Axe recommendations please

[BrantSFGDS]

Hi all! I'm in the market for an axe and would like some input. I've been cutting trees for firewood for several years now but have only used saws and splitters. I haven't touched an axe since I was a kid. I want to add an axe to my arsenal but research has shown me that there are way too many options for me to figure out. I want the best axe I can get for falling ash trees in the 15-20 inch diameter range, nothing frozen. Maybe some other assorted hardwoods but mainly ash. I may buck a few but no splitting. I like the Autine and Tuatahi axes but they are probably overkill for my needs. I want something that eats through a tree! What say?

 

[madhatte]

Go to a swap meet. Find a nice old Plumb or Kelly that suits your fancy for $10-25. Knock off the rough edges. Use it some. Lather, rinse, repeat. Next thing you know you've got 25 axes. Don't ask me how I know that.

 

[BrantSFGDS]

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to avoid, lol. I'm in that situation with saws already. I just want one axe for falling, even a race axe that's suitable for hardwood will do but I don't think I need to go that crazy.

 

[madhatte]

Good luck there. Axes are great fun and cheap to collect.

 

[northmanlogging]

Council Tools 4-5# rafting pattern with desired handle length, longer makes a harder swing, shorter is easier to carry.

Spend 10 minutes with a stone, learn to swing around a 45deg angle, and you'll be getting firewood chunks with every other swing.

Learn to sharpen it correctly and it will last all day in tough wood. Don't be using no grinders on em, file and stones only, files for the big dings, stones to shave hair, shouldn't be a straight angle, more of a curve, makes a stronger edge, takes a little practice but worth it.

Councils are right around $40-50, made in USA, available at baileys (a fine channel sponsor) or any saw shop worth the name.

Failing that, Gerber makes some good stuff, if you like plastic handles

 

[big hank]

It sounds like you want a China axe from tuatahi. I have one and it's a good practice axe for racing

 

[TN woodcutter]

Oh, that's nothing to break the bank over, and you certainly don't need an Autine or a Tuatahi. I'd find a Collins, or possibly a Plumb axe head, and restore it. The whole thing would take about an hour, and can be easily done with basic hand tools. If you want, I can PM you my go to Ebay store (I have absolutely no affiliation with the seller-I'm just a happy customer). Be careful, though-axe's are just as addicting, if not more so, than chainsaws. You'll find yourself with about eight in a few months if you're not careful

 

[tree stump]

I must have 20 axes now, looking for a Black Raven Axe, When I was a kid I used and axe for notching and limbing, now I use a saw, in the old days it didn't cost much to timber, just a good axe and a bucksaw or a good crosscut and a couple of files, We used to skid wood by hand with a dray and use pulp wood hooks kinda miss those days, stay in a tar paper camp in the woodses and the old-timers were a good bunch of guys (when sober) Had one drink all the aftershave in the camp, he laid in bed for 3 days, we just thought he was sick. the pulpwood hooks we used were blacksmith made, they used old rasps for trimming horses hooves to make them I have 4 of them, they are works of art

 

[tree stump]

The axes you buy now are nothing but junk, it's even hard to buy a good axe handle, bought one and when I seated the handle by tapping it on the floor it split halfway up the handle like the other guys said go to a flea market and get an old used one, they are the best

 

[tree stump]

Really angered me once, my uncle took one of my axes and put it on a grinder, ruined a good axe, I use a file and drawfile the axe

 

[TN woodcutter]

Well, I wouldn't say all of the modern ones are junk. Our Scandinavian friends our putting out some good stuff. It just won't come cheap, which is why I recommended a hand-hung, restored axe.

 

[BrantSFGDS]

Thanks for the input guys. Anybody have an opinion on Helko axes? Helko has one called the Expedition that's basically an American Felling axe and they have a timber sports practice axe that looks interesting. The Council Velvicut Felling axe looks decent as well, just maybe not finished as well. Any opinions on those three?

 

[northmanlogging]

the council is just a "polished" production version with a $100 price tag.

 

[madhatte]

I'm serious about recommending the old stuff. It's often shockingly cheap -- yard sales, estate sales, secondhand stores, scrapyards, your neighbor's garage -- and is almost without exception better quality than current production. It was noted above that current handles are often of poor quality. Well, it's not too much work to reshape a baseball bat of a junk handle into something really nice if you don't mind taking a bit of time. It's like anything else -- it's worth what you put into it.

 

[BrantSFGDS]

Thanks Mad! I know I'm probably destined to have a truck full of axes before this is all over. I want to get the best axe I can get right now and I'll worry about putting together a vintage axe later when I learn more about what's good and what's not. I think I'm going to be sending you some messages for advice on the subject.

 

[bitzer]

X27 Super Splitting Axe

Did you read what they guy is looking for? You ever chop a face out with a splitting axe?

 

[bitzer]

I must have 20 axes now, looking for a Black Raven Axe, When I was a kid I used and axe for notching and limbing, now I use a saw, in the old days it didn't cost much to timber, just a good axe and a bucksaw or a good crosscut and a couple of files, We used to skid wood by hand with a dray and use pulp wood hooks kinda miss those days, stay in a tar paper camp in the woodses and the old-timers were a good bunch of guys (when sober) Had one drink all the aftershave in the camp, he laid in bed for 3 days, we just thought he was sick. the pulpwood hooks we used were blacksmith made, they used old rasps for trimming horses hooves to make them I have 4 of them, they are works of art

If you don't mind me asking how old are you? When you started talking about tar paper shacks and blacksmiths I believe that era ended sometime in the thirties. Maybe into the forties.

 

[madhatte]

I think I'm going to be sending you some messages for advice on the subject.

Have at ye! My co-worker and I have been making our own handles now for just a couple of weeks and are astounded at how long it took us to get around to trying it. Bad handles are not going to be a thing that we tolerate any more. I just ripped boards for a dozen blanks out of a blowdown ash this Monday and there's still probably 20 or more handles left in that stem. I rough them on my bandsaw, refine the shape with a drawknife, finish the shape with a rasp, and then sand to comfort and seal with boiled linseed oil. From log to handle is maybe 2 hours if I'm puttering around drinking coffee and listening to music. This is surprisingly easy.

 

[hardpan]

I don't remember ever coming across a "straight vs curved" axe handle discussion here. I found an old True Temper Flint Edge (I think Kelly Works) about a year ago in good shape and hung a straight hickory handle in it but I have not even swung it yet, hanging on the wall. Any love here for the long straight handles?

 

[madhatte]

For wedge-beaters, yes. For choppers, no.