they are well made, and sharp. - very axe-like, not very hawk-like, because of their mass.
i'd like to see them scaled down in the cheeks.
the ones i have had in my hands were a little rough in the eye, but only aesthetics-wise, and we just tried to incorporate that
"rusticness" into the finished design after handling it. - the trade is you get a tool that a human being made, and made better than most machines - which i think is a great deal. especially given the price.
there is a
little turning of the bit on the longitudinal axis of the hawk head, presumably from heat treat, which is very common in hawks that have changes in volume along their contours. -
but they are well within acceptable limits.
i can't make heads that good.
:thumbup:
-
so you have to "average" the spike or poll and the bit when you haft it - but we are talking
really, really, really nit-picking here! - it takes a trained eye to spot it, and no one can tell the difference in usage as far as i have experienced so far -
and i have tested some real smart brothers on that last aspect BTW.
i would feel happy having a Craig Barr and nothing else, from what i have seen so far - they are functional and things of beauty - so if you like the looks and can stand the weight, i'd say
go for it.
he might be making lighter heads by the way, brother - i just don't have experience with those.
HTH.
vec