Review: Valaška (shepherd's axe) by Sharp Blades
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- ** Specifications **
Overall length: 105 cm (41.3 in)
Head width / edge length: 7 cm (2.75 in)
Weight: 1080 g (2.38 lbs)
Blade material: 12050 and 14260 spring steel (hardness apparently between 45 and 50 HRC)
Handle material: Beech wood
Price: 4800 CZK / 192 USD
** Pros / Cons **
+ Sturdy construction, good finish on the axe head
+ Versatile tool / weapon
+ Light weight
+ One of the few reproductions of this kind of axe on the market
- Dull edge and thick blade profile limit cutting performance
- Roughly shaped, glued on spike
- Strong taper in the handle (transfers hand shock and might be a little more prone to breaking)
** Verdict **
This is an interesting reproduction of an Eastern European shepherd's axe, designed with multi-purpose functionality in mind. It's a fairly good tool for hiking, camping, yard work etc, and with a few improvements it would be excellent. Either way it would undoubtedly be effective as a light two-handed weapon. It would make for a nice collector's piece, especially considering the cultural background.
** Where to buy it **
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Always nice to hear english speaking people pronounce czech and slovak words.
Hahahaha people from different places speak differently hahaha
Nejvíc sranda xD
Konecne nieco so slovenska co niekto pozna (okrem kokotných politikov)
This is a tool/weapon perfectly suited for it's intended job and the romanian/vlach shepherd lifestyle in the carpathians. It was carried like a walking stick, looks innocent enough but it has good reach and packs a much heavier punch against men or beast for self defence. It also can help you build a fire in the wild. It is not a wood axe.
Its part woon axe part hammer part battle axe part mattock, part shprt spear.
Exactly the sort of multiporpouse item you would expect a frontiersman to use.
yes the handle and heas are very much not suited for heavy duty wood chopping
The spike can be used as a spear for fishing in a creek
@cornixdemetrius7883 you ain't gonna be spearing fish with a head like that, fishing spears normally have multiple barbed prongs especially for smaller fish you would find in a steam. You could easily make a fishing pole and dig up some worms with that axe for sure!
as a czech who studied blacksmitting in the past I think I might be able to tell you a little bit about those steels. The 14260 which are used on valaška's for edge are very resillient toward straining but corode more easilly so they require constant maintenance to keep them in good shape. They were/are used for weapons like swords(52-56HRC), axes and daggers(52-58HRC) and also for springs. Theyre tempered at 380- 580C(200C for blades) and quenched/hardened at 800C in oil.
The 12 050 used for body is primarily used for gearwheels, spindles and other various parts in machinery. Theyre tempered at 530 - 670°C and quenched/hardened at 830 - 860°C in oil. They are perfect for surface treatments but They should not be used for welding. If some words didnt make sense I apolgize but language barrier gets in the way as I had to help myself with dictionary a few times heh. I hope this helps at least a little bit
awakened one
Thanks for the information!
***** No problem I hope it was helpfull at least a little bit :)
ocele 12040, 12050, 12060 s obmedzenou prekaliteľnosťou a vysokým obsahom uhlíka je vynikajúca na výrobu kladív , mlatov aj sekier, teda všetkých nástrojov namáhaných rázom s dostatočnou povrchovou tvrdosťou, má ešte stále výborný pomer ceny a požadovaných mechanických aj technologických vlastností, ocele triedy štrnásť určené na tepelno-chemické spracovanie je zbytočný luxus, sú vhodné na povrchové nitridovanie, cementovanie, boridovanie, keď už legované ocele, tak najlacnejšie, pružinové triedy 13, vhodné na tepelno-mechanické spracovanie, stačí prekovať staré listové pero, alebo hrubú pružinu, úplný top sú nástrojové uhlíkové 19.0.., 19.1.., 19.2.. , ale vzhľadom na cenu a dostupnosť si asi nikto nedá tú námahu ich zháňať
Thank you for honest Review Skall, we enjoyed this video very much! We believe that other versions will be much better! ,)
Sharp Blades certainly an attractive weapon/tool. love the look. and with skalls advice it would be worth the money for sure.
Let us know when you fix those points and I will be in for a couple! Slovak family here, and we'd appreciate them!
Sharp Blades Definitely need a rat-tail file in your shop for that end spike. ;)
***** We already translate everything what Skall said in his video so now i hope everything will be fine,)
terabitman Thank you for support brother,)
Ej! Jak keby s ňou sám Jánošík zbíjal!
Thar the Bard I chwała mu za to!
Thar the Bard Bistu, pravdu mas! :)
Raul Menendez To je vždycky zábavný, když se prakticky ten samej národ hádá mezi sebou jako by to byli komunističtí rusové vs američani v šedesátých letech.
what the hell are you people saying?
Nolan Beckmann They are just arguing about some sort of our Tatra "Robin Hood", about his origins actually. Some people say that he was Slovak, some say that he was Hungarian. Actually, for me, he was just Tatra origin. Most of Tatra people are really similar, and it is really all the same culture. Polish, Bohemian, Slovak or Hungarian.
The polish Shepherd's Axe is called Ciupaga (pron. Chyoo-'pah-gah). Those are still used by shepherds in the Tatra mountains, although the head is made of carved wood nowadays, so it's basically no longer a weapon, but a walking stick. Nice to see some Eastern European stuff on the channel. Thanks, Skall!
From all examples of ciupagas I've seen I think that full wooden handle was natural development from our design quirk - ciupaga seams to always be a comfortable to use cane at first and only then slightly doubled as axe/mountaineering pickaxe, when example on video and couple others I've seen look more like purpose build axe and a cane on top of that - hefty swing, but takes more energy on long trips. And making them full wood in that bigger scale would've been kinda silly.
1:33 You get to see them in Transylvania (Erdély) and rural Hungary quite often.
They were also used to fend wolves off. It doesn not need to be heavy or strong; outlaws and shepherds used them, unarmoured. Outlaws usually trapped soldiers or fleed, they did not pick a fight with the military, armed with pistols. Also, they were often carried or used on horses. It's lightweight because that's its job.
Hi Skall, I'm from czech republic and i can tell you more about Valaška :-). It's used cross all Slavic nations, and main purpose for this axe is to chop a wood for camp fire and as a weapon to defending your flock of sheep against wolves. Then it have secondary purpose as a walking stick and it have really big purpose in national folklore such as the dance. And don't worry about getting blunt axe from czech republic here is it quite normal and it bother me too. I really enjoy your review and I'm glad you show something close to me. Thanks man!
Hello, I'm from Slovakia and valaška is almost our national symbol. It was almost allways ornamented even in those times when carried by shepherds. It was primarily used as a walking stick and a defense against wolves or for personal defense, not for cutting woods. It was also used by bandits.
Hey skall I really hope you'll read this. That seems to be a really weird valaska. Or rather a really weird design for one.:
-the blade is not supposed to be that thick (at least not on the authentick ones that I've seen)
-the shape is not really right(this is very hard to explain exactly because the valaskas can be quite different in design) bud its kinda too high (as in thick in the vertical way? srry not really good at english).and it also should be a bit longer.
-as far as the construction goes the metal wedge DOES make a difference in that it wears out faster because you cant squeeze it as much as a wooden one without crushing (breaking? splintering?) the wood
- oh and the glued on point is just horrible :(
anyway I just wanted to say that if anyone is looking for a valaska and they want an authentick piece this would definitely NOT be my choice
SOURCE: am slovak with a father who was a shepherd
oh and forgot to say that the handle should not be tapered as much :)
xirus666
Thanks for your input. I haven't handled any original shepherd's axes before, so I wasn't able to judge how accurate this reproduction is.
***** yeah just wanted to share what I knew and wanted to warn potentional buyers :) (unfortunately I really dont have an idea about a better one thats for sale and able to ship)
btw if you want to see what Im talking about with the blade shape look at these:
www.durkacjan.sk/valasky
or this:
starozitnosti.slovenskainzercia.sk/ostatne-zbierky/inzerat/1829672-valaska-ponuka-trnava/
xirus666 Thank you for that information both of you. I knew about this axe and all ways thought it was useful. I did think that what shall had was the right axe head. But after seeing what Xirus shows us. I would use that info when I start modeling it. Again thank you both.
xPumaFangx Seconding this! Thank you very much for the info, Xirus.
One point, Valška is very personal tool. Every man used to make it his own, shapewise and most noticeably stylewise. You can find some with stupendous lots of engraving. So there are as many vaškas as there are men which used them. Only two characteristics are common it is an axe and it can be used as walking stick, other characteristics are very benevolent. And it is logical becouse every one needed something little bit diferent. And as far as shepherds are conserned it was aimed mostly for defending sheeps against wolfs and bears so it is shaped for soft targets.
Very well said, valaška has many types of axe heads, Skalls one ist on top straight a relatively subtle, I have one by my grand grandfather and it has more crescent shaped blade and handle is thicker, in cross section more oval and ergonomic shape. On end of handle is robust riveteded bronze ring.
I LOVE when someone mentions my home region here on youtube. Just a few little misteakes: Poland, Czech republic, Slovakia and Hungary are actually Central Europe, not Eastern. Actually my homeland, Slovakia, claims to be in geografical centre of Europe :)
And wages here are much lower than in the western part of world. 4800 crowns for me is one monthly rent in a centre of Brno (city where I study) and a lot of food with it.
That being said great review and keep up the good work!
Hungarian soldiers used fokos in the first world war too. The army supplied them with the axe+hook combination but people used their own pincher or hammer version too. On the Romanian front they equipped them with the needle on the bottom for hiking.
If you visit a war museum you can see how they decorated the wood in the trenches between battles.
Nice review as a Slovakian I have nothing more to add. And your pronunciation was very good. I enjoyed this video...
In Poland it is called "ciupaga".
The etymology of that word is from "ciupać" which means "to chop" in a local dialect of polish shepherds (they're called "górale" in polish language). The ciupaga is used in traditional sheperd's ceremonies, like dancing. There are even multiple names of that weapon/tool axe depending on region: rabanica, uobuszek, cekanka.
This is the equivalent of a walking stick with a hidden sword inside . ( not the best sword but better than nothing )
This was used as walking stick that can be used as a emergency axe , people had proper axes to cut down trees back then .
I hope that this will make it easier to understand the design choices , and traditionally there is razor blade forged in to the axe so it can hold the edge very well .
The Valaska Axe video was great to watch. My Grandfather was a Blacksmith born in Slovakia and immigrated to Canada. He made two of these Valaska Axes in the late 50’s. One was for my brother and one for his son. They were an absolute work of art. The axes he made were engraved by soaking the axe in vinegar. I had forgotten the Slovak word for this axe and I had to look it up. Great video and nice to an axe similar to what my Grandfather made many years ago.
Hungarian here. Shepards use this to controll sheeps(also to fix their wool, or just grab their leg and pull them to catch them) and dog while they were out in the field also to defend themselfs against wolves or sometimes other people. It was definately not a weapon against other humans rather a multi functional tool to ease the days in the field.
If an axe is too blunt to shave your opponent's mighty beard in a single swing, the axe has failed its purpose.
OMG! lol
its a walking stick for shepheards dude
You know that Valaška actually reffers to Valachian(Rumanian) and it was the weapon of choice of the Valachian Shepherds in Cecho Slovakia Carpathians and named "Ciupaga" by the Gorali in Tatra Mountains of Poland.
Oh man, that made me happy. Tank you for mention the hungaryan name of these weapons. Interesting fact from hungary: old people in our country actually use these weapons, as a cruch, or a walking stick. These also worked as status symbol, usually carried by wealty people.
Skall as a hungarian I love your pronunciation. I love your videos and your viewpoints on random things. Keep up the good work.
Ciupaga (chupaga - g like in good, a like n Anna).
in Polish!
+OnlyTrueAnfoman
Ciupaga - Chewpaga - in relation to google translate.
It nemes comes from "ciupać" - sth like slovenly cut/chop
BTW greetings from Poland
OnlyTrueAnfoman Actually "rąbanica" (pronaunced "rombaneetza"), ciupaga has a different head. Góralem to ty nie jesteś ;)
Całe szczęście ;P
A wiesz, że ciupaga i rąbanica to tylko nazwy regionalne na to samo? ;)
In Romania we have a very similar axe called "Baltag". Our version has a bit smaller and lighter head (usually 600 to 800g, rarely closer to 1kg for the less common two-edged variety) and no spike at the end of the handle. It was and still is widely used by sheppards around the country and by most peasants in some areas, mostly as a tool, occasionally as self-defense weapon.
In Poland this style traditionary had small head like Yours, but metal tip was present to protect it in mountain terrain. Lighter to carry, chops slightly worse.
These if well made are useful when woods walking. I have a Polish made version with a thinner blade axe head. I find it useful as a tree marker and as a walking stick . It is a weapon and tool in one. You have a version that would benefit from an ash handle, tapered like a tomahawk. Excellent presentation on a useful item.
This Weol (Weapon+tool) is really like one of very few things that I am proud about. This being said this modern replica is a bit astray from the original design which would be just a slightly thicker than your Dane Axe. The main way to use it was in single hand combat mostly swinging it around like a nunchuk (no shit that people hurt themselves more than their enemy) and as you precisely mentioned it was used as a walking stick. I had one at home and it was a few centimetres longer and blade was a tiny bit bigger. No spike at the end tho. The handle ended with a small brass ball that could be used to prod sheep or if somebody started a fight in košiar (place where shepherds and their herds lived) it would help the shepherd to fight off an enemy.
just to clarify ,valaška means simply valachian. there was some migration from today romania through carpathians . there is valašsko - valachia on the border between czech and slovak republic.
no, it means "land with sheeps" whether is slovak valasko, romanian vlaşca or macedonian voloha. Valachia toponym comes from "sheep area" not otherwise
Hello Skall.
Props on excelent "Š" pronounciation, czech is hard :D
czech viewer here. About those steel types.
Recommended HRC for knives 52-58HRC | HRC for swords/long blades 52-56HRC.
This info is found on czech weaponsmith forum.
ČSN 12 050 (Gr.1043 ASTM A510 [USA]) is a common construction carbon steel of hardness HBmax = 225, hardness HV10 ~ 166 after heat treating.12050 steel contains following elements
[hm. %]
0,50 C
0,80 Mn
0,17 Si
0,37 Cr max
0,25 Ni max.
0,30 Cu max
0,30 P max
0,040 S max.
ČSN 14 260 ( ASTM A322[USA]) is a spring steel used for springs especially for trains and heavy cars. This steel is also what we call "tool steel"
This steel is wildly used by weaponsmiths, knife/sword makers, etc..
This steel is, after propper heat treating, very flexible and has good edge retention.
hardness HB = from ~ 236 to 485 [highly depends how the steel they used was made]
harndess HV = from ~ 450 to 500
[hm. %]
0,50-0,60 C
0,50-0,80 Mn
1,30-1,60 Si
0,50-0,70 max Cr
0,50 max Ni
0,30 max Cu
0,035 max P
0,035 S
I did study mechanical engineering and I still am doing so, now at college. Tho my knowladge is limited about those. The info is taken from technical sheets, directly from steel dealers here in Czech Republic.
SopaStopThatShit it's slovak word.
The Big Joe this word is shared in ALTEAST czech and slovak and its origin is not slovak. Slovak language is not even a language, its a mix-up of many things that in the end resulted in a language, so slovak is a result of dialect breeding or whatever. ;)
This weapon was used by brigands in my country.The most famous was Jánošík which was robbing the rich and giving wealth to the poor.Slovakias Robin Hood.
my heart bleeds when I see you cutting the wood with it...
I watch first 10 seconds of video and I can already tell you Skag, you are the best Westerner to pronounce Slav words accurately. Props. ;-)
I like the aesthetics of the axe, and can see why it would be used by shepherds, as they have so many tasks, such as defending their flock, chopping wood, and otherwise tending to the flock and living their lives.
the Fokos was used by the Hussars in similar way as the Battle Hammer, to knock the people in the head from a Horseback, fokos had sometime a spike not a hammer and the handle was shorter...but there are many variations
WoW Im Slovakian and i stumble on your channel randomly just one day after you review a Slovakian tool/weapon? Thats eerie man.
Anyway most Valaškas that i saw in my life over here had a wooden axe head so they were one piece with the handle. Certanly decreased their effectivness but they were all just decorative anyway.
As for the pricing, the wages in Eastern Europe are a lot different to those in the western part of it. We certinly dont earn as much as the Swiss. So 192 dollars is still pretty steep altough im not sure about the actual Axe prices over here.
It's not from Slovakia.
Drăcușoru' Joacă I said its a Slovakian tool, not that this particular model was forged in Slovakia
***** I don't mean that...The concept of it is not Slovakian. It's Romanian.
Same,I'm happy he mentioned Hungarian Fokos name too. (Yes I'm from there) And it doesn't matter where the tool/weapon comes from. Slovak,Polish,Czech,Austrian,Hungarian,Serbian,Croatian,Romanian... We have really close cultre anyway so it's logical we'll use usual/same tools and weapons. Be safe friends. And nice Kovács name you have.
Yeah its a tool common for this entire region but its mostly common in Slovakia due to highlands and shepherds :) Kovács is a Slovak/Czech/Slavic origin name right?
I'm Hungarian. You quite nailed that spelling of fokos. Also I didn't know anything about this weapon, so thanks for the review.
thx for this video. Iam from Moravian Valachia and I have some of these at home by my grandfather.
It was used as weapon amongst the first Hungarians settling in the Carpathian Basin. Also used by Avars and sorrounding slavic folk. First mention goes back till 3rd century Scythian warriors. It also has a hammer-like use as it was also a tool during peace and wartime. There are definietly fancier ones, used in everyday life and even at weddings in Hungary in the 18th and 19th century mostly. Glad to see it here.
in my area of poland its called a "ciupaga" and here they often have these burnt in engravings of mainly plants but sometimes animals or mountain ranges as well as the axe heads are on average thinner (from top to bottom) in order to make holding it as a walking stick even more comfortable. but its as you said you wont see anyone actually using them anymore since they are more of a cultural heritage than anything else at this point. and the closest thing to them youll ever see are wooden replicas often used by older people as canes
Slovak here: Anyone noticed that Valaška is actually a weapon, not a forestry tool?
In Poland we call it "ciupaga". Very nice video
I usually don't care about axes, but that one seems just beautiful.
I found your channel a few days ago and I'm watching at least one video/day. Your videos made me want to collect swords and medieval stuff. Greetings from Hungary!:)
Not more than a few days ago I saw an old man with a wooden valashka. And it was in Poznan, which is a relatively big city, considering the region of the world we're talking about.
I also used to own two of those wooden valashkas, really nice things, very pretty to look at and use as a walking stick.
woah hold on Skall, I am in Sweden and I think $192 for that axe is really expensive. For comparison we can get felling axes from wetterlings, GB or Hultafors, for nearly half that money.
TheBognordave
Hm, I thought those were more expensive but apparently I misremembered.
***** Also 4800CZK is quite the sum as well. I never heard of Hultafors that TheBognordave mentioned but browsing some shops you could get two of those for that money and you would still have 20€ (600CZK) left. This Valaška seems quite expensive to be honest. There aren't many of them around but I would never buy it for that money.
I agree with Martin. As a czech person, this kind of money is WAY too expensive for this axe.
here are lots of wetterlings for way less the most expensive one is $105 www.outnorth.se/utrustning/verktyg-redskap/yxor
GB is the most expensive maker and they don't get up in that price range range www.naturkompaniet.se/utrustning/knivar-och-verktyg/yxor-och-sagar
Ya that is pretty pricey! My wife is Czech and I currently live in Bohemia. You can get one of comparable quality for literally half that price or less and one that the but spike stays on too. ;)
Very good and honest review though, thank you.
No w końcu ciupaga :D
I don't know if you'll read this, but I really love your reviews. You review some of the coolest blades out there. The reviews are really well written as well. If you could change one thing, could you maybe not end almost every statement like a question? That kind of voice inflection is the same thing you hear from elementary students presenting a PowerPoint they know little about. I know you know a LOT about the blades, since you do your research and test them very thoroughly, but the voice inflection still adds a sense of doubt I guess? If you could say things in a more "matter of fact" type tone, I think you'd SOUND like you have a lot more authority on the subject. Regardless if you want to change this or not, you still have great videos. I just hope you see this and give it a thought, because that is one of my only gripes with your videos. Keep up the hard work Skall :D
The pronounce in hungarian was perfect! Yeah! You have hungarian viewers as well :)
In these days the fokos is made to be more decorative to be more like a walking stick, and elders in villages still use it.
"A kiejtés magyarul tökéletes volt! Igen! Vannak magyar nézőid is :)
Manapság a fokost díszesebben készítik, hogy jobban illjen be egy sétabotnak, és az öregek a falukban még mindig használják."
Hey Skal, it was mostly used in todays Czech rep, in "Valašsko" region in east part of Czech rep, at border with Slovakia, hence that name Valaška (by the way you prononce it really good), and still is used as you sayed, in rural areas, and in ceremonies etc. I went to high school in Valašsko for some time, I have seen people to used it quite often.
And it is not supposed to be used for chopping logs. Its used mostly for chopping small branches, self deffence and walking stick. Something you carry with your self every day, all day.
By the way, I really love your vids.
Greetings from Czech rep. :)
Good, old Ciupaga :D Greetings from Poland. Beech is very popular among polish tools as the handle nowadays, and it's been there for a while I guess. It's very sturdy wood with nice grain, but it tends to be brittle.
Now THIS is an axe I could use. It would be a nice tool for hiking and traveling by foot.
In Poland Valaška is called *Ciupaga* (tchu-pa-ga more or less). Sadly
it is usually made entirely from wood nowadays and is a cheap excuse for
a real Ciupaga. It is not even recommended to use it as a walking
cane... although there are also well made like the one you've bought.
Ciupaga was pretty much a multitool for highlanders. A walking cane, an
axe (as a tool), a weapon for hunting and scaring away wolves and a
duelling weapon. For more specialised in being a weapon thing you'd have
to look for *Czekan* (che-can in Polish) or *čakan*/*čakana* (cha-can/cha-can-a
in Czech) which is a slim axe-like weapon very popular in Europe
especially before swords became dominant. It evolved into a horseman's
pick.
+Mateusz Roznowski The Czekan is technically like a military pick, not quite an axe. It's a shame how these are being limited now thanks to the stupid governments interfering with highlanders.
making one out of a cold steel frontier hawk head, a unused maa lance shaft and a old pirate sword pommel. hope i can make it look cool like this one
Edit: I finished it and it's beautiful. had to cover up the widdled parts with a brown sharpie. matches the wood perfectly
it is called valaška not only in Slovakia, but mainly in Czech republic... the name is derived from Valašsko (moravian Wallachia) which is a region in the eastern part of Czech republic... not really an important thing but you kept mentioning Slovakia and Hungary and Poland and not a single word about my motherland :( :D
KnockCZ :))
Sorry pepik, it happens. Poland stronk
KnockCZ well historicaly Wallachia was not even close to Moravia and they came later and brought their culture with them.
this shape of axes was very popular among Slavs and almost all Slav nations used it and some had even longer handle.
no historicky Valašsko bylo úplně někde jinde než Morava přišli až později a přinesli si s sebou svou kultutu.
tehle tvar seker byl hodně populární mezi Slovany a skoro všechny slovanské národy ho používali a některý měli i delší topora.
KnockCZ Not really, Vlach is basically a general word for shepherds among Slavs, so it's not really named after any region, it's named after shepherds. That's why the Romanians were, for a long time, called Vlachs and their homeland Wallachia - they were shepherds on the Balkans, in the areas of Bulgaria, Serbia, FYROM, Bosnia. Those people are today known as Aromanians or Tsintsars.
Aleksa Krivošija Yeah, especially Polish "baca" and "juhas" xD
I learn so much history from you
Dobrá mašina! A výborný pomocník!
You're right about the thinner axe blade making a better cutter, however, many axes shaped like this are meant to be good at splitting and chopping rather than really good at chopping or really good at splitting.. If you examine a maul, it's basically a wedge on a stick. Mauls are made for splitting. If you try to cut a tree down with a maul...you're going to have a bad time. I would place my bet on this axe in a splitting contest against your Gransfors Bruks forester axe just because of the axe's shape (maybe...Gransfors makes some of the best axes in the world).
Tungsten Kraken
That's true. This axe is supposed to be an all-purpose tool though, rather than a dedicated splitting axe.
The Gransfors does split better by the way.
+Skallagrim you should do a review on your bow
***** 8:34 that spike looks like it was taken from an old fence. It even looks like it got some of the "finish" on its surface from a constant contact with sweat from the hand.
***** Yea I partially expected that. I don't have a Gransfors myself (more of a chainsaw, wedge, and mallet kind of guy) but nothing brings the stubborn old mountain men out here together like a sharp Gransfors.
I hate that I'm having to move into the city...but an hour and a half transit to work for my fiance and I isn't ideal.
Favorite weapon of hungarian warriors!
Cool video!
btw, valaška is comming from valachians (today romania) who came in 18.century to the carphathians between czech and slovak lands.
"Ciupaga" is most common Polish name. Word is derived from "ciupać", a old Polish word for "to chop" (also slang term for an intercourse ;)).
I made something like this by mounting a small tomahawk head on the ash shaft from a cane with a disintegrated plastic pistol grip head. The body of the head is wrapped in a thick, soft cord to make it easier on the hand.
CIUPAGA! Guys, Polish highlanders use it even today, it is the famous tool and symbol of Polish Tatry moutains. It's a weapon of Polish robin-hood, Janosik, a hero of polish legends :D Greetings from Góra Kalwaria (town near Warsaw)
Janosik wasn't even Polish. Stop with calling him like that. We had plenty of zbójnicy (highlander robbers) and you choose a Slovak. Greeting from Polish mountains.
+Jakub W. Wtf are you even talking about? Janosik was a Goral. Gorals aren't Polish or fucking Slovak. They're *just* Gorals. You know that majority of Gorals are migrants to Poland from the 14th century onward? Almost all of our traditions are from Transylvanian Romanian highlanders. This Polish/Slovak/Ukrainian Goral, Boyko, Lemko, Hutsul stuff is just something the ethnic majority governments are trying to brainwash into their heads. Music, dress, architecture, etc. My family is from Nowy Targ and they all know about Janosik.
As one of the few students of the Hungarian Fokos in the United States. it needs a back spike to be a true fokos. Also the head is too large as well for that particular weapon (Fokos). I agree with your assessment Skallagrim that the head is too thick to be a good chopper. It looks like they tried to find a happy medium between a felling axe and a splitting axe. I personally do not use the common advice of soaking the head in water trick because it only gives a short term fix to a long term problem. I tend to pound the head back to it's original position and then add shims to hold the head solid. At least on my felling axes. On my delimbing axes I just pound the head back on as I go. I would say by just what I saw in the video that the USD price ou quoted would be a fair Marketish price for what you are getting.
I like that you mentioned price here vs there. its a very real problem.
I like your new testing grounds, as I watched this video I kept on expecting to either an Ewok or some sort of dinosaur to appear in the background somewhere.
It would be cool to see you do a set of videos on your version of "How to start a blade collection". Including how to determine reputable merchants, how to test and appraise, checking the hardness, and various educational resources. I realize there are more certified and experience people out there, but I like your style.
Ciupaga in Polish.Was still used by highlanders from Podhale when I was living there in my youth. Brought from Wallachia in XIV or XV century with Wallach shepherds (in Polish singular "Wolos").
I LOOVE your Castlevania shirts!
Considering the overall shape of handle and the axe head, I think this axe is intended to be used as a one handed axe, the long shaft is just for being used as a walking stick, not for a two handed grip.
Hello, Skall. Not sure if you're gonna read this but I'll give it a try. I've been watching your vids for a long time now and must say they are really enjoyable. If possible, I'd like to give a request (?), if you can by any chance review or talk about the Russian/Cherkessian Shashka. It's the blade that the Cossacks used and I'd love to hear/see or even read your opinion on it and if you've had past experiences with it. Anyways, great videos and keep em coming! Always eager for more :)
With axe sharpeness, it depends what you are doing. If you are cutting, sharpness matters alot, and you want it as sharp as possible, if you are splitting sharpness doesn't matter near as much. There is a significant difference between a splitting axe and a felling axe - the ones in hardware stores will probably be a hybrid between the two. I work in forestry, live in the forest most of the year, I own 2 axes, a maul, and 2 hatchets.
about the sharpness, it might be that the blade is blunt intentionally. I've heard from a friend that there are some restrictions about shipping sharp objects, like knifes, arrow heads etc. Either way, I have hard time imagining a Sheppard would use valaška for serious tree chopping. From what I can tell it was mostly used as a walking stick (which explains the narrowing handle) and for protection from wildlife.
I can tell that in Poland (especially in mountain regions) it's called "Ciupaga"
Region where was valaška most common in the past, was Slovakia. Nowadays almost every slovak folk group is using it.
Its wery nice to see piece of our herritage in one of your videos :D I dont expect it, nice surprise :D (Slovakia)
Dušan Boroš And it's also "wery" nice to see English butchered like this. (Not.)
Boiled linseed oil for loose heads. If you soak in water the wood will re-shrink and your head will re-loosen. I'd refinish the whole handle with it. Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year thereafter; paying special attention to end grain. No idea on the spike, normally I'd say put a pin in it, but the wood is already thin and constant impact may damage it further. Maybe a high strength epoxy or PL.
I agree axe must be sharp, old blacksmith saying says: Axe has to be as sharp as razor
saulius počius yep, if the steel is hard enough it should be very sharp
daniel F.A.L and you can shave with it, that was one of standarts for an axe.
why would you shave with an axe if you could have a small knife? LOL And remember, an axe head must be made of an extremely hard steel to have that edge....you don´t need that edge to chop anything...You have the weight on the top, therefore you have power.
Why is there an urgent need to shave? (in that case) lol. Yes but we are talking about an axe....you chop wood with it (bones, in the midle ages and before) So what I´m saying is that the edge would be fragile...unless, as I said, the axe had a steel hardened to 58-60 hrc....wich people didn´t use in the midle ages, and even nowadays that´s not common for an axe since it´s not necessary.
Sorry for bad english...I think XD
Romanians historically used this kind of axe too. We call them Baltag.
Mih TP the baltag is a one handed weapon.
Umm, are you implying that the valaska isn't romanian? Because the name literally means vlach, which is another name for romanians.
I think that the point (or really lack of point) if the dull blade is that its real daily use would be as a walking stick, not a chopping ax, and thus you do not want to cut your hand. A shepherd would have a knife with them, so there should not be a real reason to carve with it and so not having a sharp edge is not that much of a problem. You would also use it to fend off wolves etc. But I mostly agree.
:D you have a good pronunciation actually. Just for the record, we use another tipe of axe for splitting wood . Iť´s called "kálačka".
Some details about the steels, based on some Czech web sites (those numbers are prolly CSN):
Steel 14260, 54SiCr6 is a spring steel, suitable for springs, long blades such as swords, machetes or combat knives. For blades of knives recommended hardiness is 52-58HRC, for long blads such as machetes and swords, 52-56HRC. Advantage of the steel is high toughness (resistance to breaking). Disadvantage is low corrosive resistance.
Steel 12050 (C45, 1.1191) is carbon steel, tool steel suitable for surface hardening. Easy to machine, good shape stability after heat processing. But limited in depth hardening. toughness 480*710 MPa. Hardiness of raw steel max 200 HB. After hardening up to 62 HRC
Used for shafts, bigger gears, connection rods, pistons, pins, rollers, drilling rods and machining bits etc.
In Romania/Wallachia ( in the old days) it's called Toporișcă (Axe) OR Toporișca Păstorului (Sheperd's Axe)
We call it "ciupaga" in Poland. This weapon was used by mountaineers, robbers;) Now ciupaga is part of the folklore (mountaineers culture).
Crowns. Czech crowns. Absolutely beautiful coins and bills. Whoever did their money should design more money
.
Also during WW2 it was used as anti-tank weapon.
Vetrovlad Windmaster WTF
I am sorry that is just old Slovakian joke about 6 Hungarians with Valaška-s and german tank :D
I would be glad if You tell us more. It seems interesting :)
Ok, i will try o translate it best to my abilities. I just hope i did not overhype this :D
During WW2, American soldier, Sovier soldier and Slovak/Hungarian soldier are arguing about witch natianality is best.
American Soldier: In America we have hangar sow big that aircraft on full tank can not fly throught it.
Soviet Soldier: That is nothing. In Russia we make Boršč sow big that 2 atom submarices have to stir it.
Slovak Soldier: That is nothing. Back in home in Starý Smokovec (Old Smokovec) i knew Bača (Slovak shepard) who with his 5 friends when Germans first show up, took valašky and destroyed one of their tanks.
American and Russian soldier recognize that that is unbeatable. But then say:
Soviet Soldier: Be be honest i lied my comrads. It is really big Boršč but no submarines stir it. We use wooden spoon, but it is huge wooden spoon.
American Soldier: I also lied my friends, it is really long hangar, but our biggest airplain can make it. It is close,but it can make it.
Slovak Soldier: I also lied. They were not from Starý Smokovec. They were from Nový Smokoc (New Smokovec).
Skall, 12050 is equivalent to the 1.1191 steel and 14260 is to 1.7201. Hope it helps. Cheers from Czech republic.
I'd like to comment that the Valaskas axe head is designed more like a maul/splitting axe rather than a chopping axe, which is probably why it performed bettter in the splitting test rather than the chopping test. The concave taper on the faces of the axe head allow the axe to push the fibers in the wood apart rather than the Gransfors bruks axe head, which has flat angled faces, which are better for chopping, specifically when you are aligning your swings.
My second comment is about use in combat, I think your worry about the taper in the handle is valid but I think the reasoning behind this design is to utilize the point at the end and the axe head in unison rather then letting the handle slide in your hand like in a powerful wood chopping technique. I think its intended to be held with your right hand in the middle of the haft and left hand farther apart closer to the bottom, that way you have much more control (similar to how one holds a long sword or bastard sword ie. the grip and pommmel or a bardiche/polearm) in your swings and also can easily spin it around and stab with the point at the end.
If you read this Skallagrim, I wish you well and hope you recover fully and quickly. You are a warrior, I'm sure you'll be fine.
Also a small fyi, the "hammer bit" is actually called the poll, or butt. The Bit of an axe is actually the blade, the sharpened part of the axe, hence why there's 'double-bit' axes. The top point of the bit is called the heel and the bottom point is called the toe (might be vice versa - my brain is farting). The hole through the axe head, which you insert and set the handle, is called the eye. Then, the flats on either side are the faces and the round parts of the profile that bend out around the eye are called the cheeks.
Im from Slovakia and this is oir national weapon, I have one at home ,its realy good for hiking :) The issue u see about valaška's handle is not issue so far,u just used it wrong way in demonstration ,it should grab it with one hand cca in 1/2 of handle and with second hand cca in 1/3
and about blade - yes,its not great weapon against armor , but in these time was thiefs hiding in forests and attacking on walkers/riders around (our famous thief is Jánošík- pronaunce Yanoshick) and they used no armor or very,very light armor,so blade like this was pretty good on selfdefence
very nice review of valaška,thx Skall :)
Lukáš Podlipný *our :D a je to fakt naša “národná zbraň? Lebo o tom som ešte nepočul ale asi máš pravdu
My grandfather had one but shorter like a cane and a brass head that was dulled and decorated with engravings. It was just for decoration but always looked cool. Sat by the front door in my grandparents place in Budapest. He said it’s for fighting off skinheads and gypsies lol
Okay first off : We don't have higher wages in these parts. Not at all. If you want high wages go ask around in Germany or Switzerland.
Second of all : 4800 crowns is a lot. I mean fuck. That's my rent for a month including the internet. It's enough to theoretically pay for month's worth of food. Not good food, not by a long shot, but it's enough to survive.
I mean, the axe is nice and all but it's overpriced.
+VindicareAssassin
Yes, several other people have also told me that it's very overpriced by local standards.
+VindicareAssassin It is not overpriced for being HAND FORGED ;-) sure, you can get mass produced Fiskars, zbirovia or cold steel, but those dont come close in quality. Also I dont think, these big companies make valaska axe/walking stick.
+Skallagrim Hey there, another Czech guy here, the Assassin guy is overexaggareting a little, 4800 crowns is enough for food for a month, but not for rent by a long shot, for rent for one room in a flat with roomates... and if you get a nice price. If it is hand-forged, that the price is... a little high, but not that much. I would say about 3500 crowns would be the more appropriate price. But maybe you got it from a really good reknown smith, we have many since HEMA community and reenactment in CZ is huge and those guys are more expensive...
If you want a to compare, you can get a bad new sword here for 3000-4500 crowns, better swords maybe with ornaments or from better smiths who can make them lighter and so on, you can go up to 7000 crowns. And some people even do it from their own steel, which they make themselves... those swords can be 16000 crowns for sure.
+Michal Poláček Hand forged isn't automatically better quality. I don't see it often, but some tools/weapons made in an assembly line are great. Example being folding knives, the best ones are never hand forged, because it's not accurate enough and they are no weaker than hand forged blades.
Yeah, it is kinda expensive if you live in the former Warsaw Pact side of the EU :)
Still I wouldn't say it's that bad considering this is more of a collector item than something you'd actually buy to chop wood :)
I was so surprised, when I saw the word 'Valaška', becase it's not so often to see czech word in american video (sorry if u aren't from USA)
Loki_2013 :))
Loki_2013 it's a slovak word.
Loki_2013 Skalla is living in Canada, he lived in Norway for a while but I believe he's originally from Germany.
+The Big Joe No difference here. But you can also you the word "tenčica"
Yay, I'd hoped you might eventually get to a few more Sharp Blades stuff :)
Looks like a nice ax. If I did a lot of hiking and camping I could see this being useful.
I was surprised to see this here, Skall. :) I live in Wallachia region of Czech republic, so I'm familliar with these axes. I was surprised by the spike tho. I have never seen a spike like that on a valaška. Anyway, great video. Keep up the good work.
I think for nearing $200, I'd rather get a belt axe from a local smith or someone like Fort Turner or H&B Forge and put a long handle on it. You could probably do it for half the price if you did the new handle yourself.
Edited to add: Thanks for the video. I always enjoy your reviews.
To the types of steel: ČSN 12050 = AISI 1045 ; ČSN 14260 = AISI 9254. If you want testing hardness - test it on the cutting edge. On axes usually only the cutting edge is hardened
We have two of these bad boys in the farmhouse. I'm not sure how old they are, they're at least 100 years in age. Cheers from Bydgoszcz Poland
Did I hear right that european wages are better than US and Canadian? Well I guess the grass is greener on the other side of the fence... Especially now that US dollar is building up to the price of euro.
In Poland its called "Ciupaga". Used almost exclusively in the southern regions of Poland (mountains). Still in common use there and avaiable for around quarter of the price mentioned.
Není nad to si poslechnout recenzi na tradiční nástroj z valašska :)
Hey Skall just wanted to give you some advice, obviously it's better to sharpen that axe with a file or a sharpening stone but if you wanted to sharpen it with the WorkSharp then I found if you remove the guard and sharpen one side at a time using the slack side of the belt that seems to work best. I've sharpened axes at work several times without changing the profile of the axes and that axe seems to have a secondary bevel so it probably just needs to be a bit more convex. =)