A question about house axes

jblyttle

jblyttle

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I have a house axe handle from House Handles (ahem) and want to hang a head on it. I have several full sized heads of varying shapes that fit and some look better than others, but all seem a tad too large to my eye. They would work, but just seem big and a bit unbalanced. The last one that I test fit brought the tool weight to 4.2lbs on a 19 inch handle.

My question is: Is this correct? I know that this is a kind of step up from a large camp hatchet, but is there a "standard"? Is there a defined weight and pattern for a house axe? Looking forward to the lesson.
 
I've wondered this as well.

The last one one I put together was a boy's axe sized head. It was pretty worn so that probably lightened it and changed how it handled.

2.5-3.x lbs maybe for a guide?

Inclined to think with a larger head on a smaller handle,the handle completely filling the eye would be a "solid" requirement.

Posted this 3 weeks ago or so. I gave it to a friend who really likes it. Just example of a boy's axe head on a shorter handle. It did require a bit of material to be removed.



I originally hung it on the smaller axe's handle in this pic. Didn't really like how it handled. Felt too far away.



The head is marked with a 2 and the increment is worn away.
Is a house axe defined by the handle more that a style of head?
 
I gotta love you 'murricans'. "Boy's axe" has only ever conjured up kid's toys in my mind and likely did to some other Canadians too, so they marketed 'Pulp-wood" and "Chainsaw" axes instead. Same critter but with a better jingle. "House axe" might be another one of these. Enlighten me, please.
 
'Merica huh? Hmm. I have a couple of what I think of as large camp axes, and these roughly fit the description of 2-2.5lb head on a 18" or so handle. House axe seems bigger to me, something like a 3-3.5lb head on a 19-20 inch handle. The House Handle house axe handle seems to want to fit a full sized eye anyway.
 
The older 16-18" original handle axes I've bought off the auction site have had boys axe size heads. I've found locally 3 1/2 lb. single bits on 18" handles, but I think those were used in the underground mines here to set the mine props.
 
Semantics aside, what is a "house axe"? Full-sized head on a 20" (or so) handle that is the approximate thickness and shape as a full-sized axe? I've only seen the term online to be honest. I like the term "pulp wood axe" fine - maybe even better.

Kind of rough but a full-sized (Jersey for example), seems unwieldly.



Same handle with a 2.5lb head pulpwood axe.



Just for conversation's sake.
 
JB, The traditional house axe is a boy's size head on a long hatchet handle. I think you own some. House handles eye size is a little large for a house axe. You can always remove material. I hung a boy's axe on a hatchet handle I got from the hardware store. Eye sizes are not set in stone, I had a boy's axe that ran a little small and picked out a handle that ran a little large, great fit.

3000, A chain saw axe also goes by the name "miners axe", some will also have a hardened poll. Council tool made one not to long ago with a hardened poll, there newer ones don't have a hardened poll. I think most will also have a straight handle. They have full size eyes and will be heavier than a house axe. The handles tend to be longer also. Fellers probable don't need to drive a wedge with the small trees in Ontario?
 
Some replies there before I wandered into the garage. I'm feeling an "axes and alcohol" post coming on.
 
I've always though of the "house axe" as as full or near full size head on a short handle for use in splitting up already split cord-wood and kindling for the stove. My Grandpa always had an old axe that had a broken handle which had been cut off at hatchet length next to his stove. Basically you have a need to occasionally knock a piece of cord-wood in half and don't want to be swinging a full size axe indoors. I'll usually split up a few small pieces when I'm building my fire to get it going and a heavier head works better for that than a hatchet.

My "house axe"

 
garry3 said:
JB, The traditional house axe is a boy's size head on a long hatchet handle. I think you own some. House handles eye size is a little large for a house axe. You can always remove material. I hung a boy's axe on a hatchet handle I got from the hardware store. Eye sizes are not set in stone, I had a boy's axe that ran a little small and picked out a handle that ran a little large, great fit.

3000, A chain saw axe also goes by the name "miners axe", some will also have a hardened poll. Council tool made one not to long ago with a hardened poll, there newer ones don't have a hardened poll. I think most will also have a straight handle. They have full size eyes and will be heavier than a house axe. The handles tend to be longer also. Fellers probable don't need to drive a wedge with the small trees in Ontario?
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Yes, I have a couple of what I think of as large camp axes. I think of them as the size up from a scout hatchet. These houses axes seem like a plus sized camp axe. Here is my candidate head on the handle next to my Plumb camp axe, which is a boy's axe head on an 18 inch handle. It seems weird but maybe I'm just not used to looking at one.

 
I've always thought of a house axe as a 2.25-3lb head on a curved 18"-20" handle, and that camp axe and house axe are the same were the same thing. A miner's axe would be similar in head size and haft length but with a straight handle and possibly a hardened poll I think, while a boy's axes would be a 2-2.75lb head on a longer 28"-30" haft. I could be wrong about all of this though, I'm by no means an expert.
 
Consensus, plus Steve's definition, seems to point at 'large hatchet' or 'short-handled axe' as being a House Axe. I learned something new today.
 
Ive always thought they were similar to a hunters axe, about 20" handles and 2.5 lb heads. As stated previously house axes were intended to use to split wood for wood stoves in the kitchen. They excel at the task, but seem a little unwieldy/ head heavy.
 
I've always considered a house axe to be a 1.75 to 2.5 Lb. single bit head on a 18" to 20" haft. I've also considered a 3.0 to 4.0 Lb. single bit head on a 18" to 20" haft to be a Miners axe.

Tom
 
Yeah. I have the House Handle house axe handle that is set up for a full sized eye, way too big for a typical boy's axe head. They also sell a miner's axe handle which looks similar but straight. They also have a large hatchet handle that looks like a boy's axe short by 10". They have them all, but as I am always told, there is a ton of ambiguity and overlap in axe sizes. As I am also always told, just make it work- which I will. I'll figure out which full sized head that I have that may be a bit lighter and the best visual match and see what the result is.
 
I ordered a House 19 inch house axe handle. I have a German made hatchet head that has a slightly larger eye and weighs 1 1/2 lbs. I going to try that handle and head combination and see how it feels. Hoping it will be close to a small forest axe at about 1/5th the cost!
 
Jay Mulcahy said:
I ordered a House 19 inch house axe handle. I have a German made hatchet head that has a slightly larger eye and weighs 1 1/2 lbs. I going to try that handle and head combination and see how it feels. Hoping it will be close to a small forest axe at about 1/5th the cost!
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I don't think that a one and a half pound head will even come close to fitting the difference and I size is so far off you could make it work with a lot of wood removal but I think that would be not the best approach I think that house handle has a regular hatchet handle and the 16 inch range that might be a better see how it goes
 
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