Finnish/Earlier Scandi axes - Kirves

[Square_peg]

You're exactly right, Ernest. People either don't want to do the work or don't want to give up so much steel but for whichever reason they don't grind the heel back to match the damage on the toe. In the process the axe' geometry gets all fouled up.

 

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At least one company in Finland is still making replacement handles in several sizes:

SUOMALAISET KIRVEENVARRET
200 – 40 Kirveenvarsi, suom. 40 31×47,5
200 – 50 Kirveenvarsi, suom. 50 31×47,5
200 – 60 Kirveenvarsi, suom. 60 31×47,5
200 – 65 Kirveenvarsi, suom. 65 33×50
200 – 70 Kirveenvarsi, suom. 70 33×50
https://puusorvaamo.eu/kirveenvarret/

It's fun to see it translated....

https://translate.google.com/transl...ps://puusorvaamo.eu/kirveenvarret/&edit-text=

 

[Jani]

Yes, I visited the same small factory and bought few longer handles. By the way, they used to import hickory from Alabama years ago but nowadays use only birch.

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

X

 

[rjdankert]

One Euro for an old Billnäs/Kellokoski axe? This is not a conundrum I've had to deal with

Bob

 

[Jani]

Not that badly spent Sunday. Found this planing(?) axe aka piilukirves yesterday at the flea market. Probably this is made by some village blacksmith. It was 100 % rusty. Now it's hungry for some log house finishing. I had a piece of rowan suitable for the handle. Billnäs 61.2 was just perfect tool for the work. I didn't have to use any other tools, just sandpaper for finishing. That old steel makes you wonder how many houses have been finished with it and what kind of hands have grabbed it? One thing is for sure those hands didn't use keyboard

 

[Agent_H]

Not that badly spent Sunday. Found this planing(?) axe aka piilukirves yesterday at the flea market. Probably this is made by some village blacksmith. It was 100 % rusty. Now it's hungry for some log house finishing. I had a piece of rowan suitable for the handle. Billnäs 61.2 was just perfect tool for the work. I didn't have to use any other tools, just sandpaper for finishing. That old steel makes you wonder how many houses have been finished with it and what kind of hands have grabbed it? One thing is for sure those hands didn't use keyboard

Your pictures were great - That isn't something I will find at a local flea market.

Bit of a socket eye rebuild and some sharpening.

A-frame.kindling by Agent Hierarchy


A-frame.kindling by Agent Hierarchy
It can heat itself but feeding the stove is more fun. The Kemi held up to quarter splitting and kindling for four days/nights of use.
Handy “house axe”.

A-frame.kindling by Agent Hierarchy


A-frame.kindling by Agent Hierarchy

And one because it caught my eye there.

A-frame.kindling by Agent Hierarchy

 

[Jani]

Took out my axes since I got some firewood to chop. The newest ones in collection are Billnäs 1123 and 7.2. 1123 has number 64 in the other side. I was surprised that these more rounded models are so old - assuming the 64 states for year. Though I like the original shape much more this is also a handy axe. I can't find many things more relaxing than chopping wood with good axe.

I also stored some handle material for drying. Birch and goat willow (Salix caprea). That willow will be very nice looking with brown and cream-white colors. Don't know about the durability though. We will know after couple of years.

 

[Agent_H]

Took out my axes since I got some firewood to chop. The newest ones in collection are Billnäs 1123 and 7.2. 1123 has number 64 in the other side. I was surprised that these more rounded models are so old - assuming the 64 states for year. Though I like the original shape much more this is also a handy axe. I can't find many things more relaxing than chopping wood with good axe.

I also stored some handle material for drying. Birch and goat willow (Salix caprea). That willow will be very nice looking with brown and cream-white colors. Don't know about the durability though. We will know after couple of years.

My goodness Jani... That is a gaggle of beautiful Finnish steel - great photos as well.

Calendar stuff lol!
The mono steel ones seem interesting as well. I would imagine the "64" is the date of production.

I have a No. 7 that needs a handle. They seem a bit like the big sister to the 61.x's, just going plus-sized.

I like axes that do most of the work for me, was out today limbing up an old plum tree with one of mine. It's a foot around at the base and it's ready for my crosscut to quietly harvest some of the trunk. I'm hoping to wedge and split it there to save hassle.

Plum.tree by Agent Hierarchy


Plum.tree by Agent Hierarchy


Plum.tree by Agent Hierarchy

 

[Agent_H]

Along the same lines - wood to make shorter "varsi"
Thinking from here back might yield some natural offset if necessary. (There was a Finnish axe just off screen)

Plum.tree by Agent Hierarchy

 

[Square_peg]

Plum is good wood for handles. And don't forget to save some for the smoker. IMHO there is no better smoking wood than a plum/hickory mix.

 

[Jani]

Agent_H, you also have great pictures! That plum tree seems very thick. Do you have those growing in nature or are those planted in gardens? Noticed that I have an error in that earlier post related to Billnäs 7. There is no different sizes in that pattern. It is just 7. Shape is similar to 61.x but 7 is so large that I cannot imagine it being used for carving. Seems more like chopping axe. I tested it today and seems perfect for chopping bigger trees.

 

[Agent_H]

Than you. Your pictures not working?

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

X

 

[Jani]

Was visiting a national park and there was a Billnäs 1210. Great chopping axe welded into water pipe. They use to use as ugly handles as possible in national parks' axes to prevent stealing.

 

[Agent_H]

Jani's photo:

I bet that thing gets the job done even with the pipe in it. Makes it too heavy to pack out at least lol. It doesn’t double as a shower head does it?

“In case of fire, attach handle to hose”

Poor old 1210. It probably sees some action around the camp?

 

[Jani]

Just one more of those Kemi 12/3:s. Prepared this as a gift for friend. It took over a day to clean the head from rust and carve a new handle. Head is in quite good shape and as they say Billnäs axe will last for at least four generations - You only need to replace the handle for 10 times and head 3 times. I wonder if someone has figured out what those extra markings mean? Like in here there is "I" and in many Kellokoski axes there is mark C.

 

[Jani]

Goes little bit offtopic but I came across with a weird looking axe (at least in Finland) in an antiquity shop. I told to the seller it looks like imported but he told it's probably made in some smaller smithy. Well I cleaned the stamp and it appears to be made in Germany by J.Wiebelhaus & Co in Meschede. I guess this could came to Finland with the Wehrmacht during WWII. Or then somebody just had the money to buy German-made axe and didn't count on the Finnish quality. Also grapped a 12/1 Kellokoski with an old handle that has a perfect feeling for a little bit heavier axe like 12/1. I will definitely copy this. It has also a nice face figure in the swell. Total length is just 29" which feels perfect for me.

 

[Agent_H]

Jani, I wish we could see your pictures!

 

[Jani]

Sorry. Google pics just wont work for some reason. I need to check those when back in home from trip. And I have some steel to bring home as well. I will let you know what kind of...