Thread: Tuatahi axe project - small axe / hatchet for hunting, tramping, fishing etc

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

many years ago I had stolen in a breakin at my house at Kaitaia a camp axe and have never seen anything like it again to replace it - I understand it was a carpenters axe and likely very old (sorry dont have pictures ) it had a wide blade and a hammer head with nail claw on back - bloody ideal as a camp axe as one obviously could hammer in and or remove nails as well as a small axe - love to get one again

@Barry the hunter, I've got a carpenters hatchet that sounds like what you're describing. I found this at a garage sale in a sad state so cleaned it up and it'll still hold a lovely edge. Often gets used for taking ribs off for slow cooking.

Originally Posted by Joe_90

@Barry the hunter, I've got a carpenters hatchet that sounds like what you're describing. I found this at a garage sale in a sad state so cleaned it up and it'll still hold a lovely edge. Often gets used for taking ribs off for slow cooking.

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thats it - I put a pin thru head on mine as it tended to loosen the handle I put on - yup bloody burglars they got into my workshop and flogged all my knives -reels -rods -knives I had english butchers knives my Grandad had given me - he had bought some back from England for his butchers shop and I was lucky enough to get a couple - puma as well gone lol

yes that little carpenter's hatchet is a good example of what you can do with a small multi-purpose axe. I like the idea of a hardened poll to hammer in tent pegs etc, or just general whacking.
Meanwhile, an update from Tuatahi, I proposed to them making 2 different handle lengths and they agree this is the way to go:
" I passed your email over to the axe team to have a read of and they have come back to me with the following in regards to the handle lengths, the long handle it will be 20.5" - 21", the shorter handle will be around 15 1/4". All of these lengths the measurement is taken from below the axe head down to the bottom of the handle.

We will be in touch when we are ready to start taking firm orders."

So that means overall length would be approx 58-59cm (same as camp axe, 23") for long handle, and 45 cm (17.5") for the short handle. My prototype is short handle, OAL 43cm. It is a little short for 2 handed use, but an extra inch and a chunkier knob would probably make it 2 -handed useable when really needed. I do not know pricing yet, or when these products will be ready to order. You guys will be the first to know...

I went looking for a replacement handle for a Kelly axe I have - there is not much around that doesn't look like it was made from pallet timber, or was designed for someone with size m palms and xxxxxxl fingers.

I got hold of Tuatahi, and they are doing (very slightly/visual flaws) seconds of their handles. Well worth the price, and a much better option if you have an axe in need.

I got a couple of US-made hickory 900mm axe handles for cheap that I used to rehandle my splitting axe (crap chinese but with a really nice head profile which is pure luck I think) and a Kelly head. Both go really well as splitting axes, but the handle on the Kelly head is def slimmer than I'd like. Both are too long for chopping or work axes though!

Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

I went looking for a replacement handle for a Kelly axe I have - there is not much around that doesn't look like it was made from pallet timber, or was designed for someone with size m palms and xxxxxxl fingers.

I got hold of Tuatahi, and they are doing (very slightly/visual flaws) seconds of their handles. Well worth the price, and a much better option if you have an axe in need.

I bought half a dozen handles off them, 800mm long. They need to be finished as they come with tooling marks from turning, but I don’t mind a bit of sanding.


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Given the price of an axe handle at the hardware shop now which are usually not straight and rubbish grain layup, I'd do a bit of sanding as well... The other thing I've noticed with the hardware shop handles, the head profile is often too slim to fit a Kelly-standard head or the like.

Leech Wood Products in Christchurch make USA hickory handles. 32 and 36” as well as racing axe handles.
Google them and flick Mark an email or give him a ring. Old school guy so ringing is probably the easiest option.

I paid $28 + gst for the last lot of 32” handles. Happy with the grain orientation and straightness. I bought ten of them because they came so highly recommended. He only sells them to hardware stores in the South Island round Christchurch, so reasonably unknown.

Takes a little bit work bringing them down to the standard eye size like on most full size axes but better than getting a handle that’s too small to begin with. Quite chunky in the main part of handle as well.

Bloody addictive hobby as it turns out.

Nice collection.... But I bet the fiskars get used the most!!! Shame about the bent bar, what's the story?

Originally Posted by 223nut

Nice collection.... But I bet the fiskars get used the most!!! Shame about the bent bar, what's the story?

You’re not wrong, I was bloody surprised how well the Tuatahi worked for splitting though, even on some 100 year old oak. When it gets stuck, it gets really stuck, is the only negative. I imagine the 6 odd pounds of steel makes up a lot as well.

Pains me to admit it, those Fiskars come out on top for splitting. The old man and I have used everything over the years, still love a good 32” 4.5lb Kelly tassie on the creamy straight stuff though.

Wind blown macrocarpa got that bar, read the pressures wrong and pinched the bar, it got bent when I freed it with another saw. Big leader dropped onto it.

Straightenable? Or does it have a twist and dish as well as the kink?

Last one I got with a bend in it had a dish or twist as well, could straighten one rail perfectly but the other was on the piss. Took me a while on the press to work out what was going on, most chainsaw bars don't have four sides that need to be straightened but then I worked out that I was confusing myself by turning the thing over several times to check the straightness and was swapping between the sides I was working on!

Originally Posted by No.3

Straightenable? Or does it have a twist and dish as well as the kink?

Last one I got with a bend in it had a dish or twist as well, could straighten one rail perfectly but the other was on the piss. Took me a while on the press to work out what was going on, most chainsaw bars don't have four sides that need to be straightened but then I worked out that I was confusing myself by turning the thing over several times to check the straightness and was swapping between the sides I was working on!

Slight twist at one end of the bend, too hard basket. Ended up chucking a light weight Jap bar on, way cheaper.

Hi all, nice contributions to the thread, always good to see people using their tools. As an update from Tuatahi, I've given the prototype a lot of use, found some strengths and weaknesses, and Tuatahi have been super responsive.
Next week I should receive an updated prototype, with the proper handle, which I'll give a good workout.
Hopefully in the next few weeks they will finalise a commercial model, and I can show you all some pics.
It is taking some time, but my feeling is that they are very careful when releasing a new product, that it does what it should, and won't damage their hard-earned reputation for quality.
I'll post again when I get the next iteration...

Originally Posted by 223nut

Nice collection.... But I bet the fiskars get used the most!!! Shame about the bent bar, what's the story?

I did that to a 2100 husky many years ago - we were dropping big old man pine for a contract doing embankment walls in Gisborne - end of day feeling buggered next tree was split about 10 feet up trunk - and it was a decent size - muppet decides big scarf quick back cut job done - put scarf in -got half was thru back cut bloody thing opened up pinched bar - turned to get chainsaw tool to take power head of - big cracking sound and it opens up rolls the saw down the trunk -bent like a bloody banana - worse it had done sprocket damage as well -