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Great idea! I, too, have a bunch of old fore hose around. Just never thought of that yet.
My journey begins. Step 1 - Rust Removal.
- Thread starter KiwiBloke
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Great idea! I, too, have a bunch of old fore hose around. Just never thought of that yet.
Had a great time swinging today. I had a couple of Cabbage trees to fell to make way for a vege garden. These are a native New Zealand tree; they are one of the most widely cultivated natives and are very popular in Europe, Britain and the U.S. The wood is soft and very very sappy/resinous. They grow up to 20 metres high and have long narrow leaves. It has scented flowers in early summer, which turn into bluish-white berries that birds love to eat. The bark is thick and tough like cork, and a huge fleshy taproot anchors the tree firmly into the ground. The trunk of the cabbage tree is so fire-resistant that early European settlers used it to make chimneys for their huts. Conveniently, too, the leaves made fine kindling. They also brewed beer from the root!! Don't think it would have tasted that great somehow.
This was the first time iv'e used all 3 of these axes. My 2lb Brades Criterion 378, Kelly Perfect (I think this is a 3.5lb?) and GB Scandinavian.
After about 8 big swings the Kelly head came off the handle! I don't think the previous owner had swung that axe in a long time otherwise it would have happened to them. Something for me to do this week. Don't know if I can re-wedge and hang it without a steel wedge, will see what it looks like when I do it, hopefully it's super tight without it. Prior to that it sunk deep with each blow and felt great in the hand.
Of all 3 the most I was impressed with was actually the Brades. Man what a head! The steel is fantastic and for a small package it performed well above what it should have. Huge chips popping back. The only thing to fault is that handle. Looks cool but using it it definitely doesn't feels right. Ergonomically it lacked in curves, using it for a long period of time would not be ideal. I do think that head on a similar length handle to the GB would out perform it hands down.
Keen to get the Kelly sorted and give it another go.
I found an old chisel in the soil when I was digging out the tree roots. The house was built 20 years ago so won't be a relic but I think it was left behind by the builders. Will clean it up and re handle it
Now there was a damper on the day, it can't be all good after all.
I have always heard that you should never put a sheath on the ground as it is easy to lose them and forget about them; better to go right in your pocket. But this advice is intended for leafy bush/forest floors. I was working on green grass so thought whatever and chucked the GB sheath on the ground (keep in mind this is the first time it has ever been used).
I took some swings and look over the lawns and see my bloody Beagle dog with it in his mouth chewing on it!! I was fuming. Turns out you never should put a sheath on the ground?
This was the first time iv'e used all 3 of these axes. My 2lb Brades Criterion 378, Kelly Perfect (I think this is a 3.5lb?) and GB Scandinavian.
After about 8 big swings the Kelly head came off the handle! I don't think the previous owner had swung that axe in a long time otherwise it would have happened to them. Something for me to do this week. Don't know if I can re-wedge and hang it without a steel wedge, will see what it looks like when I do it, hopefully it's super tight without it. Prior to that it sunk deep with each blow and felt great in the hand.
Of all 3 the most I was impressed with was actually the Brades. Man what a head! The steel is fantastic and for a small package it performed well above what it should have. Huge chips popping back. The only thing to fault is that handle. Looks cool but using it it definitely doesn't feels right. Ergonomically it lacked in curves, using it for a long period of time would not be ideal. I do think that head on a similar length handle to the GB would out perform it hands down.
Keen to get the Kelly sorted and give it another go.
I found an old chisel in the soil when I was digging out the tree roots. The house was built 20 years ago so won't be a relic but I think it was left behind by the builders. Will clean it up and re handle it
Now there was a damper on the day, it can't be all good after all.
I have always heard that you should never put a sheath on the ground as it is easy to lose them and forget about them; better to go right in your pocket. But this advice is intended for leafy bush/forest floors. I was working on green grass so thought whatever and chucked the GB sheath on the ground (keep in mind this is the first time it has ever been used).
I took some swings and look over the lawns and see my bloody Beagle dog with it in his mouth chewing on it!! I was fuming. Turns out you never should put a sheath on the ground?
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Pictures show fine on my tablet (except the last one - broken link?).
Cabbage tree! At least now I know what we've had for years in that big pot as a kid. I've always liked the looks of it. Thanks for the explanations...wow. Never would've guessed it was useful beyond looking pretty. Sounds like the kind of woman I need to find.
Interesting what you say about the Brades. Does it have a high-centerline? As for the steel - a hatchet may be harder than a full sized ax.
(Oh, and it's British steel, they wouldn't have it any other way. They were fascinating in so many ways. Randomly: as a long-time dog fancier (ex-breeder), it still blows my mind that a small nation selected a disproportionally number of breeds compared to anywhere else in the world. One day I will have a small Stafford.)
Cabbage tree! At least now I know what we've had for years in that big pot as a kid. I've always liked the looks of it. Thanks for the explanations...wow. Never would've guessed it was useful beyond looking pretty. Sounds like the kind of woman I need to find.
Interesting what you say about the Brades. Does it have a high-centerline? As for the steel - a hatchet may be harder than a full sized ax.
(Oh, and it's British steel, they wouldn't have it any other way
. They were fascinating in so many ways. Randomly: as a long-time dog fancier (ex-breeder), it still blows my mind that a small nation selected a disproportionally number of breeds compared to anywhere else in the world. One day I will have a small Stafford.)Yes or if you want to be more fancy you can call it a Cabbage Palm! haha.
The centerline is slightly thicker than the top or bottom of the head at the same location on the axe (can you call this the spine??) I'm sure you know what I mean if not i'll whip out ms paint
I love dogs too, trully are mans best friend. No. 2 is axes!
The centerline is slightly thicker than the top or bottom of the head at the same location on the axe (can you call this the spine??) I'm sure you know what I mean if not i'll whip out ms paint
I love dogs too, trully are mans best friend. No. 2 is axes!
No not the heal and toe. In the center of the bit, head backwards 1 inch. That is the cheek. What is the name for the part directly above and below that. It is like the spine of the top and the bottom which leads from poll to bit. I have never seen a name for that section.
So when discussing center-line people are referring to right up at the bit? I thought a high center-line meant that it is thick/convex at the cheeks?
Thanks for enlightening me
So I received this awesome little hatchet in the post today. Spent the morning cleaning it up and then put it to work processing some twigs for kindling and small limbs. Slight wiggle in the head I think I will drive a steel wedge into the eye instead of re-hanging or replacing; also has some borer holes but I'm all about using things until they break and then fix/replace them.
The maker is A.W. WILLS, the Wills hand logo is present and on the other side is MADE IN ENGLAND. GREAT HATCHET! Love it. I am not sure of age but at some point around the 1890's (perhaps earlier) the company become A.W. WILLS & SONS. So it might be very very old??
I have found a A.W. WILLS & SONS poster from 1890 and another from 1892. What does this mean? Maybe the name reverted back to A.W. WILLS in the 1900's, I do not know. I did not find much other information. Please enjoy the photos below
1890 Poster from Kelly's Directory of Birmingham.
and 1892 from a catologue of adverttisements for Birmingham.
The maker is A.W. WILLS, the Wills hand logo is present and on the other side is MADE IN ENGLAND. GREAT HATCHET! Love it. I am not sure of age but at some point around the 1890's (perhaps earlier) the company become A.W. WILLS & SONS. So it might be very very old??
I have found a A.W. WILLS & SONS poster from 1890 and another from 1892. What does this mean? Maybe the name reverted back to A.W. WILLS in the 1900's, I do not know. I did not find much other information. Please enjoy the photos below
1890 Poster from Kelly's Directory of Birmingham.
and 1892 from a catologue of adverttisements for Birmingham.
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No not the heal and toe. In the center of the bit, head backwards 1 inch. That is the cheek. What is the name for the part directly above and below that. It is like the spine of the top and the bottom which leads from poll to bit. I have never seen a name for that section.
So when discussing center-line people are referring to right up at the bit? I thought a high center-line meant that it is thick/convex at the cheeks?
Thanks for enlightening me
High-centerline concerns the cheeks indeed:
On a flat ax, the ruler would stay flat (make more contact from heel to toe..."direction-wise"...that's what I wanted to say).