Felling Trees with the Strangest Axe I have ever used (Angelo B Genova Pattern)
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2022
- cutting up some willow with a very odd looking axe I bought in northern Italy. To the best of my knowledge it is called a Genova pattern. It breaks basically all the rules on what american publications would call a efficient axe. Overall I am very impressed with this axe and liked using it a lot more than I first thought.
These axes were the standard for centuries, it's not surprising they perform so well (and also look really cool)
yeah definitely the best for small trees
The Genova pickaxe, this is the correct translation of the name of this model, is a masterpiece of a long tradition revived by Rinaldi. I'm from Genoa and because I'm an old man I could get the correct information about the reason of it's shape and the use it was conceived for, by old farmers who used it. Genoa is located il Liguria, Italy, on a muntainous stretch of land enclosed between the Thyrrenian Sea and the Apennines which reach 1500 m above sea level. The earth is poor with relatively small gnarled trees like pines, oaks and olive trees the only wealth. The Genova pickaxe was conceived not as an axe to fell or buck trees but as an hatchet to prune olive trees and oaks: in practise to cut branches and roots of these tough woods. The narrow edge could easily cut through these tough woods but the use in odd positions, above the head, near the feets etc. produced a twisting motion of the blade against the handle along the axis of the handle itself loosening quickly the handle aroud the eye of the blade. The peculiar shape of the blade offsets the problem because while cutting for instance a root rhe rotation of the axe in a small circle, with a radius the lengh of an arm, brings the edge of the curved blade perpendicular to the handle canceling the strengh of the rotating movement, in technical terms the momentum, of the blade vs. the handle inside the eye of the axe. In this way the joint between the head of the pickaxe and the handle keeps itself steady. Besides the peculiar shape of the blade made it simple to cut a branch perpendiculary to the branch itself in the correct way of pruning without spoiling the tree. It's astonishing how much thought was put many years ago behind the shape of a blade and we must thank Rinaldi who kept in its catalougue such wonder of practical agricultural engineering! P.S. to cut down and buck olive and oak trees the farmer used a different tool: an axe with a narrow straight blade which could cut deep in such hard woods, unluckily no longer in any axes catalog!
Thank you fot the great information! I actually bought this axe while on honeymoon in North Italy. Wonderful country and glad to own and use a piece of its history!
@@benscottwoodchopperse sei curioso di vedere foto di vecchie accette per abbattere alberi ci dovrebbe essere qualche foto sul sito italiano " la motosega" nella parte dedicata alle asce
@Rupertblade ...I am from Piedmont, and since I was a child, in the '70s, when I was following my father and grand father in the countryside felling trees, together with the chainsaw we had always with us one type of this axe, which I am still using nowadays with great performance and satisfaction. I am very happy of coming to know the real name and history behind this type of axe, which by the way in our area we call it "CARBONINA" and mine is manufactured by VALSECCHI (the brand on the head has a crown and the name VALSECCHI below it), with a weight of approx. 1600 gr.
I've been researching open/closed hang information with no real solid explanation or examples...Until now....In a few short sentences and examples you made it clear.. Ben..... thank you very much for your knowledge/help...Top-shelf and World-Class....Godspeed from St Petersburg Florida.....
The "Angelo B." was founded by the Valsecchi family!
Cool souvenir! Congrats on tying the knot too. Liked what you said about cutting/approach angle, and closed hangs/bit alignment. I'm pretty fussy about bit-handle alignment, can make a lot of difference to the way it swings and hits. Good stuff👍
Yeah not much said about it when it makes a huge difference
I have the same axe since 1978...never got problems
WTH, that's so slicy. Beautiful
Wow! What a thing!
Would love to try one. The Rinaldi American pattern has many of the same features but not the humpback of the blade. Very good video. Your wife's chopping is very good also. And well demonstrates the inline technique's inherent benefits.
With the mullet and the sleeveless flannel you look like you're ready to join us here in America!
Also...A fantastic example of that type of axe...It's really an eye opener....So much to learn...Thanks again....
Nothing wrong with it. You are making it look easy. Right tool for the job! I have always wanted one.
They are pretty cool axes, wanted one for ages then found one while in italy on honeymoon
I like how you let the tool do the job.
If the axe is cutting right you shouldnt need to swing as hard as you can
That's a very effective pattern
Your new axe looks very interesting, i like the story of how you got it :)
Congratulations !! All the best to you two !!
This axe is very interesting and you use it extremely well. I believe this is a French design originally. One of the many old trade axes as well.
The shape also pops up in spain, portugal, france and belgium
You missed the hashtag #couplegoals
Loved that video, thanks for supporting the latin patterns Ben !
Just doing my part to fight the american propoganda!
It does bite deep (impressive).
Gimli wouldn't feel underwhelmed having one.
Nice one.
Its the deepest biting axe ive ever used ignoring racing axes, so it is quite something
@@benscottwoodchopper
I concur,...
especially you saying that tells a lot about it.
You have quite a lot of experience with many different types of axes.
The unusual can be sometimes the most impressive.
Watched this video a while back ... but watching it today....
Im sure this axe design was a function of the fact that it had to be used for other things.
Part of it was surely using the minimal amount of metal, but Im sure this design served other purposes.
I know nothing about axes, I only know knives.
But many sub-optimal knife designs result from them being duel use.
This shape was designed for wood cutting on the ground. The nose does not touch the ground and the cutting part hits the wood optimally with the closed angle. Actually, this shape was very used by european "peasants". Back in time, we had a huge number of axe shapes. A lot are forgoten now.
That is a strange looking axe! But looks like it cuts just fine! :)
I've learned so much from watching your vids bro! I'm up in northern Canada where theres alot of aspen/poplar, and a wide variety of deciduous trees as well, I'm thinking about the tuatahi camp axe ? I do alot of camping ( kinda all we do up here) really look up to your skills and would like you opinion before I order
Tuatahi camp axe is good for fresh green wood so if thats what you are cutting its a nice axe. For dead, dry wood though you want something thinner profiled, hults bruk montreal agdor is good
If you do end up getting one, please let me know what you think of it. I’ve had my eye on it for a while.
It reminds me of other Italian axes I've seen like the Rinaldi.
Thanks Ben for this and all the other vids. It’s just a pity the forests here in New Zealand are ‘leave no trace’/protected!
That's the axe our elders used till the 70s!!!
Congratulations guys! This French axe looks well suited to working a coppice.
This one is italian, but the french and spanish also use very similar ones
Catalan axes are like this
That looks like a really fun axe to use
Its a very unique feeling to chop with it
Prandi's DIY Italian axe head looks to be a modernization of this perhaps
good for chopping and flipping pancakes!
I believe that it is a hewing axe, used by carpenters to start a flat surface on logs. You would have a long handle to work with the log under your feet.
Some where but ive seen this pattern used more for felling than anything else
I'm italian. This kind of axes (long and thin blade with narrow bit) are used almost exclusively for felling and limbing, and partially bucking. They were mainly used by professional lumberjacks, perfect for coppicing and sometimes paired with big two-men saws for big trees. The blade shape changes in each region, but the main features are always the same. If you wanna see how they were used, check the 60s movie "Il taglio del bosco", you can find it here on YT
@@giodavid991 thank you for sharing, thats a great video! It's an odd style of axe that americans in particular wpuld say is a poor design but it is one of my favourites. Crazy efficient in smaller trees
@@benscottwoodchopper you're welcome ^^. Yeah, I don't think the average American axeman would find a place for an axe like this, it's like the opposite of their patterns. Indeed it seems that italians aren't fond of thick blades, even smaller axes for pruning and homesteading are really thin for the whole length.
However I'd say it's quite a specialized tool to the Mediterranean forest management, and it does it's job really well! Moreover, from my experience, it's a beast against knots, with the right grind. It slays right through them
Hi, I am from northern Italy although I now live abroad. While searching for information I saw that they should use a "c60" steel which is equivalent to 1060 but it's tempered quite soft. I would really like to know what the factory edge was like when you bought it. Was it already of good level? The cutting depth of this axe seems impressive. I would really like to know how it is finished from the factory. To cut so deeply did you sharpen it again?
I dont use the factory edge on any axes except tuatahi. All other axes come too thick for my taste
From what I gathered about the way Americans used axes back in the day. Many would have an axe for every job. Some evidence for this is the astronomical number of axes produced and sold in the US. There were a lot of thin axes made that would be good for limbing and bucking small timber like this. In general the wedge shape axes are less common (maybe not in Maine). Wedge shaped axes are definitely the best for larger, more dense hardwoods and obviously for splitting.
That was a very good tip about angle of your axe when close and far from the log. Important to hear that communicated.
I havent seen much evidence of home grown american patterns that are anywhere near as close to as thin as a lot of my european ones. Cedar pattern perhaps is the closest i can think of. I think america produced mostly wedge shaped axes of varying thiness but nothing like european flat cheeked axes ive seen
@@benscottwoodchopper I think I disagree to a point. Patterns have all types of profiles here. There are many examples of barely worn vintage American axes that are quite thin. Maybe not as long and thin as European designs but still, axes you wouldn't pick up for splitting. So I just estimate that more thin axes were produced.
Most vintage American axes I see are 3.5lbs or less. Heavier, thicker axes just aren't common to find now.
@@ethicalaxe is there a pattern in the states with super thin profile? I honestly like to see one since catalogues ive seen have just wedge axes. Thinnest i used was a cedar pattern but it was still a wedge shaped albiet thin wedge geometry.
@@benscottwoodchopper my friend has 3 Hoosier patterns and I believe he said those are quite thin. As for purposely thin patterns I can't really think of one. I believe the same patterns have varying weights and cheek thicknesses in the US. There were just so many options. I have jersey pattern axes that are across the spectrum. I hear they could get down to 2.5lbs and I have one that's over 4.5lbs (with a skinny profile). Most of the jerseys I see are not very thick. Wouldn't be bad limbing axes at all. Connecticut patterns are usually thin. That I know for sure. Thick Connecticut pattern axes are rare. .
@@ethicalaxe oh yeah jerseys and connies can be thin enough to limb nice, just dont think USA had need of super thin axes, no culture of coppice harvesting, hedging and vineyards and a lot of big old growth i suppose
What an interesting design. Curious if it’s intended purpose was actually wood processing or something else like carpentry etc. That thin profile does slice deep !!
Definitely used for felling, lbing and rough hewing czcams.com/video/K9-r4kXqciw/video.html
Thanks for sharing that video. Really shows the versatility of that design. Those vertical saw cuts were amazing.
Been binging your channel and learning so much!! I was reading an old popular mechanics article (1960’s I think?) interviewing a retired lumberjack who lamented the merits of straight bits over curved. I’ve seen patterns with both and own a mix of the two, is it really that much of a consideration, or more conjecture?
I think it depends a lot on the use of the axe and the wood you are cutting. Id say slightly curved works well and most patterns have a slight curve to the edge
@@benscottwoodchopper thank you so much for the response! Makes sense that it would be situation dependant
Thanks for the interesting video! Very efficient head design. Is congratulations in order for you two?
Yeah honeymoon to north italy, where i found this axe
@@benscottwoodchopper Exciting! Very happy for you guys. All the best!
Hi I m rrom Genova and i have an axe of this shape that must be at least half a century old, i ve just made for her a new handle made of chestnut love this axe coz its from my land but i rather other italian designs coz i found this wedge too sticky . Cheers .
nice video. I've got an old head similar to that one I've been meaning to restore. it's a common pattern in the NW of Italy, whereas in the NE it's easier to find austrian/ carinthian patterns. where did you go in northern italy?
Rented a car and did a loop all round the north, amazing country
Hi Ben, Rinaldi has a 400g version of this Genova pattern in their catalogue, I suspect it would still be pretty good at limbing and bucking smaller stuff, otherwise this style of head seems to have pretty much disappeared even here in Italy
Hey Ben, I"d love if you did another profile video where you get more specific and precise with the bevel and edge anatomy. It's sometimes confusing when people are talking about the overall geometry from poll to bit (concave/flat/convex) vs the cheek profile (concave/flat/convex, in both X and Y dimensions, i.e. could be convex radius heel to toe but flat bit to poll at the zenith of the convex and hollow at the heel/toe lines) vs the edge profile vs the microbevel profile (if present). I never know if the microbevel is stropped on (which would make it convex) or done carefully with a stone or file (making it flat). I'd like to learn more about microlevel geometry and when they are necessary. I'm also not clear if "chisel grind" to you means flat ground (to me, it means a one-sided bevel, as in some Japanese knifes or hatchets) - if so, I would use another term, as chisels are typically ground one-sided, hence the term "chisel grind" - or if you are speaking inclusive or per side when you give bevel angles. The full vs half banana thing also needs some explaining (and how that plays out in a flat, convex, or concave geometry). Thanks.
If you could take another whack at it, being really precise with the language and explaining what you mean by each term, and always designating "inclusive" or "per side" as well as the grind convexity with angles, that would be helpful. I think axes are tougher than knives to describe ito of geometry because they can have more bevels/curves, and can be radiused in two dimensions.
I think another topic that is important to explore is thickness behind the edge vs edge angle, i.e. with any wedge/convex grind, for a given head length, the larger the edge angle, the thinner the shoulder behind the edge, so you trade acuteness for thinness. It would be interesting to see the breakeven point ITO of performance, if any, as you thin the edge out more and more, leading to a thicker and thicker shoulder. For a hollow- or straight-ground axe face, you could, up to a point, take the edge thinner without gaining shoulder thickness. With knives, in general, I don't think this topic is explored deeply enough - people talk about edge angle far more than thickness behind the edge, and how to find the optimal balance of the two. Good to look at effect of these parameters, as you usually do, for green/dry bucking/splitting and for felling/limbing.
I'm also wondering if dead standing wood cuts the same as cut and seasoned wood. Would a dead standing tree, for a given species, once felled, buck and split like the same wood if it had been felled and seasoned?
Excellent stuff what's the weight of that one? Always been intrigued by that shape.
1.2kg head
@@benscottwoodchopper Excellent I really want one as at reenactments it would look pretty medieval and looks like it does well.
Are log dogs worth using to help keep the piece you are bucking static? Do you think you lose any penetration from log wobble?
Not really practical, you would need another perpendicular log to have the dogs become usable
Hey Ben, what was your experience buying an axe in Italy? I'll be there in a few months and I'm curious how difficult it was to find what you wanted.
Id say it wasnt too hard if you keep a look out
Is the genova better than the calabria do you think?
Calabria is better in general use
🙂
Handle is a bit short, yes?
I prefer shorter, 70 to 80cm. Any longer is hard to use for cutting small trees
@@benscottwoodchopper 👍
Welcome to ugly shape axe lovers guild.
Usa un manico piu lungo
Una particolarità di questa ascia è di poter essere trasportata a spalla lasciando le mani libere
Somebody plz cancel this man for mansplaining axemanship to a woman. Jk jk good to see a couple out there chopping together. She was putting some real power into her swing. Noticed she even lifted up on her toes a few times. For not chopping a lot and not for a long time, that demonstrates a lot of confidence with an axe. Weird looking axe, but hard to argue with results.
Its the technique, moving in line can make an absolute amature cut better than the average bushcraft expert eh
Well if that's the strangest axe.
It's nothing compared to strange humans.
Or even animals.
Haha.