300six beat me to a response.
I figure you don't argue with someone to change their mind. That doesn't work. If needing the other person to say you are right and they are wrong as a sign of being understood then that is a lose-lose. The best outcome is for both guys to walk away with something to think about they haven't before.
I'mSoSharp (I realize I abbreviated your username to ISS once - Didn't think about that until later...) I value your opinion and input, have coveted some of your finds, axe hangs, and what you can create - especially with some of the tools we don't see often here or in person. I've enjoyed looking up info on them.
I've read every one of your posts with interest, I actually tried to harvest your pictures for you when Photobucket went down so I could look at them/mention them as examples or send them back to you in the event you wanted to rebuild your cool thread on Spanish Flea Market Finds and didn't have them. The last few mentions/hints at steel wedges I thought you were kind of ribbing me for the crosswedging. And I thought you did it in a way that actually made me laugh. You know, one of those instances where you read the subtext in a way that said, "That guys is pretty funny actually and I get what he is saying" In fact my last post in this thread from last night, I edited shortly after hitting reply because I totally got what you were saying - and I had a couple beers in me. I'm an easy going guy sober and even more so when not.
There are two steel wedges in my glove box of my truck - one larger/one smaller, in the event something I am using comes loose. That "something" might be a tool I set up, one that someone here set up, or something factory set up. There are some very strong opinions and even stronger (sometimes brash) personalities that hang out here.
Some of the guys here might enjoy a fight with you about it - even if they don't feel that strongly but because that is part of their temperament. It also seems to be our weekly cycle lol. Most of the older axes we find or can find picture examples of from the "Golden Years" are appreciated for the human hands that created and assembled them with such care. The most coveted are those tools still on original handles and still solid in their eyes. A good portion of those were not originally sent out with steel wedges.
I have used an axe all my life and until about 5 years ago didn't care about any of this detail crap.
CityOfTheSouth has a project post that truly impressed me and I was struck by the beauty of his work and he was willing to answer questions about it. It also got me interested in what I might do to avoid using steel wedges. Yes, cross wedging is unnecessary - you almost could say... as unnecessary as a steel wedge if you think about it.
You made a comment something along the lines of why are we always equating a well-placed steel wedge with filling the eye full of other stuff - I think you are right to call that out. One does not equate to the other. And I can see how watching that happen over and over here could rub a guy the wrong way. There are some bandwagon things here that do that to me – probably to everyone I would imagine.
The last couple of weeks I have grumbled about steel wedges and I apologize to anyone who feels the implication of using them equates to lesser skills, knowledge, or value in their work or tools. I bet the majority of you guys know more about using an axe than I do and your axes are sharper than mine.
There are so many steel wedge threads on here where you will find someone having a strong opinion and actually being demeaning while presenting it. That isn't my deal here.
My avoidance of them is out of personal challenge; my recent grumbling about them is from splitting two handles reseating them and this unmarked Woodslasher boy's axe (which have proven to me that they are great tools with no fancy marks).
A wedge between us by
Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr
This axe was mounted on a full-size handle, upside down. There are seven steel wedges that you can see and three you can't. Being as the head was mounted upside down, it widens at the bottom. That allowed the last user to literally stack three of those buggars one on top the other. Those three wedges actually spanned the entire depth of the eye and went all the way to the shoulder - deep enough that it ate my coping saw blade before I realized the difference trying to cut it off. But, again that also isn’t what you are talking about.
So, the post I deleted last night that I think would have condensed this silly monologue:
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Odd statement. Not sure how to take it.....
Garry, it’s subtle. I had to read it a couple of times and each time I liked it more. I’ve typed up 5 responses just to backspace over them laughing each time. I think if I am laughing this hard then none of them are appropriate for the forums.
So just the one will have to do:
“I’d take two steelies in the kerf for just one of Neeman’s axes”
Maybe an axe n drink post with bring it home.
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Common goal number 1. Avoiding this at all cost:
I still take it as friendly ribbing because... well, I like that better.
Quick, someone post a Neeman tool