeeU[/video]

Thanks for the posting, cracking video!!

 

[plastic-ninja]

Eventually got round to measuring mine this morning :yikes:
My 2 remaining SFAs are different : one is 81mm , the other is 79mm.Neither have seen excessive wear or ever been filed.
My Wildlife Hatchet is 78mm.
None of the GB masks are very close-fitting anyway.As has already been said I should think allow plenty of room and have a really secure fastening.
I guess the other way is to have your customers trace the outline of their axe on a sheet of paper for you to work from.
Cheers , Simon