SNIP
> On Feb 9, 2016, at 1:00 PM, branson  wrote:
> 
> Hatchets are a different issue.

Thanks to all for the replies. I find myself doubting the wisdom of using the
bent helve, and not because I overcooked it, as Richard pointed out, but because
the description of the French hatchet makes me thing I might use this for an
hour then throw it into the woods. But I do give my knuckles a holy hell of a
beating every time…..so maybe the knuckle saving offsets torque that pulls off
the line of the cut. I’ll know soon enough I guess.

I should’ve been clearer in my original post as I’m afraid my word choice wasn’t
very good.

I do intend to use it for hewing wood, and I have a similar hatchet today that I
use for that purpose. But based on the replies I think “hewing” may imply
different heads to different heads.

I use a double beveled “carpenters hatchet” very differently, and my ‘bearded’
hatchet was probably more accurately called a “hewing” hatchet than this one.
The hatchet in question is technically and correctly a “broad hatchet”.

The item in question has a blade that is <7” from tip to tip. The head is flat
on one side. The eye is offset. While technically double beveled, it has a
minimal bevel on the flat side and a normal one on the other. Similar to the
“back bevel” some put on other edge tools.

I have a similar Plumb hatchet, with a straight helve, which I do use for
squaring logs. The Plumb has a very square edge, whereas this new one has a
slight curve to it. As I look at the new one it looks like it will shear better,
in which case I’ll round off the Plumb….

Experiment continues . . .  .results published for peer review soon.