Curious case of American Broad Axes with long handles

[crbnSteeladdict]

In early XX century hardware stores used to sell broad axes with long 32-36 inch handles.
https://books.google.com/books?id=v...=PA49#v=onepage&q=pittsburgh broad axe&f=true
Long handles would require to work the sides of the log standing on the top. I am curious about that technique ... Maybe it was the influence of thousands of Chinese workers building Transcontinental Railroad hewing railroad ties using Japanese technique?

https://archive.org/details/SearsRoebuckAndCoHardwareCatalog1919/page/n49

To my surprise, I have seen quit a lot of broad axes mounted on long handles with signs of regular use.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/superb-dr-barton-12-timber-framers-142865628

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-marked-original-kelly-broad-axe

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-vintage-primitive-hand-forged-150283570

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/canadian-pattern-fulton-broad-axe-1843065948

 

[Old Axeman]

I understand your confusion and why you question it. If it is an axe with an empty eye some body will put a haft in it, even if it is the wrong haft. Of all the broad axes pictured the only one with a real broad axe handle is the one in the catalog page with no swell. American broad axe handles were sold usually at 36", right handed, left handed, and reversible, with no swell. This was done, as is stated in old and even only 30 year old handle catalogs, to be cut to size to fit the user. This most often came out to be 20"-26". All this speculation and misinformation, both historic and current, about how a broad axe is used bothers me. Broad axe work was always done professionally by a few men who knew what they were doing. TRY IT FOR A SUSTAINED TIME PERIOD AND THIS WILL ALL BECOME CLEAR TO YOU. NO SPECULATION NECESSARY. Also, look at the historic footage (from my collection) that has been posted of early hewing by professionals. These men made there living broad axe hewing, as Doug Reed and I did (and less than a hand full of us still alive today)

 

[Ernest DuBois]

Some documentation that lets us see there are differences in the technique and set-up between squaring lumber and squaring up ties with broadaxes

That older B&W film showing the (long) handle with swell and the swinging technique also suggests the logic of having it there.
Long handle is no indication the work was carried out standing a top the log and parallels with the Japanese technique are improbable for other reasons, rather that the work was done in the woods low to the ground to minimize lifting and the need to pack around trestles.

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

In Bliven, Mead & Co.'s Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of American, German, English and French Hardware from 1864 store offers two kinds of broad axe handles 26 and 36 inch both left and right (can be easily shortened)
https://archive.org/details/BlivenMeadCoIllustratedCatalogue1864/page/n254

In Illustrated Catalogue of the Douglas Axe Manufacturing Co. : 1877
Douglas offers handled broad axes on 42 inch handles (I assume it is straight. A lot of wood wasted if it was meant to be shortened to standard hewing broad axe length)
https://archive.org/details/DouglasAxeMfgCoCatalogue1877/page/n13

In Wm. Frankfurth Co. : Hardware : General Catalog No. 5 from 1917
we can find
36 inch reversible (I assume straight)
32 inch curved offset handle (choice of left and right... definitely not meant to be shortened)

https://archive.org/details/WmFrankfurthCoHardwareCatalogNo5/page/n199

In E. C. Simmons Keen Kutter Cutlery and Tools : 1939 Catalog
34 inch straight handles
https://archive.org/details/SimmonsKeenKutterCatalog1939Part/page/n331?q=Keen+Kutter

In Hartwell Handles Catalog No. 92 : November 1, 1955 one can find:
octagon BAH 36"
riversible BAH 34" (I assume is straight)
delta BAH (knob end) 34"
and finally left or right BAH 36" (I assume those are offset and can be easily shortened to form traditional hewing handles)

https://archive.org/details/HartwellHandlesCatalogNo92/page/n4?q="delta+broad+axe+handle"

https://foresthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Barnickol_Sleepers-through-time.pdf
pdf llink from old thread https://bladeforums.com/threads/history-of-hewing-rr-ties.947271/#post-10777528
old footage 9:46

demonstration 5:45

 

[Ernest DuBois]

I could better have proposed that the handle form in and of itself it just one indirect indication of technique. A next step in narrowing that down would be examining the traces left behind on the surfaces, the entry and exit marks from the cuts, ridges left from nicks in the blade, angles of the hits and so on and so on. Then one could determine with a high degree of precision and minimal speculation how a particular log got hewn and by making comparisons understand how prominent each - very legitimate - way of going at it was and in what applications and circumstances the choice of technique was the most sensible one.
The squaring work depicted for the most part in many of these old videos, as far as I can determine seems to always fall into the field of what I would call forestry work, that is in one way or that other one, preparation work in transporting, not to discount the rail road tie production, which was significant for sure, and also a kind of work of the forest, but this might be where the distinction lies in terms of the associated handle forms. Of course referring to what I wrote to begin about examining axe traces, this would complicate matters since all traces of squaring work done as a matter of preparing for transport would be eliminated at the saw-mill. So only relying on traces of the axe would give a skewed indication of the relative quantity of this kind of axe work and give more prominence to say log cabin building work or timber framing where we have the evidence of the axe at work.

 

[Square_peg]

https://foresthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Barnickol_Sleepers-through-time.pdf

That foresthistory link doesn't work anymore. But I still have it up on my server.
http://cedarriverforge.com/Photo-index/axephotos/Barnickol-RR Tie Hacking.pdf

 

[Square_peg]

We also have to consider the end use of the products. Hewing a railroad tie will differ from hewing a cabin, barn or house beam which will differ from hewing a ship beam. And another level of hewing exists for grand public buildings or palaces. Some would have been planed smooth where to trace of hewing remains.

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

X

 

[Ernest DuBois]

Hewing a railroad tie will differ from hewing a cabin, barn or house beam which will differ from hewing a ship beam.

On what counts do you mean these various intensions altered the hewing process? That tie hackers were working to a more uniform dimension?
What strikes me more now than ever from your file is the sheer numbers involved, 110 million ties p/year, 60,000-70,000 tie hacks in the USA, (highly exploited, of course), and, that this handwork was going on into, what, the 1950s it seems? This work clearly out-pacing in almost every way other hewing activity. It makes me think that the broadaxes seen today are axes predominantly intended for tie hacking and that that work must have had a big, even determining influence on the basic forms of these axes. I mean, who knows, maybe even to the extent that the carpenter was subjected to the qualities of an axe dictated by this domination of tie hacking.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Not very instructional, just entertaining. Roy Underhill talking about old school craftsmanship and tools, as he is want to do, while hewing a log. Maybe the only TED talk with a broad axe? lol

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Oops. Mods please delete.

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

This is one, scary way of hacking. I guess, if your toes survived first few weeks they were relatively safe afterwards . The hobnails in their boots helped with finding balance on the top of the logs.
start at 24:46

I noticed that those long handled broad axes were coming from rural areas estate liquidations from all over the country, not just one specific region. It possible it was for farmers a way of making additional money off-season. Even though, technically reversible patterns, a lot of them come with permanent haft and just one side significantly worn out.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Reminded of one of my favorite Voltaire quotes:

“History is only the pattern of silken slippers descending the stairs to the thunder of hobnailed boots climbing upward from below.”

 

[Ernest DuBois]

I once had hobnails in my shoes, had to tread awful lightly on wood floors. They wore down though in 6 months and after that were fine.

I noticed that those long handled broad axes were coming from rural areas estate liquidations from all over the country, not just one specific region.

Considering the production of 110,000,000p/y ca1900, I guess that distribution, "all over the country", reflects pretty well the sources.

a lot of them come with permanent haft and just one side significantly worn out.

Could it be an indication the claim of ambidextrousness might be more mythical fancy than grounded in fact?

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

I would imagine the techniques used differ depending on period of time, region and thickness of logs:

42 inch haft would be useful for very thick trees or long legged axeman

I cannot imagine scenario in which 32 inch curved offset handle (choice of left and right) can be used chopping from the top of the log. Unless, one mounts it backward toward the center of the log (haft's movement plane closer to center of gravity). However, that setup seem awkward to me. I think those handles were designed to be used from the ground level.

 

[Ernest DuBois]

You may be right about the diversity of technique, even more so considering that there was no standardized central organ of timber hewing consistency and competence, in other words no guild for the enforcement of toeing the line, you know.
Well this may be going far a field and since I have yet to mount it I hesitate to bring it in but will anyway, but I have one axe, side axe though of no related origin to your broadaxes, used for working a top the stem, which came with its handle off-set, intentional or not who can say it. At any rate the off-set was in the opposite direction, that is towards the hewing surface and the logic of using it that way is to further center the force of gravity directly above the stem while swinging away at its side from up there. That said, I doubt those handles you mention were done that way with this in mind, still it's a scenario I put out there for you to imagine.

 

[Ernest DuBois]

As I re-read your posting up I see we had that same basic scenario in mind, excuses cSa.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

I don’t know how much it adds to the conversation but I have one broad axe of particular interest. It’s a very old WM. Beatty & Sons that came from Allan Klenman with this curved 36” handle on it. The haft is mounted in the “left handed” position and has been on it well more than 30 years, at a minimum.

I was told it’s reversible and looks to be no different from either side, the eye measures the same on top and bottom.

 

[Ernest DuBois]

I don’t know how much it adds to the conversation

Other than it's contribution on the road to establishing, with documentation, ie photos, contemporaneous records, historic film, facts and figures... that the long handle, and all that... is the standard, (not that we're being very meticulous about it, you know) and the related implications of that.
If we can credit simple random encounters with any significance I can add this one out of Big Hole, Montana from last Springtime.

 

[garry3]

I confess to not reading all of these posts so excuse me if it has been covered. But these tie hacks were working pretty close to the ground. I don't imagine a short handle would have served to well.
Not sure were the term Tie Hack came from but if someone called you a hack it meant you didn't do good work. Connection there?