The sound of an axe, plz help

[Dabberty]

Hello there, new year, I?m swopping a lot of gear for new/different gear and now it is also time for a different axe.
I have a couple of noname axe heads of which i am about to choose one to be slightly modified for my backpacking trips.
They quite look the same, you US people would call it a german pattern i noticed, but here in Europe it is know as a standard pattern.
The only real difference is the ring they have.
One is very high pitched , the other significantly lower.
Is that different due to steel quality or hardness ?
Which one would be the better choice for an allround axe for backpacking trips?

[Keith H]

Well I am not in the US, I am in Australia. I would put the different sound down to the shape, weight & thickness of the steel. The only axe I would recommend for trekking is the Trade Axe/Tomahawk with an oval or round tapered eye. These are lighter than the average modern belt axe. The helve is easily removed so the head can be used alone. The helve is easy to make & fit out bush if you should break one.
Keith.

[Dabberty]

Thank you, but trade axes are not easy to come by here.
The weight, size and shape are nearly identical, here is the sound:

[Unknown]

An answer would be wild guessing nevertheless I like the one on the right for purely psychological reasons.
 Did you say what the weights are as is?

Looking at the vid stopped. It sorta looks like the left axe has a smaller eye, and pole is shorter/ smaller too? Or, Could be camera angle. Maybe that one is better for light-weight mod?

[Dabberty]

The left one is 800 gram and the right one 1000 gram, the ey is the same, just the right pole is a bit longer, the the right bit is a bit longer. Thickness is all the same on both.

[hayshaker]

the sound you want to hear is like a sharp ping with a trail of resonance.
if you get a dull ring that's not good.

[wsdstan]

I have no idea why they are different in sound but it has to be in the differences in the weight, density, and type of steel.  The one on the right  sounds the best to me.

[xj35s]

I think Hayshaker is right. That high pitch is a harder steel more apt to chip or crack. The other easier to sharpen and will dent or roll. I think the duller pitch would be better out in the field.

[Unknown]

I had a thought or two Dabs. how about a subjective test with a sharpening file to see if one is noticeably harder. Or maybe you have a set of test files. I realize it can be hard to say if they are close to being the same.

Another potential for clues, and/ or waste of time... how about etching both heads in acid. Then we could see how deep the hardening goes in each and perhaps draw some conclusions.

[hunter63]

To me ringing should be better that thudding.......
Thud is associated with a crack or flaw in the steel.....that the surface tension has been compromised.....or never was the to start with.

Have several tomahawks...similar to the examples post be Keith...they stay with my mountain as stuff.
Around camp, not as practical as a small axe  or hatchet as the single bit has a... poll, or butt...(hammer) for stakes and other pounding uses.

Hawks normally don't...unless the are cast...(kinda low buck version)....... have a poll so the eye can get flattened out....
 Use and design means more to me that sound....That is just my opinion.....

[hayshaker]

heat treatment was not always the same from foundry to foundry.
or blacksmith to blacksmith. many individuals i believe had thier
own little trade secrets and many went to the grave with them.
egsample a grans fors is not a run of the mill so to speak quality axe.
some axes are coveted more than others, am i right or no ?
and sadly rareity does not mean quality all the time.

[Yeoman]

A good buddy of mine, from my volunteer SAR team, is on of the areas forest fire fighting managers.
His favourite axe is an Iltis Oxhead. When you flick the blade with your finger, it rings.
In his opinion that is a desirable quality, demonstrating the quality of the steel and the hardness of the blade.

[Dabberty]

Thank you for all the feedback.
The one on the right with the nicest ring to it, seems to be less affected with a file.
Based on that and all the comments leaning towards the better sounding one, I'm gonna use that one.

Thank you !

[Unknown]

Okay surely you got it done, or in progress.
I recall you sent Wy one shortly after I stumbled into camp. Ought to be cool to see another after you got practice

[Dabberty]

Nothing yet.
Last weekend I made a new forge 3.0, today I leave for a 4 day hike in our snowy mountains, the axe is planed for the weekend after. Last weekend I made a new forge 3.0