axe

[Bill Harsey]

Cleaning up the files around here this fall and found some snapshots of the tree that some wind tipped over in front of my shop a few years ago.
It was blocking the driveway so I bucked it by hand to get it into chunks that could be moved.
The axe is a seven lb. Australian single bit set up by the late Jim Alexander, one of the old (great) world Champions in professional timber sports.
Jim used my belt grinders to do the foundation grinding then finished it by hand stoning.
Jim was from Australia but traveled North America during the summer to compete. He is the one that helped me learn how use an axe a little better than when I was logging.

[Rumblyguts]

Nice herritage in that axe.

Reminds me of a story read way back in high school about two grown children who were in line to inherit an heirloom quilt. One was going to use it hard and pass it on; the other was going to donate it to a museum. The quilt went to daughter who was going to use it.

Are treasures to be used or locked away?

[Bill Harsey]

Rumblyguts,
Jim would have wanted the axe to get used or he wouldn't have put the effort into doing it up like one of his own.

Team Sergeant,
(as per phone conversation) Just measured the axe, it has twenty six inches of handle under the head and six and one half inches of edge on the bit.

Even the Australian and New Zealand choppers preferred North American hickory for their axe handles and to the best of my knowledge there was no second choice.

[Basenshukai]

When Huricane Hanna moved near the Carolinas, the wind brought down a tall pine onto my backyard (thank God I didn't have my fence up yet). Anyway, being from NYC from birth 'til joining the Army, I had never handled an Axe before. I bought one from Lowes and went about reducing the felled tree to a bunch of firewood. It was not only a great workout, but it used similar principles to those used when I practice with my bokken. Now, I'm thinking of purchasing a quality cutting katana in order to begin performing tameshigiri. But, I have a newfound respect for my trusty axe.

BTW, Bill, do you recommend anyone that makes katanas?

[Bill Harsey]

When Huricane Hanna moved near the Carolinas, the wind brought down a tall pine onto my backyard (thank God I didn't have my fence up yet). Anyway, being from NYC from birth 'til joining the Army, I had never handled an Axe before. I bought one from Lowes and went about reducing the felled tree to a bunch of firewood. It was not only a great workout, but it used similar principles to those used when I practice with my bokken. Now, I'm thinking of purchasing a quality cutting katana in order to begin performing tameshigiri. But, I have a newfound respect for my trusty axe.

BTW, Bill, do you recommend anyone that makes katanas?

This post just proves that you can't take a QP anywhere. First time axe use and tree is fully converted to burnable fuel. Next time I choose the tree.

Try this for a state of the craft katana: http://www.dragonflyforge.com/index.php
Michael Bell is an old friend of mine and does extremely good work.

[Razor]

It was blocking the driveway so I bucked it by hand to get it into chunks that could be moved.

Holy crap! Look at the size of those chips! I have to say, Bill, I don't think I've ever seen single swing shingle-making before.

[Debo]

Very nice Mr. Harsey. Thanks for sharing.

D.

[anythingrandom]

Mr. Harsey is, in fact, 12 feet tall and he rides a blue ox.

[Basenshukai]

This post just proves that you can't take a QP anywhere. First time axe use and tree is fully converted to burnable fuel. Next time I choose the tree.

Try this for a state of the craft katana: http://www.dragonflyforge.com/index.php
Michael Bell is an old friend of mine and does extremely good work.

Awesome website and equally awesome products. Thanks for the link.

[x SF med]

Mr. Harsey is, in fact, 12 feet tall and he rides a blue ox.

Nah, 6'5" and rides a bad tempered goat. :p Don't visit him in late summer/early fall - that's firewood season, you'll either buck, split or load/stack - maybe all of the above - worst part, you have to supply the beer to "Tom Sawyer" Harsey.;)

[Bill Harsey]

Bump for those making axes and hatchets, this is how I expect an axe to cut and hatchets or 'hawks should do the same on smaller scale. Refer to first image.
Blade geometry is important. For reference the bit on that axe is 7 inches across edge.
Bill

[dadof18x'er]

Cleaning up the files around here this fall and found some snapshots of the tree that some wind tipped over in front of my shop a few years ago.
It was blocking the driveway so I bucked it by hand to get it into chunks that could be moved.
The axe is a seven lb. Australian single bit set up by the late Jim Alexander, one of the old (great) world Champions in professional timber sports.
Jim used my belt grinders to do the foundation grinding then finished it by hand stoning.
Jim was from Australia but traveled North America during the summer to compete. He is the one that helped me learn how use an axe a little better than when I was logging.

judging by the jumbo sized chips I see laying around there I'd say you got a serious edge on that :lifter

[greenberetTFS]

Bump for those making axes and hatchets, this is how I expect an axe to cut and hatchets or 'hawks should do the same on smaller scale. Refer to first image.
Blade geometry is important. For reference the bit on that axe is 7 inches across edge.
Bill

Bill,

All I can say is your a remarkable man................;)

Big Teddy :munchin

[x SF med]

judging by the jumbo sized chips I see laying around there I'd say you got a serious edge on that :lifter

Bill... We've had this discussion before, but just to let everybody know, "How sharp should and Axe be?" "What angles should the edges be?" "How polished should the edges be?"

:D

[Ambush Master]

Hell, he had to learn how to use an axe!!! When he's in the woods and goes to sleep HE SNORES SO LOUD ALL OF THE TIMBER FALLS DOWN and he has to cut his way out!!!:D:munchin

Later
Martin

[wet dog]

Hell, he had to learn how to use an axe!!! When he's in the woods and goes to sleep HE SNORES SO LOUD ALL OF THE TIMBER FALLS DOWN and he has to cut his way out!!!:D:munchin

Later
Martin

Brother, that's cold, but I LOL.

[x SF med]

Hell, he had to learn how to use an axe!!! When he's in the woods and goes to sleep HE SNORES SO LOUD ALL OF THE TIMBER FALLS DOWN and he has to cut his way out!!!:D:munchin

Later
Martin


No he just steps over the fallen timber...:cool:

[DJ Urbanovsky]

That's a thing of beauty right there.

Bill, I was wondering if you might post a close up pic of the cross section of the head so I can see the grinding that Jim did to it?

[Buffalobob]

post a close up pic of the cross section of the head so I can see the grinding that Jim did to it?

Yes that would be enlightening. Also would be interested if a bench grinder heating up the edge bothers the ability to hold an edge.

[wet dog]

Yes that would be enlightening. Also would be interested if a bench grinder heating up the edge bothers the ability to hold an edge.

Yes it does. My experience is the best grinders are those that you can change the RPMs. Consider making a slow moving 1/4 HP belt feed grinder with a soft stone.

I mean slow, real slow, like foot pedal slow. O.K., forget the whole electrical thing, just build a slow moving foot pedal grinder.

WD

[AF IDMT]

OMG, wet dog is Roy Underhill!!!:D

Sorry, couldn't help it.

[MatthewD44]

WD where did you find a stone that size? I haven't seen one like that since I was a kid.

[wet dog]

WD where did you find a stone that size? I haven't seen one like that since I was a kid.

In my own defense, that picture is not mine. I pulled it off the internet as an example.

I do however have one that still measures 15.5 in. Even after 3 generation of family (Swedish - Scot ancestry), 150 years have only diminished 1.5 in. of stone.

It's too old to use, it's just collecting dust in the shop.

Someday I'll put in the living room as a lamp base. I'm curently negociating with the GF to allow me to bring it in the house.

Wish me luck!!!

p.s. for those interested, I did buy two more on my last trip through rural Indiana looking for a milk cream seperator, found one. It set me back $250.

I bought the stones, no mechanics, $50 ea.

[Buffalobob]

I am an officer and not supposed to do manual labor. If the axe should be sharpened by hand they should have included an NCO with it. :D

By the way, when I was a boy we had one of those foot pedal stones and that is exactly what we sharpened things with.

[Bill Harsey]

That's a thing of beauty right there.

Bill, I was wondering if you might post a close up pic of the cross section of the head so I can see the grinding that Jim did to it?

DJ,
Good idea.
will try and do this after SHOT Show.

[Bill Harsey]

Bill... We've had this discussion before, but just to let everybody know, "How sharp should and Axe be?" "What angles should the edges be?" "How polished should the edges be?"

:D

Sharpness:
As sharp as the steel will allow. When finished a good high performance racing axe (like for competition) can take a shaving off the surface of a piece of dry newspaper without going through the other side. I've done this many times, it's not myth.
The single exception I've seen is a slightly coarser edge that seems to be fsater in some pine wood.
In harder the angle is determined by what will hold up or not. In Australia the common chopping woods are very hard.

The relief and shape of the axe body is for both ability to cut deep and also very important, to release from the cut.
Angles are very acute, from 17 degrees included angle down to 12 on the edge of the bit. There are many types of "grinds" depending on the type of wood it's being used in.

Polish of the cutting edge, usually stoned to around 2000 grit but never buffed.

The old loggers who hand felled timber would use shaving sharp edges. If axes were not maintained very sharp they couldn't produce what was expected to keep their jobs and a dull axe would fatigue the user very fast.

[x SF med]

.... and neither of us bled this weekend while inspecting the axes... this is a good thing... now I have to find my hatchets and log cutters and sharpen them... Thanks Bill, more sharpening for me....:eek:

[x SF med]

Bill... you are a bad influence, very bad, horrible... the camp hatchet is now sharpened properly and has no chips in the edge...

amazing what one can accomplish wit ha 10" mill bastard and a DMT after a conversation with a logger...

Oh, I also got my machete sharpened the same way...