The Members Discussion Thread

Just found out about this guy.. Fred Dibnah. He was an English steeplejack, engineer and television personality.

I have only seen this episode it's part 4 of 7 but I will watch the rest he seems like a very interesting guy. So brave to climb those chimneys with no harness and 'fag' in mouth hahah.

I watched a few of these he’s amazing.
 
Okay, here it goes in a nutshell.

William “Doc” Holiday, 56 (for about another week). Born in the greater Cincinnati area, on the Kentucky (good) side of the Ohio river. Pretty much grew up there, save for short stints in Mass. and Maryland due to my dad’s work. Joined the Marine Corps immediately upon completing high school, immediately like before the graduation ceremony. Did four and a half years active duty. Fell into law enforcement for a 28 year career that ultimately led to moving to Florida. The bailiwick of my career was SWAT, and the training division. One thing led to another in my life and I retired a couple years early to be Ordained a Roman Catholic priest (a different story for a different time and forum). I now serve as the pastor of a very conservative, traditional parish in Orlando.

Now to the fun stuff. I have only recently discovered the joys of sharp things. I had been using them for years very practically, but never really paid them much attention. About a year ago I started really studying knives, and although interesting I never really got the whole collecting a bunch of them bug. I continued to look at them as tools without much collectors appeal, for me anyway. However, during my research and curiosity I started seeing tomahawks, axes, and hatchets as really cool looking works of craftsmanship, and a very cool link to history (another hobby). I have especially been drawn to quality hand axes. I am tremendously impressed with some of the pictures on this thread. Excellent job guys!

Looking forward to learning from y’all.
 
Okay, here it goes in a nutshell.

William “Doc” Holiday, 56 (for about another week). Born in the greater Cincinnati area, on the Kentucky (good) side of the Ohio river. Pretty much grew up there, save for short stints in Mass. and Maryland due to my dad’s work. Joined the Marine Corps immediately upon completing high school, immediately like before the graduation ceremony. Did four and a half years active duty. Fell into law enforcement for a 28 year career that ultimately led to moving to Florida. The bailiwick of my career was SWAT, and the training division. One thing led to another in my life and I retired a couple years early to be Ordained a Roman Catholic priest (a different story for a different time and forum). I now serve as the pastor of a very conservative, traditional parish in Orlando.

Now to the fun stuff. I have only recently discovered the joys of sharp things. I had been using them for years very practically, but never really paid them much attention. About a year ago I started really studying knives, and although interesting I never really got the whole collecting a bunch of them bug. I continued to look at them as tools without much collectors appeal, for me anyway. However, during my research and curiosity I started seeing tomahawks, axes, and hatchets as really cool looking works of craftsmanship, and a very cool link to history (another hobby). I have especially been drawn to quality hand axes. I am tremendously impressed with some of the pictures on this thread. Excellent job guys!

Looking forward to learning from y’all.

Nice timing, welcome aboard!
 
Hey guys anyone know what this thing is?

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Owner has no idea. As do I.
 
If it is flat on top perhaps it was used for forming a radius? Which might make it some kind of stake anvil. Just a guess as there are stakes for all kinds of tasks but the notches might have something to do with strapping or clamping material to the top.
 
A brief bit about me. Lived my first 20 years in Reno NV riding dirt bikes, camping, wheeling, boxing and bjj. As a kid we had a wood stove for heat and I would help my Dad cut and split firewood.

I have always enjoyed working with my hands and worked in the trades after a brief stint cooking in what seems like a different life now, it is so far away. 25 years ago I struck out to Seattle on a motorcycle. I’m a painting contractor with a wife, and 9-year-old kid who is into bushcraft, which by extension brought me to axes and this forum.

Collecting axes started for me just a little more than a year ago and like others here when something captures my interest I tend to throw myself headlong into it.

Already I have managed to amass about 70 axes (Not counting ones that I have gifted or remorsefully sold.) and a few cool hammers. Although this is more than enough projects to keep me busy, I’m sure it is just the beginning and my wife will make me get a bigger house by the time I am done.

My love is definitely for vintage North American axes from the golden age of axes. I feel honored to be able to interact with these pieces of living history and marvel how this one thing can represent so much. From forging the path west and taming of the wilds, the self subsistence of the woodsman and the mettle of the men who lived before us. They touch on several niches of collectibility for antiques, the uniqueness of the embossings and patterns, they appeal to tool collectors, Americana collectors, logging and farm collectors, they represent regions and local store names.

By way of restoring old axes I have also started developing some new skills. The woodcarving for hafts and leathercraft are also new to me but allows me to commune with and showcase these axes.

The best information I have found online comes from this site and I am proud to be part of the community. Thanks to everyone for all the help, guidance and for preserving the tradition of mankind’s oldest tool.

Hard to get everything in one photo and several are off their hafts right now, waiting for restoration to be reunited with their handles.
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Thanks for looking and caring about axes!
 
Amazing! Thanks for sharing. Could spend a good 10 minutes looking over those photos. Many stunning axes there. How cool is the Hudson Bay still in it's original packaging. I didn't know they came like that.
 
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How do you tie a really tight knot in paracord?

Iv'e just done a couple of the standard over hand knots and you can tell with a little rubbing etc it would slip loose because of the material. I want to tie it off for good and cut off the ends to leave nothing dangling. Thanks, my first collar :)

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I guess I should introduce myself . First my web name, Downwindtracker2 which I take to mean a man of foolish pursuits . When I first booked into a site, it was a hunting one, they had names like Magnum300 . So being a contrary sort I remembered Downwindtracker, Paul St.Pierre used it for himself in columns in the Vancouver Sun newspaper from the '60s and '70s. Thus the 2

After a couple of years of university, I dropped out and picked up a trade, carpentry. Being something a rangatang from BC, it was a more naturel fit. When HD construction slowed I went into maintenance as a millwright. I retired 5 years ago.

My hobbies are little more than what I did as work. I just don't have boss, I can sit at the computer when I don't feel like working. I like repairing and modifying old machinery, so I'm learning machining. I like making cabinets and furniture as I have woodworking tools as well as machine tools.

I remember as poor apprentice buying hand tools, buying a good handsaw meant my social fund was used up for a month. Now I can find that same model Sandvik # 280, in spite of it's plastic and chrome, many consider it as the best handsaw ever made at the fleamarket for $5 some times. I don't, I like the balance of the old Diston #12 better. So for little more than pocket change I can sometimes find tools I only dreamed about in my youth. They just need a little luv, that's all. Don't we all. I think there might be a song there. That's how I came on this site. I found a sad carpenter's hand axe, that was the name I learned it went by 40 years ago. It's also called a hewing hatchet, carpenter's hatchet, bench axe, and small broad axe. I asked on three other woodworking sites on how to shape and the sharpening angles without much response. You can read about journey of discovery in my posts Two Steel Head and Hand Axe. Google found this site, and four more tries even a image.

It was an important carpenters' tool, how else are you going to fit rough sawn lumber. Not all sawyers are sober. There were still rigger's axes around, a hand axe with a hammer poll, I bought one.

I have really been enjoying reading about axes. I missed out on a Hults Bruk 4 1/2 today at the fleamarket. A week ago I won't have known what I missed out on.
 
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