It followed me home (Part 2)

[ithinkverydeeply]

It's essentially the definition of semantics. Language is one of the first things to be influenced with cultural exchanges, and terminology even within an established language varies from place to place, called a dialect. In this country is it sheetrock or drywall? A spanner or a wrench?

It's the object that's interesting to me. And it's interesting to me that Pennsylvania Germans just started to use the colloquial term holzaxt. With the scarcity of information, figuring out how that came to be is probably an exercise in futility.

But foreign influence in domestic ax patterns is really interesting to me. I find it fascinating to wonder about immigrants who added their historical knowledge to the evolution of North American axe patterns.

Agreed. If it’s worth noting, mine has a tapered “American” style eye not the D shaped eye.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Just for fun here are a couple more examples in literature from The Tools That Built America and the ABC Book of Americana respectively.

And perhaps most fittingly from a list of obsolete phrases replaced by new ones in a Salem newspaper.

 

[Ernest DuBois]

Is it really so controversial? In broad terms it seems to my simple mind straightforward enough that the axe type was brought from Germany by one or some of the many groups that came in the mass immigrations of the 19th century, after all keeping yourself warm must be on your mind if your going out to get yourself set up in a new place like that, that its use was for a time maintained in particular in Pennsylvania, that some of the versions even show a kind of metamorphosing or deviation
from the original form, for example the one pictured in the Kaufman book with its obvious New World influences. And now one axe from this category has made its way into the hands of ThinksDeeply. There's nothing overly mystifying about it and it's the most probable and plausible scenario.
Some dismiss or claim the label isn't important for understanding, maybe but why deny a part of the axes history? Better to simply qualify terms factually, "Grienman records users calling it "Blimpbeil", Who could argue with that?

Agreed. If it’s worth noting, mine has a tapered “American” style eye not the D shaped eye.

Yes it's what I mean and don't think it's mean if I say it is a striking incongruity how the altered eye form has left the poll dangling and opened the space for speculation. In the Good OldWorld version there is harmony between the fuller eye, the D-shape, and the extended poll though it's my experience that this combination provides no added stability in and of itself as AH has suggested.

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Is it really so controversial? In broad terms it seems to my simple mind straightforward enough that the axe type was brought from Germany by one or some of the many groups that came in the mass immigrations of the 19th century, after all keeping yourself warm must be on your mind if your going out to get yourself set up in a new place like that, that its use was for a time maintained in particular in Pennsylvania, that some of the versions even show a kind of metamorphosing or deviation
from the original form, for example the one pictured in the Kaufman book with its obvious New World influences. And now one axe from this category has made its way into the hands of ThinksDeeply. There's nothing overly mystifying about it and it's the most probable and plausible scenario.
Some dismiss or claim the label isn't important for understanding, maybe but why deny a part of the axes history?

I don’t disagree with your assessment here.
I just don’t understand why we are not calling it a “Holzaxt” like they did?
(Is it just that we are so far removed from it now that we need modifiers like Vintage American splitting axe from Deutsch-Pennsylvania that they used to call a Holzaxt?)

 

[Fmont]

It seems to me it was simply a colloquialism by the time anybody got around to cataloging these things. I'd certainly refer to it as such, being Americans of the era referred to it as such!

Nice holzaxt itvd!

 

[Square_peg]

Or that the authors are wrong and that axe shouldn’t be called a Holtzaxt?

The axe can be called a holzaxt.
I'm saying that holzaxt isn't a pattern and can't be exclusively applied to any particular pattern of axe. It is simply a term that German Americans applied to a wide array of axes generally used for felling and/or splitting.

 

[Fmont]

The axe can be called a holzaxt.
I'm saying that holzaxt isn't a pattern and can't be exclusively applied to any particular pattern of axe. It is simply a term that German Americans applied to a wide array of axes generally used for felling and/or splitting.

Yes, it looks like even mauls were subject to the name by some peoples. Holzaxt = big honking splitting smashing axe.

I think what is special is that itvd's example shows so much of the German DNA, while also being American. To me that is very cool.

 

[Square_peg]

I just don’t understand why we are not calling it a “Holzaxt” like they did?
(Is it just that we are so far removed from it now that we need modifiers like Vintage American splitting axe from Deutsch-Pennsylvania that they used to call a Holzaxt?)

It's certainly a holzaxt. But specifically it's a kliebhacke. And holzaxt refers to a wide range of axes used for felling and splitting wood.

 

[Square_peg]

I think what is special is that itvd's example shows so much of the German DNA, while also being American. To me that is very cool.

I agree. That's very cool, the American eye in a traditional German pattern splitting axe. Certainly a unique fusion axe.

 

[jblyttle]

Here's an axe I received a couple years ago - I think from JBLyttle.

Yup I recognize it.

 

[Miller '72]

Well at hand I have a 1927 Supplee-Biddle catalog showing several patterns. Some like Daytons started at 3lb but others like Kentuckys started at 3.5lb

1908 Honeyman Hardware shows a 2 1/4 lb boys axe that is hand hammered and beveled. But I think I heard they didn’t have the long script on the boys axe. (I don’t know though.)

ITVD, I am intrigued and interested in your supplee-biddle catalog. You have one in your possession?
I regretfully missed out on 2 supplee biddle axes in the last couple years but i do have 2 crosscuts. A 5' felling and 3' single/two man.
Does your catalog have crosscuts and if so when convenient could you post the pages?
I do have page excerpts from online i have used for Identification but the original literature must be simply awesomevto have at your finger tips.

Once a Holzaxe...Always a Holzaxe
It sounds like something my wife would call me

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

ITVD, I am intrigued and interested in your supplee-biddle catalog. You have one in your possession?
I regretfully missed out on 2 supplee biddle axes in the last couple years but i do have 2 crosscuts. A 5' felling and 3' single/two man.
Does your catalog have crosscuts and if so when convenient could you post the pages?
I do have page excerpts from online i have used for Identification but the original literature must be simply awesomevto have at your finger tips.

Once a Holzaxe...Always a Holzaxe
It sounds like something my wife would call me

I wish I did. I’m afraid I only have that page. It’s double sided but it’s axes.

Edit: I see my wording was misleading, I didn’t mean to imply that.

 

[Miller '72]

I wish I did. I’m afraid I only have that page. It’s double sided but it’s axes.

Edit: I see my wording was misleading, I didn’t mean to imply that.

No worries and thanks for sharing the perfect. Beautiful axe man! The Holzaxt is unique and awesome as well.

 

[Ernest DuBois]

(Is it just that we are so far removed from it now that we need modifiers like Vintage American splitting axe from Deutsch-Pennsylvania that they used to call a Holzaxt?)

This is the context, the distinction twixt "we" and "they" and for the sake of clarity some qualification should accompany the terms.

We shouldn't just call it simply "holzaxt" and leave it at that, this is what I'm saying because that fixes its identity as if it were known when in fact we know nothing more than that this is what Mercer called it based on some obscure sourcing, poor grounds for laying claim to an identity, which by the way even Mercer had smarts enough to avoid doing, as far as I can tell. We see from these other text examples with this sloppy perpetuation by others that in short order the label takes on degree of even legitimacy and the illusion of truth. Well, the argument for using care with labels is self evident given the confusion we find ourselves in the midst of at the moment.

I never did know I had a holzaxt before.

 

[Fmont]

We shouldn't just call it simply "holzaxt" and leave it at that, this is what I'm saying because that fixes its identity as if it were known when in fact we know nothing more than that this is what Mercer called it based on some obscure sourcing, poor grounds for laying claim to an identity, which by the way even Mercer had smarts enough to avoid doing, as far as I can tell.

I think we should! As there is no more specific designation than the colloquialism to with which it was referred, it seems the most appropriate term. You could add some precision by saying "American Holzaxt," if you like.

I never did know I had a holzaxt before.

Or that you had a "go devil!" Learn something new every day!

 

[Miller '72]

Connies Delight!

Thank you to Mr Lyttle & The Hartford Axe Express

Old Faithful Warren Axe 4lb'er

True Temper Kelly Works Flint Edge 3lbs

 

[Yankee Josh]

I got my own from j.b.! Lol. Thank you Justin! Plus some 28"-31" db hafts from another seller.
It weighed #2-15.6oz before filing and I filed off .2oz of steel. This axe is almost as hard as the other two ridiculously hard ones I have.
I've got two other Mann's bedside this one and they have an ordinary temper. NOT this one holy cow.

 

[Miller '72]

I got my own from j.b.! Lol. Thank you Justin! Plus some 28"-31" db hafts from another seller. View attachment 1197564 View attachment 1197565 View attachment 1197566
It weighed #2-15.6oz before filing and I filed off .2oz of steel. This axe is almost as hard as the other two ridiculously hard ones I have.
I've got two other Mann's bedside this one and they have an ordinary temper. NOT this one holy cow.

Beauty Knot Klipper!!

I love those handles YJ!!

 

[Fmont]

I've had a couple Mann's with really hard steel! Knot Klipper indeed!

 

[Agent_H]

I got my own from j.b.! Lol. Thank you Justin! Plus some 28"-31" db hafts from another seller. View attachment 1197564 View attachment 1197565 View attachment 1197566
It weighed #2-15.6oz before filing and I filed off .2oz of steel. This axe is almost as hard as the other two ridiculously hard ones I have.
I've got two other Mann's bedside this one and they have an ordinary temper. NOT this one holy cow.

Is the last shot after evening it up? If so, that is a wide grin on that edge.