Fokos for comment

kronckew · 6th November 2016, 03:09 PM

A shepherd's axe? (Slovak: valaška, Hungarian: fokos, Polish: depending on region: ciupaga, rabanica, uobuszek, cekanka, Czech: valaška, Romanian: baltag, Ukrainian: бартка, топірець)

35 in. age unk. looks like i'll have to re-set the head when it arrives (the nail used to wedge it has to go.) needs an appropriate haft end ferrule...

thanks for any comments on age, origin...

Hotspur · 8th November 2016, 02:34 AM

Beautiful. texasknife.com has plain metal tips and Alpine spike ends. Under cane supplies.

Cheers

GC

kronckew · 8th November 2016, 11:45 AM

hi hotspur, thanks.

probably gonna get one of these if the end is the right size.

CutlassCollector · 8th November 2016, 12:07 PM

Hi,

Nice old axe.
It may be the photographs but the head looks a bit on the heavy side for a walker even in wolf country. It has a similar shape to many fire axes (and boarding axes) - maybe it started out as one on a shorter haft?

Regards,
CC

kronckew · 8th November 2016, 12:42 PM

i think the head is smaller than the photos make it look. will know more on arrival.

broadaxe · 10th November 2016, 04:54 PM

Proper, legit fokos etc. should have much smaller head than a fire axe, because of weight in daily use, speed and momentum when being swung for fighting.

kronckew · 10th November 2016, 06:23 PM

arrived today. head is very sharp point & edge. 734 grams inc. the 35 in. (89cm.) haft. blade edge is 3 in. edge to point of the spike is 7 in. (18cm.), at the eye it's 7/8 in. across, about 2.3 cm.eye is about 1.25 in. x 7/8 in. ( 30 x12mm). roughly the size of my french fire axe/hatchet based on the french boarding axe. much smaller than a USA fire axe of course.

haft is 1 1/8 in. x 7/8 in. an at the ground end is 3/4 in. so the above climbing ferrule should fit after i 'age it a bit.

just the right length for me as a walking stick. shame i can't actually walk anywhere with is as it very obviously an 'offensive weapon' that would scare the average british sheeple.

head is very tightly set, nail removed and it's still very tight, no wobble. probably won't re-set it.

kronckew · 12th November 2016, 06:22 PM

for comparison, it's actually a bit smaller than a pair of my other shepherds axes on the blade side, well in the same ball park i'd say....the spike side makes it a bit larger looking. and a bit more useful for a shepherd who might want to cut & hook a bit of brush to move it out of his path.

p.s. they are all roughly the same length, the steel one is not any shorter haft-wise.

6th November 2016, 03:09 PM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	Fokos for comment A shepherd's axe? (Slovak: valaška, Hungarian: fokos, Polish: depending on region: ciupaga, rabanica, uobuszek, cekanka, Czech: valaška, Romanian: baltag, Ukrainian: бартка, топірець) 35 in. age unk. looks like i'll have to re-set the head when it arrives (the nail used to wedge it has to go.) needs an appropriate haft end ferrule... thanks for any comments on age, origin... Attached Images

8th November 2016, 11:45 AM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	hi hotspur, thanks. probably gonna get one of these if the end is the right size. Attached Images

12th November 2016, 06:22 PM	#8
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	for comparison, it's actually a bit smaller than a pair of my other shepherds axes on the blade side, well in the same ball park i'd say....the spike side makes it a bit larger looking. and a bit more useful for a shepherd who might want to cut & hook a bit of brush to move it out of his path. p.s. they are all roughly the same length, the steel one is not any shorter haft-wise. Attached Images

8th November 2016, 02:34 AM	#2
Hotspur Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nipmuc USA Posts: 499	Beautiful. texasknife.com has plain metal tips and Alpine spike ends. Under cane supplies. Cheers GC

8th November 2016, 12:07 PM	#4
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 330	Hi, Nice old axe. It may be the photographs but the head looks a bit on the heavy side for a walker even in wolf country. It has a similar shape to many fire axes (and boarding axes) - maybe it started out as one on a shorter haft? Regards, CC

8th November 2016, 12:42 PM	#5
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	i think the head is smaller than the photos make it look. will know more on arrival.

10th November 2016, 04:54 PM	#6
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 332	Proper, legit fokos etc. should have much smaller head than a fire axe, because of weight in daily use, speed and momentum when being swung for fighting.

10th November 2016, 06:23 PM	#7
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	arrived today. head is very sharp point & edge. 734 grams inc. the 35 in. (89cm.) haft. blade edge is 3 in. edge to point of the spike is 7 in. (18cm.), at the eye it's 7/8 in. across, about 2.3 cm.eye is about 1.25 in. x 7/8 in. ( 30 x12mm). roughly the size of my french fire axe/hatchet based on the french boarding axe. much smaller than a USA fire axe of course. haft is 1 1/8 in. x 7/8 in. an at the ground end is 3/4 in. so the above climbing ferrule should fit after i 'age it a bit. just the right length for me as a walking stick. shame i can't actually walk anywhere with is as it very obviously an 'offensive weapon' that would scare the average british sheeple. head is very tightly set, nail removed and it's still very tight, no wobble. probably won't re-set it.