Favorite Axe/Hatchet Internet Personality?

EngrSorenson

EngrSorenson

Noticed by Senpai
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I spend a lot of time listening to reviews or watching videos on techniques or camp crafts. This is usually the pass time when I can’t be out using my tools or whittling (or spending meaningful time with my family); I figure folks around here might be cut from similar cloth. I thought I’d pose the question, who’s your favorite axe/hatchet-related internet personality, and why?

Judge them on the content, the production value or their personalities. Love ‘um or hate ‘um, they’re fans of the axe on some level.

I have two I tend to enjoy for opposite reasons.
1) WranglerStar: the combination of being enthusiastic, a little goofy, and not having all the facts make him a particular train wreck that I enjoy watching.
2) skillcult: here’s a guy who seems to practice his preaching. Sometimes the explanations aren’t very good (especially anything with physics), but in general I get the impression he’s a man of experience and works at developing his axemanship.

In his own special category is Bernie Weisgerber- I recently watched the video “An Axe to Grind”. After having read the book a bunch of times, it was great to get a better impression of the man himself. I think he’d make a great Internet personality. I could watch him talk about marbles for an hour and enjoy it.
 
EngrSorenson said:
In his own special category is Bernie Weisgerber- I recently watched the video “An Axe to Grind”. I think he’d make a great Internet personality. I could watch him talk about marbles for an hour and enjoy it.
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Funny You you said that. One of the reasons I love National Parks are Ranger Programs. Bernie in his videos seems like any of Public Servants that run those Evening Ranger Talks. I hope one day @Operator1975 will get Bernie to participate in his podcast or multiple ones.

I would add Mors Kochanski, Dave Canterbury and Ray Mayers
 
crbnSteeladdict said:
I hope one day @Operator1975 will get Bernie to participate in his podcast or multiple ones.
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Yessir, I’d love to listen to that.
Also... evening ranger talks? Sounds like something I gotta look into.

Old Axeman said:
Thanks, but you should know that I lost all my marbles a few years back.
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Even better- in these strange days it seems folks really listen to people who’ve lost their marbles.

Something tells me you have plenty of stories and ideas about axes, forestry, and maintaining the old ways. I hope of an opportunity comes up to do something like a pod cast comes up that you take it! I’d enjoy hearing what you have to say.
 
Check out Tac on youtube. Good stuff and very entertaining. Does a lot of knife reviews mostly, but does have some hatchets and axes.
 
Steve Tall who used to be active on this forum is the best personality I have ever seen for axes because he is one of the very, very few who is more interested in axes and their history than he is in himself or posting photos of "hey look what I got" or "hey look what I did" etc. which unfortunately is the personality and theme of 99% of what people put up on internet forums.
 
Brent Halverson said:
Steve Tall who used to be active on this forum is the best personality I have ever seen for axes because he is one of the very, very few who is more interested in axes and their history than he is in himself or posting photos of "hey look what I got" or "hey look what I did" etc. which unfortunately is the personality and theme of 99% of what people put up on internet forums.
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What an odd way to lift up a member of the forums, while conversely trashing the very information-sharing medium you just signed up for.

I don't know why you think it's unfortunate that forums are mostly people-oriented; I think that's the inevitable outcome.
Philosophically, an axe with no one to use it is just steel and wood. We only care about axes in the first place because of what they mean to us.
Analytically, there's a finite amount of historical information one can learn about an axe, but an infinite number of things that can be accomplished with one.
Of course forums would be chiefly centered around "look what I got" and "look what I did".

I'm glad Steve Tall is a researcher; any forum really needs that aspect to be well rounded. There's a bunch of folks here who are interested in the historical aspect, so I hope you discover them.
 
Square_peg said:
Wranglestar was for many years a complete joke and a hack. He's gotten a little better.
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yeah, I don’t know why it’s so much fun to watch people get stuff so wrong. I don’t think folks have to have all the facts to make videos, but I think having some information is kind of critical. For some reason WranglerStar is just unapologetically WranglerStar.
 
"Discovered" this technique by accident,back in 2012. If you give your axe a littlte twist at the moment of impact,all the force will be transferred into the log,instead of back into your axe and arms.

 
Old Axeman said:
I had to go check before I responded. I am really old now, but unless this is a dream, seems like I am still here.
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Well that's good to hear, I love it when people find themselves. It's never too late! I just wanted to say that I hope all is well with you, and thanks for making such perfect videos. "These Old Cabin Logs" and "An Axe to Grind" are fantastic. If you find yourself in Wyoming, or wanting to head this way, then let me know. We'd love to have you visit our restored dude ranch and training center and I'm sure we can provide you with a nice cabin to stay in for the week or weekend.
 
Most of the people I interacted with about axes were/are 'internet personalities' in the sense that I interacted with them through the internet.
For me getting interested in axes in earnest started here on BladeForums around 2004, and later over the years I also read or participated the know defunct KnifeForums, BushcraftUK Forum, various blogs, Bushcraft USA Forum.

It all started with reading the posts of OldJimbo, who used to be active here.
For those who don't know who he is, he was a Canadian teacher, who was living in a logging town and generously shared his own experience and quest for the 'perfect hatchet' in an intriguing and captivating way.
He was kind and was open to listen to people who did not agree with him, a trait which is still quite common on this specific forum, despite the few narcissists who are here for an ego massage only.
He used to have his own site, called Old Jimbo's site, you can find it through the Wayback Machine Internet Archive.
His appeal was not so much the extent or validity of his axe-related knowledge, but the passion and charm of the way he shared his own joy with others.
He was a true teacher even outside the classroom and I suspect he influenced many people with his short writings, you may even call them essays.
So OldJimbo got me intrigued and I started looking at axes and hatchets.

That quickly led me to Ragnar and his internet store.
I learned a lot from him through emails, bought quite few axes and hatchets from him and then started reading more and more.
He had a succinct yet very elegant way to convey his opinion. He gently shared his thoughts, expressed his disagreements in the most polite way.
I miss him very much.

I discovered of course the 'Axe to Grind' and Bernie, what a journey of discovery for most of us!
He is a great and passionate authority of the American Axe and the great tradition of North American axemanship.

Around the same time I got better interested in axes, BladeForums created the Axe, Tomahawk & Hatchet sub-forum, so I had and still have the pleasure to continue to learn in a very convenient way.
Over the years I was lucky to learn from and sometimes to interact with not only with Bernie (Old Axeman), but also Benjamin (FortyTwoBlades), Square_peg, quinton, Jake Pogg, Ernest DuBois and many other fellow forumites, and read the informative posts of British Red on BushcraftUK.

I do not deny it, but I enjoy very much reading what FortyTwoBlades writes. Yes, I was his customer quite a few times, but that just added an additional layer of pleasant experience as a satisfied customer.
I have just as much pleasure reading Square_peg's posts and have learned just as much from him too. It doesn't hurt we share the same passion for the Vaughan 1.25 lb camp hatchet either. :D
I enjoy how open minded both are, how well researched and how well argued they statements are. It doesn't hurt they have real-world experience as well.

I hope I will have many more years of pleasure being around these great forum members here, enjoying their posts and learning from them!
Thank you, Gentlemen!
 
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