Concerning Axes, Ashley A. Haynes, F&S 1921

[Agent_H]

1921 article on axes from Field and Stream. Just for reading/nostalgia.

Title Field and Stream, Volume 26
Publisher CBS Publications, 1921
Original from Michigan State University
Digitized Apr 30, 2014


https://books.google.com/books?id=UPtAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA489&lpg=PA489&dq=reversible+pattern+axe&source=bl&ots=XLt_ffkWf1&sig=c6ujAmRiHrOjYYWTrV1GvHSRFCg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPsODV2LHNAhVgVWMKHdSoDZYQ6AEIPDAI#v=onepage&q=reversible pattern axe&f=false

Photos lifted from article:

 

[rjdankert]

1921 article on axes from Field and Stream. Just for reading/nostalgia. . .

Neat reading that and thanks for including the link (easier on my old eyes). I was surprised to see that the author was a fan of "Adirondack" style handles.
:thumbup:


Bob

 

[Hacked]

Just finished reading this, interesting article. He seemed to use boys axe and camp axe interchangeably. I noticed the Adirondack axe as well, I'm guessing he was from the North East.

 

[Steve Tall]

Thanks for posting this view into the past. Interesting practice of rounding the bottom edge of the eye to keep it from digging into the handle (when prying chips, for example).

 

[rjdankert]

. . . I'm guessing he was from the North East.

He says he was born in Michigan and he moved west and his axe experience is from the west. That is why it surprised me.


Bob

 

[Hacked]

He says he was born in Michigan and he moved west and his axe experience is from the west. That is why it surprised me.


Bob

You are correct, I'd forgotten about that information in the introduction as I didn't find it interesting. Neither of those locations are typical for an Adirondack handle. This is also the second time I've heard the idea of beveling the bottom of the eye. First time I've heard someone recommended splitting a kerf vs cutting. I'm not quite sure what dimension he was describing with the words wide vs narrow.

 

[Square_peg]

For some reason the article won't show up my tablet. I'll try the desktop later.

 

[Agent_H]

For some reason the article won't show up my tablet. I'll try the desktop later.

My iphone opened it up but only after choosing ibooks or Blue Fire reader - don't know why. It is a 760+ page pdf scan, so maybe too large to open in the browser view.

Glad you guys thought it was interesting. Found it looking for old Plumb ads.

 

[Square_peg]

Thanks for posting this view into the past. Interesting practice of rounding the bottom edge of the eye to keep it from digging into the handle (when prying chips, for example).

Another thing I took from the article was his preference for 33" handles. I've often stated here that I prefer 32"-34" hafts on a felling/bucking axe. 30" feels too short and 36" is fine for splitting but too long for bucking for a man only 6' tall like myself.

 

[Woodcraft]

Another thing I took from the article was his preference for 33" handles. I've often stated here that I prefer 32"-34" hafts on a felling/bucking axe. 30" feels too short and 36" is fine for splitting but too long for bucking for a man only 6' tall like myself.

I am 6'. 36" works just fine for felling, splitting and bucking a log with my feet on the ground. I actually prefer 36" if those are the tasks at hand. If you toss bucking on top of the log and limbing, and every other task you can imagine I shoot for 34" as the ultimate compromise for the all around ax for me. 32 is just too short. I think it just shows you can not point to a specific handle length and state that it is best for a certain task. Because even at the same 6' we prefer different length.