Bent / curved hatchet heads?

[Michael J Evans]

I've had a old hatchet that I've used for general duty for years that has the head bent (curved?) right (when viewing from behind), I've never really known why and always assumed it was either damaged or designed for lefties (I'm right handed). But I like it much better than the cheapo Wally world one my dad gave me years ago. It takes a really keen edge.

Today I bought another antique / vintage hatchet, but the head is bent left and it's only sharpened on that inside face.

I now assume that this was purposefully done for some reason.

Why are the heads bent (curved) one way or another? And are they only supposed to be sharpened on the inside face? (Meaning the bevel is on the inside curved face).

Just curious?
Thanks

[Erich Weidner]

Can you post a picture?

If you just mean it has just a single bevel, I'd guess it is a carving axe. If you mean the blade is not straight up and down when viewed edge on... no idea.

[Michael J Evans]

Can you post a picture?

If you just mean it has just a single bevel, I'd guess it is a carving axe. If you mean the blade is not straight up and down when viewed edge on... no idea.

Hi Erich
I will tomorrow. But basically if you had the handle in your hand like you were going to use it and we're looking at the back of the head, the blade curves to either the left or the right.

[Jim Koepke]

As Erich remarked, these may be carving or hewing axes/hatchets.

One side has no bevel and may have a curvature. The other side has a bevel. The come in left handed or right handed varieties. Some have a bend in the handle.

There are so many types of speciality axes & hatchets it is almost impossible to determine without an image or two.

jtk

[Scott Winners]

Look forward to pics. It kinda sounds like a hewing hatchet pair you got there, but Erich is right, you might have a pair of carving hatchets from what we know so far.

A hewing hatchet would have a straight edge with some crown on it, an offset handle and only sharpened on one side. To make relatively flat areas on what was a round log. Made in both right and left handed versions.

A carving hatchet would be pretty much anything else. Coopers use some pretty wierd looking stuff. Looking forward to pics.

[Michael J Evans]

Can't sleep, so here's some pics - hatchet pair.jpgleft bevel.jpgright bevel.jpgright bevel ruler.jpgleft bevel ruler.jpg

[Michael J Evans]

Eric / Jim,

Think you guys nailed it, I believe these are hewing type hatchets. Before I asked my question I had tried googling it, but didn't know what to google, so I was typing "Curved hatchet head, bent hatchet head" which wasn't getting me anywhere. Eric said hewing and I went on the hunt with that, which lead me to Peter Follansbe and some good reading.

The one on the right is the new one I picked up. It is stamped Norvell-Shapleigh, diamond edge, hand made. The blade is approx 6" or so wide. It only has a single bevel. The one on the left is old faithful that I picked up many years ago in a lot of tools. I haven't measure but I'd guess its 4.5" or so wide. It has a double bevel which came on it that I've just continually sharpened. Now I am wondering if it was originally supposed to have a single bevel and it got changed at some point. The back side of both are actually some what flat, as Peter mentions in his blog. Whereas the inside face with the bevel is the curved portion.

One thing that never hit me until reading Peters blog, Is I could've just removed the head and flipped it on the handle, to make it either left or right handed.

On a side note I googled Norvell Shapleigh hatchet... Idk if people are actually selling them, but I seen multiple listing on Etsy of people trying to sell these hatchets for $165-$370. Which I thought was crazy. Didn't realize hatchets were such a hot item. I know a guy selling a whole bunch for 10-25.

[Michael J Evans]

On a note way off topic. I learned that if you let your phone, auto adjust the clarity and picture quality and then save & upload that adjusted picture. That the pictures will not rotate once you Upload them to SMC. I've had a problem in the past with the taking a picture vertically, saving it and then SMC rotating it. So if you have that issue, just let your software do the auto Adjust, save that and then upload that image.

[Jim Koepke]

One thing that never hit me until reading Peters blog, Is I could've just removed the head and flipped it on the handle, to make it either left or right handed.

My first one came as a left handed model. Flipping it on the handle made it a right handed model. My second one also came as a left hander. Mine are not as distinctively shaped as yours:

Hewing Hatchet Bevels.jpg

One of mine also has had someone trying to hone the back edge. It will work out over time.

jtk

[Michael J Evans]

My first one came as a left handed model. Flipping it on the handle made it a right handed model. My second one also came as a left hander. Mine are not as distinctively shaped as yours:

Hewing Hatchet Bevels.jpg

One of mine also has had someone trying to hone the back edge. It will work out over time.

jtk

That's funny Jim. It appears as though we have the matches to each other's, cosmetically and maybe in size.

[John K Jordan]

I have a broad axe that is made somewhat like that, intended cut from one side only.