Those wicked Brush hooks, bush hooks and bank blades......

[gben]

This is my only brush hook, from a garage sale ten or twelve years ago. It has no identifying marks but this style is called a "double edge bush hook" in the 1967 True Temper catalog.

Quite the weapon. The blade has a lot of edge in all directions ready to do work or cause damage. If anyone has any nice examples of these Bush, brush, bank tools by all means put them up for us to look at.....!

 

[Liam Ryan]

I saw one just like yours at an overstock type hardware store, (think no name harbour freight/princess auto)
It was only twenty bucks but I passed, too many axes and tools already, the wife would have killed me.
I do have the little Fiskars one handed version, looks handy but it has never been used.

 

[rjdankert]

Here is an older thread you might get some information from

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1239807-Brush-Axes?highlight=brush+axe

Bob

 

[300Six]

Interesting that your 'dbl direction' brush hook features an 'upside-down hung' Jersey/rafting/construction/miner's axe-type straight haft. The uni-directional jobbies generally use a curved axe handle. I don't know what era these (all types of brush hooks) were popular in nor how many of were ever sold but in today's market there would be enough 'read instruction manual before use' and 'wear safety goggles, gloves, chaps, boots etc etc decals and stamps all over these to scare most people off. Myself included!

 

[gben]

Interesting that your 'dbl direction' brush hook features an 'upside-down hung' Jersey/rafting/construction/miner's axe-type straight haft. The uni-directional jobbies generally use a curved axe handle. I don't know what era these (all types of brush hooks) were popular in nor how many of were ever sold but in today's market there would be enough 'read instruction manual before use' and 'wear safety goggles, gloves, chaps, boots etc etc decals and stamps all over these to scare most people off. Myself included!

It makes sense that the double edge would have a straight handle, and that is what True Temper put on them. I will have fun honing the edge on mine this year and trying it out on some ivy and grape vines.

 

[300Six]

It makes sense that the double edge would have a straight handle, and that is what True Temper put on them. I will have fun honing the edge on mine this year and trying it out on some ivy and grape vines.

The straight haft makes perfect sense but from the up/down orientation of the handle (why weren't these symmetrical dbl bit hafts?) they seem to be presuming the user will more often be chopping with the outside curve than with the inside curve edge.

 

[Agent_H]

Interesting that your 'dbl direction' brush hook features an 'upside-down hung' Jersey/rafting/construction/miner's axe-type straight haft. The uni-directional jobbies generally use a curved axe handle. I don't know what era these (all types of brush hooks) were popular in nor how many of were ever sold but in today's market there would be enough 'read instruction manual before use' and 'wear safety goggles, gloves, chaps, boots etc etc decals and stamps all over these to scare most people off. Myself included!

Maybe these will help establish a general date? I like backroads and barn sales. Can't say I have used any that I own except the Council 12 just to see how it handled Himalayan Blackberry. Machete and thick gloves was the winner.

Where I grew up everyone took a class in forestry in high school. We learned to use a chainsaw, a pulaski, grub hoe to make fire trails and these things were stacked in the "cage" (where the sharp stuff was kept).

Today there would be a roll mark of "wear shin protection" on them if they were widely sold...

Kelly Axe & Tool Works
Charleston, West VA USA

TRUE TEMPER
Kelly Axe & Tool Works

TRUE TEMPER
Kelly Works

Council 12 just because

 

[Square_peg]

The straight haft makes perfect sense but from the up/down orientation of the handle (why weren't these symmetrical dbl bit hafts?) they seem to be presuming the user will more often be chopping with the outside curve than with the inside curve edge.

I think they handled it in that direction simply because the natural fit of the eye lends itself to that orientation. The eye narrows where it attaches to the head.

Can't say I have used any that I own except the Council 12 just to see how it handled Himalayan Blackberry. Machete and thick gloves was the winner.

I'm with you. Long machete with a lanyard and leather gloves rules in a blackberry bramble.


Here's a restoration I did a few years ago.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1003659-Railroad-brush-axe-restoration

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

The straight haft makes perfect sense but from the up/down orientation of the handle (why weren't these symmetrical dbl bit hafts?) they seem to be presuming the user will more often be chopping with the outside curve than with the inside curve edge.

Likely because it was both easier to form the eye like that of a single bit (from a tooling standpoint) and also because one of the domains of the brush hook is targets too thick to be cut with a bush scythe, in which case the axe edge immediately in front of the eye functions best. It would also have a positive effect on the balance since it sets the line of the handle more in-line with the center of gravity.

That being said, I have one of the "rhino"-looking North Wayne Tool Co. axe/brush hook combos on an original handle and it's of DB style.

 

[Agent_H]

That being said, I have one of the "rhino"-looking North Wayne Tool Co. axe/brush hook combos on an original handle and it's of DB style.

Reading back on the above posted thread I was looking at the schematic of it you shared.

I am leaning towards those as higher on the "wicked brushhook" scale.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

It's a pretty nifty tool, for sure. I have a head only that I plan on hafting and putting to use at some point.

 

[300Six]

I think they handled it in that direction simply because the natural fit of the eye lends itself to that orientation. The eye narrows where it attaches to the head.

Indeed this makes perfect sense. A dbl bit haft, on the other hand, is equally tapered at both ends which then rules out using one of those too.