Straight Handle on a Single Bit Axe

[Thomas Linton]

Hey Idle, how long is that haft on the left if that guy is 5'11"(which I would bet is a little tall for that fellow)?

The tallest ethnic group drafted in the U.S. for WW I was "American Indian" at an average of 5' 7.5"

 

[idle]

Hey Idle, how long is that haft on the left if that guy is 5'11"(which I would bet is a little tall for that fellow)?

Which guy, the short Amish looking fellow? His axe would rest up past his waist, so prolly around 38"? Idk for sure, I took scale off the 2" springboard. (not really)

Point is, we missed the fact that the tall guy has a straight hafted axe.

 

[J_Curd]

the chap on the springboard to the right looks rather stern; perhaps more literal in his speech and terminology and likely referred to these as adze-handled axes due to the similarity. The one on the left a bit flamboyant; speaking more poetically called them whip handled axes because the way they felt when swung.

The two hunkering below seem to be in agreement these were azzwhooping axes because of the way they tucker a feller.

Best I ever read on these here forums. Best I ever read.

Thank you.

 

[Square_peg]

Point is, we missed the fact that the tall guy has a straight hafted axe.

I see a shallow 'S' curve in that haft. I wouldn't call it straight but you may. It's certainly less curved than some of the others.

 

[rjdankert]

Just went through 98 old logging photos I've saved from the internet looking for axe handles. Found this one that appears to be a straight handle single bit:



I don't know how many of the pictures had axes in them, but of those that did, 90+% were double bits. Was this a coincidence or was the double the axe of choice back in the day? If a double was preferred, any thoughts on why a straight handle double would be prefered over a curved handle single?

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

That looks like it could be a double bit, with one bit sunk into the tree. It's not very clear, but the neck of the haft looks to be equally flared on both sides like that of a double.

 

[Skweeker]

That image cracks me up. It looks like he's out cutting firewood for the cabin. All I can think is "How long did it take him to buck that log to length and split it up for the stove?"

 

[300Six]

That looks like it could be a double bit, with one bit sunk into the tree. It's not very clear, but the neck of the haft looks to be equally flared on both sides like that of a double.

I would agree with this assessment.
At least with a double bit you had two sharp blades to begin the day with, with a single I guess there could be emergency or lunch hour re-sharpening involved. As with most trades newbies try to emulate the regulars and if double bits were the tool of choice in a felling crew then they would likely follow suit when outfitting themselves. It's too bad we cannot go back in time just to hear from some of these old choppers. To this day I don't feel comfortable with a second blade pointed at me when I'm chopping and would likely have showed up with two sharp singles.

 

[Skweeker]

My insight into what makes an axe "sharp" has really come a long way in a couple of years. I've concluded that my Dad simply beat a lotta wood into submission.

I've done that.

One thing I find is that since I've spent more time with crosscut saws, scythes, broadforks and axes I'm not using the power equipment near as much. In its place, sure -- but it isn't my go-to anymore and frankly I'm enjoyin' the peace & quiet and exercise.

I hear you, brother. I get a lot more thinking done without the constant roar of small motors in my ears.

 

[Skweeker]

Finally the curved handle is the choice of professional competitors--this should explain the efficiency of the design for chopping pretty clearly--they would only use th most efficient chopping designs.

i prefer a curved haft for splitting axes because if you miss the chopping block and the axe is going to strike the ground the curve magnifying your wrist pivoting should give you enough time to react and pivot your wrist enough so the cheek hits the ground and the edge doesn't go hunting for rocks.

t axe. The very simplicity of the tool gives us almost unlimited freedom to tailor it to our specific needs. For me, the fun is in learning more and more about it and using that knowledge to fine-tune the tool even more. I peen and hone scythes a LOT different than I did four years ago (let alone 20 years ago!).

I just reshaped the haft on my kindling splittin' axe to turn the swell at the butt into a hook, like my neighbour's custom axe. I'm finding I already like it a lot, but might not like it so much if some of the variables were different. I also slimmed the haft down to 13/16" along its length because that vintage NOS Walters DB I found had that from the factory. It's like that little axe feels better in my hand now. It's essentially a hatchet head on a boy's axe handle -- light enough for my wife to use with bad shoulders if I'm gettin' lazy and not keepin' the woodbox by the cookstove full.

That's what I like to call the "Expert's Paradox". The better you get at using a tool, the less you can sufficiently make do with...while at the same time the more benefit you're able to get out of more premium tools. The novice, by contrast, is wasted on the high end stuff, but will have a very hard time finding the "voice" of the tool if all they ever know is a poor one.

I'm also glad that the post above in a way illustrates what I sort of have difficulty in conveying. Similar to Skiv, my main background is in weapons/martial arts (FMA and a smattering of others) and I also have a fascination with gear design and ergonomics (purely amateur).

I think it boils down to user-adopts vs. tool-adopts.

Just simply to add to this that broadly speaking, a straight handle coaxes one to have a "living grip" (a universal martial arts term) makes the user/operator's body to "adjust" (sensitivity), either subtly or grossly, to the dynamics of the anatomy in relation to the "work" (physics context) applied. The curved handle on the the other hand "accommodates" to the user/operator a lot more. This "accommodation" could either be a form of cheat or an enhancement of the work. The key issue is how much ergonomic "curve" could be done conservatively until a point of diminishing returns is reached where there is no benefit at all (i.e. - the haft having too much curves, the curvatures being to severe or just placed wrongly).

Given enough time, by maintaining a simpler design (i.e. - straighter handle), the body (notwithstanding injuries or physiological differences) will always find a way to make adjust to the specific "work". Hence the two ideas below. . .

The thoughts above along with a good deal more in this thread reminded me of what a long dead friend once said to me:

"Beware the one-gun man."

Given time and resources us humans tend to continually refine and specialize our tools to specific tasks. Nothing wrong with this, mind you. It just eventually limits any broad usage of a particular tool and condemns us to endless iterations to accomplish each new variant of a task.

Ignoring axe head design for a moment I wonder what type of axe handle I would have thrown on my back in, say, 1805 as I set out from St. Louis on my way to the trapping grounds of the Rockies and beyond. I prefer curved handles generally but I would've opted for straight.

Beware the one-gun man. He probably knows how to use it.

 

[rjdankert]

That looks like it could be a double bit, with one bit sunk into the tree. It's not very clear, but the neck of the haft looks to be equally flared on both sides like that of a double.

You guys are sharp, I didn't connect the dots concerning the neck of the haft. It's funny, but when I look at that picture it still looks like a poll on the left side. On the other hand the bit on the right dosen't look like it's sunk into the tree. To me it looks like the axe is just hanging in mid air. It makes sense that the left bit is in the tree and the photo is just not clear enough to tell. Or, or . . . it's a single bit and the old boy is demonstrating the famous floating axe trick to impress the ladies.

Hold on I just opened another window and googled "lumberjack floating axe". It seems that in the early 1900's a man named Sol Bunion traveled the lumber camps making a nice living making wagers with the loggers using this trick. And get this, he was accompanied by a small talking dog!

 

[Thomas Linton]

Hold on I just opened another window and googled "lumberjack floating axe". It seems that in the early 1900's a man named Sol Bunion traveled the lumber camps making a nice living making wagers with the loggers using this trick. And get this, he was accompanied by a small talking dog!

. . . and a large blue pig named "Ox."