evening all, I am going to have a whack at my first bow. I have draw knives for doing the finer work but I want to rough out by hand. I have seen vids of a small hatchet being used, what style/ weight etc is suitable?
Something light enough not to jar your elbows too much. The trick is to sharpen it well before you use it. Many people don't realise it will probably need sharpening first.
I use one of these:- Bahco HGPS-0.6-360
This post from my blog discusses it and gives some tips on use:- https://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/2010/07/marking-out-and-retail-therapy.html
I strongly recommend making or buying a cover for the axe head to protect both you and the axe head!
Del
If money isnt an object, i would suggest a gransfors bruks carpenter's axe. A straight, slim, very sharp blade with a slim poll, designed for working in dry/seasoned wood. Truly excellent. Otherwise the axe i would recommend would be the Robin Wood carving axe. At ?39 it is a great axe which represents real value for money. You can find it here: