Historic axes, 18th century

Old Axeman said:
COTS, those two axes were found in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Since I started down the axe crazed road 55 years ago my best early finds, say 1750 - 1850 were hands down in VA, PENN, and Maryland. North Carolina and New York were good places for early axe picking also. Looking at some of the tools you guys on the east coast are finding, it must still be good picking there?
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Thanks! I know some of the guys here who find a lot of stuff live on the east coast. I'm in Ks and I guess every axe that was ever bought is still being swung on occasion by our farmers. I rarely find anything. Most auctions (and I've been to very few of them) where I have seen axes, they have been thoroughly used and abused.

To get side tracked, there is this old fellow that is sort of infamous around town and he makes very little effort to maintain his property (read, no effort). I believe the Cedar trees which infest this area were introduced, but aside from those, his place is pretty well grown over - a large section. It's interesting because it contrasts against all the farmland around it which has very few trees except for hedge rows and the like. Don't know, but sure seems like there was a lot of tree clearing done in this part of the country. Other evidence seems to contradict this though. I've heard conservationists claim there are more trees here now in eastern Kansas, than X years ago. I don't know, but the other day when I drove past it place I had to wonder if that is what eastern Kansas looked like before settlers arrived? I don't think many people think of the "Kansas Jungle". :p I'm sure that land was clear once upon a time and the jungle that is there now is relatively new.
 
COTS - fellow kansan who has experienced the same as far as scarcity of axes. I got bit by the vintage axe bug about 2 years ago and have searched every antique/junk store along with the flea markets in my travels across the state, and have not had much luck. Its kind of depressing seeing the hauls made that are pictured in the "it followed me home" thread knowing that the opportunity for that here in Kansas is rare. As far as trees - my BIL has a dental practice up in McLouth (NE part of the state) and I like nothing better than to head up that way during the fall when the leaves are changing - there is LOTS of timber up that way. Interesting story - went quail hunting with a friend down by Isabel on the OK border - he commented as we pulled onto the property "You'll find this interesting!". They had contracted with a logging company to harvest the mature black walnut on the property and we pulled into the pasture where they were storing the logs harvested - must have been 6-700 big (30"+) logs waiting to be trucked off the property.
 
stevewest said:
COTS - fellow kansan who has experienced the same as far as scarcity of axes. I got bit by the vintage axe bug about 2 years ago and have searched every antique/junk store along with the flea markets in my travels across the state, and have not had much luck. Its kind of depressing seeing the hauls made that are pictured in the "it followed me home" thread knowing that the opportunity for that here in Kansas is rare. As far as trees - my BIL has a dental practice up in McLouth (NE part of the state) and I like nothing better than to head up that way during the fall when the leaves are changing - there is LOTS of timber up that way. Interesting story - went quail hunting with a friend down by Isabel on the OK border - he commented as we pulled onto the property "You'll find this interesting!". They had contracted with a logging company to harvest the mature black walnut on the property and we pulled into the pasture where they were storing the logs harvested - must have been 6-700 big (30"+) logs waiting to be trucked off the property.
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That's funny because I feel the same way looking at that thread. I guess now we can commiserate.

Interesting that you mentioned the Black Walnut. We have a local saw mill here (or so I'm told) and for the first time ever I just saw the other day, local lumber in a hardware store. Rough cut Black Walnut. Maybe it came from up there somewhere? I understand there is a mill up in that area though - I think maybe I contacted them about getting Hickory once.
 
My brother was the recipient of a large (28"x16') black walnut log. We hauled it over the the mill in Belvue and got it cut down to 1" and 2" stock. Beautiful wood - he has had it for about 10 years now and hasn't done anything with it. I keep asking him if he is saving it for the fireplace.
 
This is a fantastic topic,i'm so extremely thankful to Old Axeman and Square_peg for posting this,with all the extremely valuable info from them and others.
I wish there was some connection between all the info on pre-1850-ies American axes on the site...(i'm sure it's easily doable by search,at least for the less-computer-retarded of us,so not complaining).
In any case,most obliging of everyone to contribute so much great info,Thanks.
 
Jake, I am pleased to see your interest in American axes made from about 1750- 1850, and your efforts to recreate these great axes. To that end, I want to mention that I have had, for over 50 years another head that I found under another Colonial era building I worked on. The head was without haft as it had rotted away over the years. I finally got to this axe. I hung it with the last good, riven, air dried hickory stave that I brought with me. I have also profiled and sharpened it to what would have been the standard when it was first forged. I would like to show this axe in this thread. Square Peg recently was so generous to gift me with a Gold membership. He said that he was sure that I could now post pictures without to much hassle. The problem, everything to do with the computer or internet, is a hassle and an unknown to me. I might add, it also is of no interest to me except this one axe forum. Up until 7 yrs ago I spent my life in the wilderness or under a historic building, usually with a axe in my hand. I need very specific instructions from someone as to EVERY step for me to post pictures with my Gold membership. And even then, I will need a lot of luck.
I would like to mention that one of the two axes (the one that was used and found under a historic building) that SP showed in the start of this thread, I am donating, along with a few other period tools, to Puukohola National Park. The idea is to show how the introduction of metal changed the lives of Hawaiians who only had stone tools to the point of contact.
 
Thank you,Sir,i'd Really look forward to seeing this other axe.The other photos are terrifically valuable,the information contained in those axe-heads is immense.The exchange between user and smith went on and on,from one back to the other,for generations.ALL of that is encoded,if you will,therein.
(i'm sorry to not elect to be an advisor on use of computers...my retardation with this technology is hopeless:(...a better man will be along shortly,i'm sure).

Incidentally,a friend who's a State archaeologist (in Tennessee) agrees that the laterally-folded poll was indeed a common technique back then,to gain more mass at poll.
 
Operator1975 said:


Stricker and Stohler, mid 1800s, blacksmiths from Pa.
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SAM_1978_zps3b6451d0.jpg



Bob
 
Square_peg said:
That might be on me.
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IMHO, The burden does not need to be on the poster of legacy images to edit them to allow them to be displayed.

Here is a link (http) from your original post that BladeForums (BF) displays as a "Red X":
When you click on the above link your browser will display the image. Note the link (shown in the browser) was automatically changed "on the fly" to https


Square_peg said:
I migrated my server to a new site
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cedarriverforge.com has been upgraded to the secure protocol (https) and anything that was there before (http) would not be lost because of the upgrade. However, the images need an upgraded link on BF to the secure protocol version to display them in a post.

Square_peg said:
somehow my links are showing up as http rather than https.
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Those links are "hard coded" on the BF site and they remain as they were entered. Currently these older links must be edited (changed to https) for the image to be seen in a post.

Square_peg said:
I'll try to fix them in the morning.
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Thank you. Afterall, where else can we see Bernie's 18th century axes?



Bob
 
I am reviving this great old thread for anybody who might not have seen it. And, I want to correct something I said about there being no substitute for Hickory as haft wood. I have lately been making some hafts out of two local indigenous woods--Koa & Ohia. I must say that while Koa is a very strong and attractive wood, Ohia reminds me a lot of Hickory as a great user haft.
 
I've not used it personally but it does sound based on what I've heard from folks who do that osage orange is very comparable, as well, and can say that while sourcing suitable stock is challenging that the tool handles I've made with black locust have been very comparable in terms of hardness and elasticity, though its mode of failure tends to be more splintery and the still-connected strands in the break don't run as deep as hickory (though still a decent enough distance not to be a "short" and disconnected break.) Chances are there are lots of other great woods out there that give very similar performance, but it does seem as though hickory is the gold standard in that it's easily commercially farmed and produces good straight, dense growth with good reliability. Most other woods that are suitable seem to be comparatively less available in suitable grade.
 
Veeteetee who posts on the Finnish/Earlier Scandi Axes-Knives sent me a study done in Finland I think in the 30's where Birch tested out as well as Hickory for axes handles. I do not have the email he sent me anymore. I wonder if it is because the Birch trees in Finland are exposed to hard winters? I ask as years ago we did work with Klepper Folding Boats, made in Germany. Mr Klepper used birch rods as the frame of the boats, but only from Birch trees that grew on the North side of the hills in Finland, as their growth rings were closer together, smaller? John
 
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