Tinker and Fix Hatchet - Soulwood Creations Edition

To date all our axe projects have revolved around using Skatewood - the name given to the brightly coloured laminates reclaimed from broken skateboard decks.  We really love the unique colours and patterns, but we also know that not everybody does.  Obviously the haters are wrong... but its ok to be wrong sometimes.

We decided to produce a hatchet with an alternative aesthetic to Skatewood.  Something with a more traditional look but it still needed to stand out in a crowd.

These two hatchets are that project.

The head – designed by Alex Pole (founder of The Forge Kitchenware) and made at The Forge, Somerset.

Our brief to Alex was simple – we’d like a 1lb hatchet head.  A few weeks later we took a trip down to Somerset to look at some samples.  When you enter a forge through a room displaying a collection of axes then you know you are in the right place.  The sample head shapes ranged from classic Scandinavian patterns to more traditional English ones.  The pattern we settled on has a strong Elwell influence (a well regarded 19th century British manufacturer of heavy hand tools), with distinctive asymmetrical lugs.  Whilst we were both just drawn to it, aesthetically, most importantly its weight and feel was the closest to my favourite hatchet.

The head is forged from a single piece of EN9 carbon steel.  The carbon content of steel alters its properties.  EN9 gives the axe a bit more “spring”, being less brittle than high carbon steel.  It’s therefore less likely to chip and holds a great edge.  It’s also straight forward to sharpen at home - as with use, all axe heads will need sharpening.  Each Blacksmith working at The Forge has their own touchmark - this batch were forged by Joe Garnett and feature his JG mark.

The handle - hand carved by Peter Kovacs, Soulwood Creations, Yorkshire.

The handle is where these two hatchets stand out.  They are made from Ash and the final finish is all by knife.  This leaves a smooth, cut, finish that can't be replicated and takes time to achieve.  The handles are faceted to fit the grip of your hand.  Axes #1 and #2 have slightly different handle shapes.  #1 has an overall length of 38cm and features a small palm swell with a leather lanyard.  #2 is 36cm long and has a larger and more shaped palm swell.

I first met Peter when he was running a weekend course I attended (have a look at his website and book yourself on one of his courses - you won't be disappointed.)  He infected me with his passion for faceted tool handles and for weeks afterwards I would wander around the workshop picking out handles to modify.

The Sheath – made by Edd, Tinker and Fix, Rutland.

With an axe head of this quality and sharpness I wanted to make sure the sheath was durable and in keeping. 

Although the heads are made to the same pattern, they have been hand forged so each head will be slightly different.  This means that each sheath has been made to fit each individual axe head. 

The leather sheath is made from 3mm veg tanned leather which is extremely durable and gives a chunky feel.  The shape of the sheath reflects details of the axe head’s asymmetrical lugs.  These two have been purposely kept quite traditional with a light brown leather and a natural thread colour.  The fittings are copper.

You asked, we listened ...... whether we make more in this style will be down to you!

You must be 18 years or older to purchase this bladed item.

Your age will be verified automatically where possible.  More information about these checks can be found here.

We recommend that you purchase this item via a Paypal Account or Credit Card as this further helps with your 18+ age verification.

As of the 4^th April 2022, this item legally requires age verification upon delivery in addition to the age verification upon purchase.  We have included a ‘bladed postage fee’ into our retail price for all bladed items. You can read more about this here.