Miners axe, rafting axe, construction axe

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Square_peg

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Whatever you call those old hardened poll axes these photos can give us an idea why these axes were so popular for people outside of forestry. Think about this mining photo. A big part of mining is a shoring operation - a continual battle to stop the earth above from falling in on you. A fractured rock ceiling doesn't conform perfectly to square-cut timbers. Once a timber frame was built you would have to install wedges to fill the gaps between the timber and the rock above. Or the timbers themselves might need to have the corners knocked off in places to fit to the rock.

Miners axe 1.jpg


Also, a miner might need to drive fasteners into holes drilled into the rock to secure the shoring timbers. This one tool would fulfill all those needs.

Miners%20axe%202.jpg


Loggers transporting logs rafts downriver used them for driving the log dogs used to chain the raft together.

log_raft.jpg


Walters%202.jpg


Other hardened poll axes were used in timber framing or other general construction uses. The 'killing axe' found favor in the slaughterhouses for putting down cattle with a blow to the head with it's hammer poll.

Killing Axe 1.jpg


These hardened poll axes were work horses for many men outside of the lumber industry. Nothing like them is made any more. It's a pity.
Plumb 1.jpg


Knots 2.JPG
 
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Lovely explanation and accompanying pictures! Something tells me that via all this discussion, heightened interest in and actual usefulness of these, that Council may take heed and re-introduce these along with proper marketing. Or maybe Swede boutique axes will suddenly become available in new flavours that are more than just pretty.
 
How well does a hardened poll stand up to beating ex. log dogs compared to a non hardened? I have never seen an axe with a hardened poll
 
aikonen said:
How well does a hardened poll stand up to beating ex. log dogs compared to a non hardened? I have never seen an axe with a hardened poll
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About the same as a sledge or splitting maul I think. An annealed axe has a hardness of around 26-27 if I remember correctly, so you can imagine why the regular polls take such a beating.

These are very interesting photos. I had lots of miner ancestors, one who died in the great bump, or Springhill Mine Disaster. I never thought too much about axes being used in the mine itself, although I think there is a story in one of my forestry books about a miner. I'll see if there's any relevant info in it.
 
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aikonen said:
How well does a hardened poll stand up to beating ex. log dogs compared to a non hardened? I have never seen an axe with a hardened poll
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No surprise that you've never seen one, neither have I during the past 50 years until one from JBLyttle arrived in my mailbox 2 weeks ago. A hardened poll in essence is same as the face of a hammer; they don't deform, they can only chip.
The only vulnerability I can think of is the soft eye can bow out if you foolishly were to use or adapt one of these axes as a splitting wedge to be pounded on with something else.
 
Old Axeman said:
Square_peg
One of those Plumbs looks familiar !
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Why would I suspect the lovely checkered poll Plumb; that's the one that intrigued me already a year ago. By the way Peg is that what a Walters looks like (in the log dog picture); either it's unconventional flared out up top or (heaven forbid) it's mushrooming.
 
I have found a few in the last year, maybe 3-4 full sized examples. Useful tools and great for collectors. Not to be overlooked, and maybe more common are the hatchet sized versions. Many BSA hatchets were this style, and are certainly available for reasonable cost. Many guys are looking for a good camp tool and these may fit the bill.

One other not to overlook is the True Temper Tommy Axe. They are common enough on eBay and not expensive. A perfect camp sized tool, concave for splitting and a heavy beveled poll. I can't confirm hardened, but I'm sure that it is. I've never seen one deformed.
 
300Six said:
By the way Peg is that what a Walters looks like (in the log dog picture); either it's unconventional flared out up top or (heaven forbid) it's mushrooming.
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Yep, that's a Walters and it does show some sign of mushrooming. Sorry that other one fell through for you. I was glad to hear that JB fixed you up.

Here's another of my hardened poll axes. This one is a True Temper Dayton pattern. Surprised the heck out of me when I took a file to it. It's quite hard.

A6-2.jpg
 
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Square_peg said:
Here's another of my hardened poll axes. This one is a True Temper Dayton pattern. Surprised the heck out of me when I took a file to it. It's quite hard.

A6-2.jpg
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Interesting, I may need to spot check some once in a while. I sometimes see standard looking Dayton's with fairly thick polls. Not beveled, never crossed my mind. I'll start testing them.

Actually I can think of one head right now that has a series of small chips around the poll. Hmmmmm......
 
Square_peg, I appreciate this post. Thank you.

I've come across two rafting axe heads but one was so heel worn I would not bought it if it were a regular head.

The other was evenly worn but I couldn't bring myself to pay nearly a $100 to someone that didn't really know what they had other than they had it in their mind that it was made of gold...

The rafting dogs are interesting. Got quite a few I have picked up over the years. I have one driven into a tree next to my fire fit where I hang what I think is an old blacksmith coal stoker. The poker is 4-5' long and it takes someone "adult-sized" to slip it out of the top to use it. Found the neighbor kids who sometimes end up here from the trails can't get it out...
 
Interesting that the polls are not always bevelled. Another curious trait of hard poll heads; the stamps often appear on the right side instead of the more typical left of conventional axes. Efforts at standardization obviously weren't adopted by all makers.
 
Peg, The history behind that Plumb- I got it about 20 plus years ago in Butte Montana, where it was used in one of the big Butte/Anaconda mines.
 
I think it's notable that the axe pattern is called "rafting" in the old American axe manufacturer catalogs, not "miners" nor "construction" axes (names that must have caught on after the heyday of log rafts). Those Plumbs are attractive. I'd like to see an example made by Warren Axe & Tool (a "rafting" axe is shown in their 1937 catalog).
 
Steve Tall said:
I think it's notable that the axe pattern is called "rafting" in the old American axe manufacturer catalogs, not "miners" nor "construction" axes (names that must have caught on after the heyday of log rafts). Those Plumbs are attractive. I'd like to see an example made by Warren Axe & Tool (a "rafting" axe is shown in their 1937 catalog).
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Here is one Steve.
I should probably clean it up nicer but I would hate to loose the original red paint in the stamp.



P1010033_zpsjgkfeziy.jpg
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Logs are still rafted in Idaho's St Joe river and maybe some others also. They use a small tug boat these days.
 
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