Russian Axe - Toporsib?

dakota said:
I ran across a brand of axe I had never seen before on rusknife.com. I found what I think is the manufacturer's website, but Google Translate only gets you so far. They offer some very cool patterns.
Has anyone encountered this brand before, or have any additional information?

http://toporsib.ru
http://rusknife.com/topic/19926-походный-топор-бобёр-от-топорсиб/

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Hot dog! Sorry to sidetrack this but from scrolling around in that Rooskie (?) forum I see they have their own 'spitting image' version of "Best Made" painted handle Hudson Bays. Either that or the stamp or picture is deliberately mirror image to confuse me.
 
I want one too! It's frustrating to want something that I can neither pronounce nor find a seller for. I have been eyeing this Mueller for a long time, but that Russian gal is just gorgeous.

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That youtube channel was a great find, other than it makes me want even more.
 
that's a cool website. anyone planning on doing a little importing. I'm pretty sure I will buy .... few:p
 
I've been eyeing a few Russian axe companies, but it'll be a while before I'm able to make things happen. Hadn't been aware of these guys, but I had been looking at JSC Trud and Izhstal-TNP. Not as high-end but closer to humble traditional factory-manufactured tools for the working class.
 
they sure have some nice looking carving axes
the design shows not much metal for the poll for hammering
Russia has a forestry products industry
wow what a nice large bowl adze
 
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If you google “Russian type axe”, most of the hits are made in China products.
I guess it is not easy to be an axe manufacturer in Russia either.
 
Yeah. The tool market in Russia faces stiff competition from Chinese manufacturers. A Russian friend of mine who's the VP of research/development at a scythe factory, has mentioned it to me before on a few occasions. He was the one who was kind enough to point me in the direction of JSC Trud and Izhstal-TNP because I was having a hard time finding actual Russian manufacturers of Russian axe patterns.
 
Did some reading on the Russian knife forum linked above.
One of the topics was about these type of axes.
It turns out that these axes are actually called “сучкорубный топор”, which can be translated as a limbing axe.

I found a Russian website listing 4 contemporary types of Russian axes:

http://www.drovavoz.ru/razmery-topora-pravilnoye-toporishche.html

Look at the last picture:

http://www.drovavoz.ru/img/razmery-topora-pravilnoye-toporishche/chertezh_topora.jpg

The 4 types listed are the:

1. Felling axe (Russian: лесорубный топор), a typical American felling axe is shown (Dayton pattern?).

2. Limbing axe (сучкорубный топор), the traditional Russian axe type discussed in this thread.
According to the website, it is used for limbing and debarking.
This axe type was traditionally used (and is still used) also for felling, splitting and hewing & carpentry.

3. Splitting Axe, (колун).

4. Hewing/carpenter’s axe (топор для тески), a lighter variant of the typical Russian axe type discussed here.
 
Click on the film strip icon next to the items HERE to see the models that Izhstal-TNP produces. Here are a few:

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turisticheskij_topor_bez_chekhla.jpg
 
FortyTwoBlades, thanks for the interesting link.
The second one you posted is evidently for meat processing.

This old Finnish catalog lists 4 different Russian regional axe patterns:

http://rusknife.com/uploads/post-1779-0-16310900-1420826744.jpg

The first axe seems to be similar to the Arkhangelsk pattern.

According to the Russian Knife forum, there were Viking axes similar to the typical Russian axes, and allegedly one was found at Rocky Nook on the Massachusetts coast:

http://rusknife.com/uploads/post-8597-0-36842800-1420728390_thumb.jpg
 
These kind of axes are also commonly found in Poland in used but good condition. Very recently I acquired one marked ZIK (Zlatoust Factory) and stamped with 1948 or 1942 date. Zlatoust was one of major factories in Soviet Russia and is well regarded on Rusknif.com forum.

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Similar shape but smaller size is known as Sapper hatchet and was produces in large numbers for Polish Army, obviously a leftover from years of Russian occupation, since traditional polish axes are very different.
In general european axes are at least as varied as american, if not more diverse. There is lots more beyond what is currently imported to the states.


Marcin
 
A couple of days ago I watched Happy People for the 5th time, I have searched high and low for a "russian axe", found one on the internet yesterday, recieved the axe today. It feels solid, but I'm not spending another second in the garage, it's -37 degrees celsius today!

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hi all from cold Russia. its very interesting, that You are speaking here bout russian axes. Can give You some information from first hands. Most of all axe factories in our days in Russia are making bullshit. Chineese axes are much better. Is a problem with quality, with materials, with payments to workers, but the most problem is the dead of Stalin. Axes of the USSR were not bad. So now we have small blacksmiths, which make very good axes, like Toporsib. Or old axes from USSR 50x-60x-70x GPZ, ZIK, 80х-90х Izhstal. by now its possible to find them in conditions like a new - from thу army stores. If have more questions - post them. I have to go now untill by bear have not drunk all Vodka. Regards///
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