A shot of the Kellam long hiking axe :
The Roselli long hiking axe is 45.5 cm in total length and weighs 780 grams with a 9.0 cm cutting edge. The primary edge grind is 14.8 +/- 0.5 degrees and is a full inch wide, there is no secondary edge bevel, but the edge has been buffed slightly. The axe is well crafted, center head balanced, the handle has straight vertical grain and sighting down the handle the edge splits the handle right in the middle.
The initial sharpness is low, no shaving ability, and the edge can not cut paper or do other fine cutting. However the edge was not burnt or heavily burred and thus was raised to a fine sharpness in just a few minutes with a fine stone. Doing a few press cuts on 3/8 inch hemp it 63 +/- 2 lbs to make a press cut, a lot of force which isn't surprising as the bit is so thick, more than twice as much force as the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet.
Comparing the Roselli to the Granfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet, the hiking axe has much more power on the swing as it is heavier and has a longer handle, however the very thick edge really reduced penetration and on some slightly seasoned pine (less than one year) as well as some seasoned and knotty spruce the Kellam's performance compared to the Wildlife hatchet was 74 +/- 4 % through twenty six sections of wood cut. Based on the greater impact energy of the Roselli, the efficiency is about 37% of the Wildlife hatchet.
On splitting, the Roselli was so thick that it would bounce out of the wood on occasion, and was difficult to actually stick in the cutting block for the same reason. However on very knotty wood the Roselli would be preferred because the bit on the Wildlife hatchet is thin and acute enough to get damaged on chisel cuts through the hardest knots, for similar reasons the Roselli would be the better choice on very hard and dead limbs, bone and heavy abusive cutting like sods.
Getting specific about geometry, the bit on the Roselli is actually significantly thicker than the Gransfors Bruks full splitting maul. Specifically the Roselli hit 1/4 thickness in less than half an inch back from the edge, on the Gransfors Bruks maul its about 0.60" back. There is also no relief grind to the edge on the hiking axe it's just one large v-taper. Thus to put it in perspective, chopping with this axe is less efficient than the Bruks splitting maul.
This is one of the few axes with a belt sheath, while it isn't easy to get the axe in and out of the sheath while it is actually on the belt, it does make a nice carrying option.
While a high quality tool, this axe is outperfomed several times over by the smaller Gransfors Bruks wildlife axe in terms of cutting ability on all but the softest woods, it is optomized for really soft wood, even fresh clear pine isn't soft enough for it to work really well. However if extreme durability is required, cutting frozen and knotty woods, small dead limbs, bone, sods and other very heavy duty cutting the Roselli would be a solid choice.
Comments can be sent via email : cliffstamp[REMOVE]@cutleryscience.com or by posting to the following thread :
More information can be obtained at the Kellam knives website.
| Last updated : | 04 / 16 / 2005 |
| Originally written: | 03 / 31 / 2005 |