The King of Axes
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- čas přidán 9. 11. 2020
- This is my favorite axe! Learn to sharpen here: • Master the Art of Shar...
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When the internet gets dark and glum (which is basically everyday now) I come here for dinner wholesomeness.
Gotta love it when the editor throws shade at the cameraman. Even if he's the same guy 🤣
Especially if he's the same guy
Here in Germany it’s 16:30 pm. I just had a walk with my dog through my foggy backyard forest and now I am sitting in the living room. Perfect time to watch a new EC video.
Keep up the good work!
Scott, my Dad grew up in the mountains of NC in the great depression. Trees was about all they had besides a couple of double bitted axes and a lone firearm. They almost starved to death and would have if it hadn't been for those axes and a single shot.22 rifle. He taught me a little about cutting wood including that the beauty of having two blades on an axe is that one is used for cutting and felling but the other is used when cutting roots or any activity that might potentially dull the blade. Dullng your blade was a serious thing I guess. Great video and hats off to you sir.
this is good info, thanks for sharing!
That was always my understanding. The double bit was a forester’s tool, with one edge for rough work and the other edge for felling.
I would pay any amount you told me, if you would kindly make me a boys axe. I appreciate your video’s so much. My wife considers, and calls you my CZcams Grandfather. She recognizes your voice as if she has known you her entire life!
You’re a great teacher and wonderful craftsman.
Imagine this channel's merchandise being axes and knives instead of t-shirts and mugs!?!
@@Brown969 Not as much profit margin when it's not mass produced in Asia.
@@LolitasGarden Sometimes (and this might be one of those times), it's not about the profit margin.
It's almost criminal, but EC has under a million subs. So just how much do you really think he makes on the merchandise? Probably not all that much compared to the videos, and both of those are almost certainly blown out of the water by his actual day job (remember he's not just "the spec house guy", he does custom forge-work and general contracting as well).
Sometimes, it's about providing a well informed opinion about which thing is the right thing to buy, and it might be my folly but I would trust EC's opinion on a good many things, without bothering to do much of my own research.
He's proven that he doesn't really have an ulterior motive, and on CZcams that's a rare thing to find indeed.
I don't have occasion to use an axe all that often, but I don't have one that's right for me when I do need it, and I'd be interested in owning an axe that EC recommends.
On the other hand, I wouldn't get much use out of a T-shirt or mug, as I already have enough of both of those things.
@@44R0Ndin It's not easy to approach designing and hiring a printer for t-shirts (etc.) and then coordinate getting them shipped out to all the people who order them. Then there's checks to cash and taxes to pay... I imagine it's just enough of a pain in the neck that if it didn't make you a certain amount of coin, it wouldn't be worth the trouble.
Man's making money from schwag.
Which is *not* dispicable - there's a demand to put logo on corpus and he can and should fill the need. But those mugs aren't by any stretch altruistic lagnappes.
Axes and Burke bars as schwag would be excellent, but they'd cost more than they should (to the consumer and the producer) to serve their purpose to the old man.
Awesome
He put more effort and attention to detail into attaching that handle than allot of people put into a full day of work . Keep up the great work .
True, but I must insist that "allot" is a verb.
@@darylnd good story
@@darylnd all we can do is try. People insist on writing in abbreviations, initialisms, and acronyms... For absolutely no reason. To save typing an extra letter. And it's not like Google and Apple didn't design spell check software into their phones. And if you're on a personal computer watching CZcams, you should know better.
For a person who knows how it should have been done it was kind of awkward and slow work. For the beginning file isn't a wood working tool and I didn't see him checking axe position to handle not even once. Preferably handle should be finished after it is installed. Handle itself looked like cheap machine made one, very probably grain direction was wrong and surely it didn't follow handle shape. Also wedge shape was primitive and he didn't prepare the handle for the driving it in. Using glue is ok but not a necessity
There is so much old knowledge on how these kind of works should be done properly and much of it is long forgotten.
Boy's ax is an essential part of my firewood harvesting kit. It's like having an extra-long arm. Bending over to pick up sawn logs is for young folks. Also works great for giving you a better place to grip a log to put it on the splitter. It's probably my most used hand tool.
I agree. I have a 40 year old True Temper Boys axe. I hung a new handle in it several years ago and refinished the axe head at the same time. I put a 27” does leg handle in it. I use it as a wedge banger most of the time.
My son-in-law laughed at my little axe and chose to use the big one. Long story, short, he now has a "boys axe". Great points on a great video. AND....hitting the handle is the correct way to drive the head on. Well done sir.
Not aurguing the point just saying. when no one ever tought you the rite way, is there really a wrong way? Doing what ya have to to get it dune, until some one who's been there see's an takes the time. Glad there ppl like him out here on CZcams. An yes there is a wrong way my first time ax head lasted a month tight. Then kept having to add shims. Then purchased a new one.
@@michaelmartinez5217 No shame in learning the hard way as long as you learned something.
All of the axe commentary aside, I appreciate seeing that even a veteran professional of your skill smashes their thumb occasionally. that was the real lesson of this video for me!
Probably happened with the hatchet.
A boy's axe is a small axe, but a Boys rifle is an anti-tank gun
boys will be boys lol
I've been a boy my whole life
i wonder how many people will get this
I discovered the joy of a boy's axe this year. I'd been using a full size axe, and a hatchet for camping. I was growing tired of all that non-sense. Grabbed a boys axe, and immediately fell in love with it. It'll also fit nicely on my bike when I'm bike camping!
I’ve been watching your videos for 2 years, since the passing of my grandfather. You remind me so much of him. Both having a lifetime experience of practical working mans knowledge. I just wanted to say thank you so much for continuing to upload content, it’s so easy to follow and covers everything that you really only gain from a lifetime of experience. Keep up the good work
Watching these videos is like having a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup in a cabin during a blizzard
Thank you Nate for sharing your dad with us.
Reminds me so much of the men I grew up around and admired, except he's all for passing on the wisdom of experience.
Another great video Scott. Thanks for taking the time to make and share them.
When I am without projects or thinking, stressed or tired my favorite therapy is to rejuvenate old tools. I think it grounds me and puts me in touch with the people who wore out, used, cherished or discarded them. Handling an old chisel, hammer, saw, level sometimes creates a mystery to solve over time. Thank you for you insights. I will look at my old axes differently. By the way! Last night I ran an old large rusted shut scissor found in an auction mixed lot, through the wire wheel. Took a file to the edges. Could not believe how well it cut. Me thinks too many tools will always be never enough!
One of the greatest exercises in patience. For a someone new to the trades . It teaches you to take care of the tools that take care of you and your livelihood.
Without a doubt! My favorite channel on CZcams.
A 3/4 Scout axe has been my favorite since 1962 when I got to use one in Boy Scouts. Still carry one and an old entrenching tool in all of my vehicles. A very good video. Tandy had a good sheath pattern for axes. I made them for my hand axes, double bit axes, and 3/4 axes. Good Luck, Rick
Beautiful work! Thank you for the care tips.
The two most important tips I picked up about re hafting an axe are this. As Eric did, leave the handle a little proud of the bit. This really helps keeping the handle from loosening. The second is to select a handle where the grain runs all the way from the bit to the handle and no sapwood in the handle at all. This really seems to reduce breakage, splinters and gives it a springier "feel". Great job!
This is the best new channel ever. I'm new into axe restoration and I just found a plumb boys axe and a plumb 3.5 pound axe to re handle. This video was of great help
Like your use of the narrow wood chisle at the base of the axe.
You do know your tools Sir
Thanks for the teaching
Great information, I'm a tool guy myself, love watching and learning all the common sense ways of our trades and practices...
I say the same about shovels. I modified a regular shovel by shortening the handle and narrowed the blade. Use it for all except really loose material. Also have a micro excavator machine - thought I was going to park the shovels forever, but even though it does all the hard work, still need to hand shovel the precision stuff...
I've always found spades to be more useful than shovels - flat blade, square edges, easy to manipulate and more precise. That said, spades are more likely to end up biting a foot, just like a boys axe.
Being six foot, I can't work long with a short handled shovel... kills my back. All of my short handled shovels, a D handled scoop shovel, a D handled round point and a straight handled round point tend to gather rust. My long handled round and straight shovels are bright and shiny from use. My round point is on it's second head and the straight point has a welded piece of flat bar on the edge to keep it from wearing down. I try to be gentle with the handles, rough on the blades. I confess I went to fiberglass handles on my heavy use tools years ago. My framing hammer is almost fifty. Both the shiny shovels are over twenty, though all my gardening tools are good wood.
I think the typical shovel is designed to be multipurpose, do to everything when it's literally the only shovel that one has. It can pierce hard earth, sort of, can lift bulk loose material, sort of, can trench, sort of. I have a fairly large number of shovels and I tend to select based on the job at hand, only one I'm still looking for is one of the long-handled trencher spades with the short shovelhead.
The typical shovel still is fairly effective for basic digging straight down and cleaning roughly cleaning out the hole as one goes.
@@TWX1138 There always seems to be the right shovel for the right job. I have a neighbor that acquired the trenching spade you describe at an estate sale. I used it to transplant a line of hydrangea bushes. Two or three shoves around the base of the plant and a nice leveraged lift due to the way the handle was configured and out popped each plant, no root damage. Good luck finding the one you're looking for ... I would say they're worth having in your collection. They are a dream to work with for transplantation of shrubs, bushes and clumped bulbs like lilies.
What timing! I just got a Trail boss 27" to beat around with. My wife giggled at the little axe. We will see how it does. Got my father-in-law a Granfors Small Forest Axe a decade ago. Never heard a word about it until just recently. He said he uses it all the time. (he chops all his own wood and never uses a splitter). Hail the boy's axe!
This video hit home with me, as I have the same conclusions that you have about axes. My most used axe is a vintage Evansville boys axe from the 30s. I have a small you tube channel (MR OBSOLETES VINTAGE HOMESTEADING) where I use vintage axes, tools, chainsaws, tractors etc. here in the Northwest. My last video was building a full size Evansville axe and wood handle maintenence. Your great advice on many topics has helped me on my videos. An example is the one on Sears boots. Just wanted to say thank you and keep making such excellent videos.
Thank You so much on your knowledge on the axes. Like you say keep up the good work.
The video quality is amazingly crisp. Very high quality. One tip: ditch auto-focus when shooting video on a DSLR . Set focus manually and you’ll stop the camera from constantly hunting for focus.
Love this content. No politics, no bs. Just a man showing people how to do something without anything else. Reminds me of being a kid and watching bob villa with my dad before he went out and made a standing garden box or whatever.
Putting on a handle is not easy this is top notch work
I solved the Jr. Ax(e) being shorter by adding a "safety chopping roll".
The shorter chopping block in front of the regular chopping block that stands is 3- 4" inches lower than reguler chopping block. Great for training boys and youth.
Great safety measure that even I still after working things out.
Thxs for the vid
Thank you for your channel. I've learned a lot from you! As an automotive instructor, I coach the students that using a lighter hammer with a faster swing allows for better kinetic energy than a heavy hammer at a slower speed. The velocity squared component compared to the force, or weight, will have a greater effect on Kinetic energy. Keep up the good work! Cheers!
I like it.
I use glue on the wedge also it helps the wedge seat in better as well. I set my axe behind the wood stove with head down handle up to open the wood pores a little. Then boiled linseed or tung oil. As i heard a long time ago apply "once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year" if you choose to put a leather strap in the handles fawns foot only use it to hang your axe NEVER HAVE IT AROUND YOUR WRIST WHEN YOU USE IT! It will some day as Scott said let blood out.
I love the soundtrack, it is so relaxing.
Couldn't agree more! - Just The perfect size - Great Video! - Keep em coming!
I don't use glue on the wedge or use the metal one either. It makes it easier to adjust the handle of needed. I agree with you. This size is very useful for a large range of uses. Great video.
I've been looking to make myself an axe, but I couldn't settle on the shape. It's like you read my mind with this video
I just finished a boys axe for a customer. New haft, cleaned up the head and painted it the original red. It was his Fathers and he was giving to his son as a gift. Cheap axe made in China but its looks darn good now. I was hanging a new haft on a Miller Falls hatchet for the same fella when this video came up. Excellent work Scott!
A couple weeks ago and before this video, I purchased a boy's axe and absolutely love it. Nice video.
Great video! I always enjoy an EC tutorial!
Yes! I've long had a heavy hatchet that I continually rehandle with a long straight handle. It's perfect for limbing or just basic wedge hammering when felling.
Side note - every time I end up rehandling it, I will bead blast and cold blue it again before the BLO.
Check the adjustment of the sights on your hammer, judging from the old blood under left middle finger nail, perhaps they are off a smiggen.
Glue on the wedge, I learned something.
I have gotten old, instead of rasp a 80 grit disc on a die grinder.
You are a joy to watch!
Length and weight comment is genuinely helpful. It’s a good carrying size for canoeing or short distance backpacking. Thanks
4:00 I have heard that the modern science of ergonomics began with an analysis of the right size of coal shovel for a locomotive fireman to use. A long trip may require literal tons of coal to be fed into the firebox and there is almost no opportunity for rest. The study found that the correct-size shovel (to allow a fireman to do more work over a long period) was much smaller than was commonly used.
Last year I found a Swedish made " Boys" ax at a local Antique tool store and I absolutely love it!
What a video. Thanks again for your videos. Super helpful, I take your advice all the time, and please keep the videos coming. Great work 👍
picked up at an estate sale double bitted, single and a fireman's axes together with a beautiful double handle saw. also a few axe handles from the days gone by. all of these were from the 1930, 40 and 50s. love the look of an axe, such a beautiful and well engineered tool, the handle too!
I love how calming your video's are hahaha I need more of that in these times :)
I too use a rasp to size my handle to the eye. Appreciate your channel.
This guy works for a living! His hands and smashed fingernails are testament to that. What other honest CZcamsr can claim this?
I just love your videos even more now.
That’s cuz he’s not a CZcamsr or a worker he’s a Carpenter
Like the tune at the end. Nice when you are busy
Something I've found that works when trying to work a head off a handle when test fitting is two work a thick dowel offcut down so that it fits in the top of the head and you can use it to help you bash the handle out, much easier than hitting the head
Great video, as ever. I only wince a little when you hit wood with metal. I was always taught to hit wood with wood, so a wooden mallet, but I can't argue with the results you get. Thanks as ever.
that music is so good, and suits the channel really well
Great video! I love rehandling axes and seeing how other people do it.
The Ax Book, by D. Cook, is a fantastic resource for anyone looking for more information.
My favorite is a Kelly Perfect double bit on a 36" straight handle, but I also like a Dayton single bit ax on a 36" handle. I like a light-ish head on a long handle because it gives you more smash with less weight. I'm a fan of straight handles over fawn's foot handles since I think they're more forgiving from an accuracy standpoint.
I love this channel. I want more men like this in our world.
a ferrier's rasp is great for wood working, especially roughing. A friend's dad gave me a boys axe many years ago and it is my favorite axe, very useful.
My personal favorite axe that I'll grab for most jobs around the homestead that want an axe, is a Norlund boy's, or maybe Hudson Bay, head on a 32 inch haft. Light weight, small head that penetrates exceptionally well, with a bit of beard that lets me actually get my had up in behind the edge if I want to do some sort of fine task with it. Spectacular for limbing fallen trees, I can swing it all day with one hand. Personal preference. Also long enough not to get ankles ;) And the hatchet I go to first for my spoon carving work is a vintage Plumb Victory. You don't like hatchets, I Love this one, it's a near perfect tool, for my needs.
I just inherited a Norlund. It's a beauty.
your videos help heal my soul sir, i have seen a lot of trauma in my life and nothing seems to do it for me like working with my hands, i hate that i have to live in a city.
Looking forward to the next video. I have two axes I have been meaning to make sheaths for ages but couldn't get a roundtuit!
Best axe I ever had was an 18th cent. repro made by Elwell in England. It had a round poll with a long beard and weighed about 4lbs. The blade length is 7.5" with a 5" curved bit. It has a tapered hole so the handle enters from the top and wedges in like a tomahawk. It is the best wood splitter and chopper by a country mile. An old gunsmith taught me to use inletting black (or lamp black) inside the hole to leave marks where the high spots are. He showed me to use a broken Coca-Cola bottle to scrape the wood for a glove fit without a wedge. You can buy the head new for $30 online via an 18th century sutler. The hickory handle is $15. Can't beat it. Too heavy to carve or work one handed but it's an 18th century chainsaw.
Always great stuff! Thx
Just like his 6 lb sledge with the handle cut down to 16"...which I did to mine. I think about how right he is whenever I swing it. What a gem!
'
Turns out to be quite the CONUNDRUM!
I absolutely love the boys axe.
If I needed to I'd own a couple more of them, but all I have currently is a 1960's True Temper Kelly Woodslasher Dayton.
Not a premium axe, but they held on to the desirable advantageous features longer than anyone else and it's still better than most of what's available today.
I already have the matching hatchet, but I'm still looking for a matching cruiser.
I wasn't planning on buying more axes just now. But it's pretty clear that I need one of those!
Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍
Thank you. Timely information.
Always love your axe videos!! And would love even more of these and general forestry videos.
Cheers from Sweden
find the channel 2strokestuffing, he's a Norwegian guy who makes motorbike engines but he has a side project building a log cabin with only axes.
Working with your hands brings peace of mind
I like the glue option. I can learn something every day.
Nice work!!
Thanks for making a video about axe man... love it
A cautionary word I learned the hard way. I scored an old axe at a yard sale for $2. I was doing the exact same thing Scott was showing in the vid. I was using a hammer to encourage the axe head to leave the handle. In the process of trying to remove the axe head a razor sharp shard of metal from the axe shot off and stabbed me in the shin. I was wearing shorts since it's still warm here in Texas so maybe some of this could have been avoided. I've never been stabbed in the shin but this felt like someone stuck me with a steak knife. A nice stream of blood ran down my shin into my sock. I didn't think too much about it hoping that the pain would subside but it didn't. I looked the wound over and didn't see anything hanging out of the skin so it confused me why it was hurting so much. The next day the wound was getting warm to the touch and it still hurt like hell. I start thinking there's something under the skin I couldn't see or feel. I go to the ER and they xray the area. Luckily there's nothing under the skin but it's infected. Evidently that shard of metal hit a nerve. A crappy little shard of metal went in deep enough to hit a nerve! The wound was in the middle of my shin and the pain went all they way down into my foot. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you are going to be pounding on anything hard with another hardened thing (hammer) put something soft in between them!!!! Aluminum, soft steel, brass, wood ... anything!! I always wear safety glasses but think if that had taken a path into my eye. Just my $.02
Im in the process of putting a new 21 inch handle on mine. This is my kindling axe and I love it.
I have a Sager Michigan pattern double bitted axe date stamped 1944 It belonged to my Dad before me. If you look closely you can see that the axe is not symmetrical. One side is slightly shorter than the other. They were made that way for the reason that Gary P describes. Back when a man could make a living with an axe they understood them better. I was happy to see you use boiled linseed oil on the handle. When I buy a handle the first thing I do is shave the varnish off of it. Boiled linseed oil goes on once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year.
You did all that detail work installing a handle,,,all for me to snap it first time splitting a chunk of hickory!
I discoved this fact after deciding to add handles to some axe heads I had laying around. The local hardware store only had one length in stock. Initially I thought one axe head was grossly undersized compared to the handle, but was pleasantly surprised when I put it to use. It's awesome for knocking off branches and knots on logs I'm milling, and for shaving off bark on raised portions of the log.
Nice.
Tanks for the video.
Thank you for the Wisdom of years of experience!!!
And I saw you applying boiled linseed oil too it also a Wise choice my friend!!!
Two recommendations - Japanese Shinto Rasp, game changer for any type of rasping. 2. Japanese Push/pull flush cut saw…. Actually game changing for hanging
I love videos like this...........keep up the good work.👏
On an Engine Company that I served on we kept a small axe like that for use in attics and underneath crawl spaces. The lighter weight was essential for not getting worn out in opening up and chasing fire in tight spaces and where you could never get a full swing with a large axe. Our little axe was a pick head. Probably a 2 pounder, the pick end was slightly more elongated than the large pick headed axes used for forcible entry and roof opening, perfectly balanced and a go to tool for inside work.
I 100% agree the doublebit are sweet axes. Just restored a True Temper Flint Edge Kelly works. Only for looks
I used a cruising axe when I was running survey lines. One side was always very sharp for 'high work, the other side was reserved for working close to the ground.
I have a smaller/lighter axe like that with a really narrow blade grind on the head. Due to the lightness, it swings quicker and it chunks out the wood fast due to velocity not weight component of its impact momentum.
This is the content I need in 2020. It proves that sanity, order, and good-natured humor still exist in some parts of the world.
I started using a Stiletto back around 1990. I was the only guy I saw back then who had one. All the other dudes were swinging 28 oz. monsters. My elbow is pain free to this day. I loved that hammer. It was one of my favourite things. Funny eh, how a tool can mean so much.
When you had the high speed hammering going on there, I was reminded of what my grandpa told me as a young boy. After watching me attempt to drive a nail a few times he said, "You Hammer like lightning.....you seldom ever strike twice in the same spot". I hadn't thought of that in years. Thanks for the reminder of my grandpa.
Another fantastic video! I use the Gränsfors bruks small forest axe a lot, it's great for splitting kindling, tidying up tough wood work, and you're right Scott, it's light enough to use it for hours.
With the risks of chopping your ankles etc... You've just got to be careful, feet wide, have some steel toe capped boots on. Shin pads might be a good trick for teenagers who are just learning these skills too?
Teenagers start them splitting with a LONG HANDLE and a good stump....once they build some strength and coordination get small and dangerous....they will already respect the tool by then ....In my 50s with 2 boys and 10 acres in northern British Columbia
I love axes, doing what you just did. I buy old head from yardsales and flea markets and give them a new lease on life. I made my daughter her very own axe and now I can't get her away from the wood pile. Love the channel and the message keep it up!!!
I ended up with a nice weight axe a little by accident - the hoe portion broke off a Pulaski. Ground the broken neck off flush. It has a longer handle, but easily wielded. It lives in the pickup toolbox as a utility/just-in-case tool.
I finally broke down and bought one for camping. Needless to say its outside the barn more than inside. I just need to get the hang of sharpening my axe.
LOL!!!! Loved the comment on the video camera not rolling!!! Love your videos.
I agree completely. A lighter head on a longer handle allows that finer work but you can still get a really good hard swing at it. Up here in Alaska a lot of trappers use them we call them a trapper axe, never heard of it called boys axe
I recently picked up a council tools " sport utility axe" 28" handle very handy little axe. I believe it is destined to become a favorite.
would love to know more about the favorite axe. Looks like a lot of miles on the handle. Really cool
I love the "boys axe", I've been using one for my whole life. It's the best choice for lots of my chopping jobs. I do have a full size axe as well but it only gets used on occasion. Finding new handles for the boys axe is becoming difficult. Stores that carry the axe or a replacement handle are few and far between. The big box hardware/lumber stores don't carry them any more, probably since few people do much axe work nowadays.
Where it comes to fitting any wood handle, I was taught that the rasp or file fits the bottom and the wedge fits the top. Also, instead of glue, I prefer to soak the handle and wedge in boiled linseed oil for a few minutes. It preserves the wood (and metal) within the eye and will not let the wedge slip after it cures. However, should I ever need to remove the wedge to refit or any other reason, it can be done without mangling the handle. Excellent video, good advice, and thank you.