Hardened poll Dayton

M

muleman77

Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
512
This one's a dandy. I've had it 7 or 8 years. I know the hardened polls come up on here now and then, usually rafting axes of course.

The beveled poll is an unusual factory feature for a dayton, as far as I've seen. This axe has a very hard poll, according to a file. It shows no dents yet, even slight.

It's a 4 lb True Temper, with no high centerline. Still on the original handle, as I got it. Original paint, what's left of it anyway. I've pounded with it a bit, and it's also a great chopper, flat or no. I kind of hate to rough it up too much, but I use it now and then just because I like it.

A bit of an oddball that I really like.

FulyKmD.jpg


cTxQLVG.jpg


RPKNRy2.jpg


trx2cbO.jpg
 
Square_peg said:
Pretty sweet! :cool:

A hard poll axe would be good to have along if you ever needed to set a bucking wedge across your kerf. Stop the roll pinch.
Click to expand...

I agree. Hardhead falling wedges also.
I have one other hard poll Dayton, not as nice, dad gave it to me on my first logging job. It was his leftover. It's on a 28" double bit handle. :rolleyes: Never knew about the hardened poll at that point. Figured it out some years later.

I've also got a couple rafting axes, and of course you can put the work to those. But a Dayton is nicer as an all around woods axe I think. Rafters split great, but as well as they can do it I've never really liked chopping with one. Just not as nice to swing.

I'll admit I also use a bunch of em with a soft poll for these things, pretty hard too, and it hasn't hurt 'em much. I'd rather really pound on an easily replaceable council, which I have several of, than something like this.
Sure wish they still made 'em:(
 
muleman77 said:
I've also got a couple rafting axes, and of course you can put the work to those. But a Dayton is nicer as an all around woods axe I think. Rafters split great, but as well as they can do it I've never really liked chopping with one. Just not as nice to swing.
Click to expand...

I agree wholly. A hard poll Dayton is a great multi-purpose tool. There were sold as dock axes and miners axes. Made for tradesmen. There are no doubt some sleepers out there in the hands of people who don't know what they've got.

I'd like to find a hard poll Michigan for driving wedges. The rounded poll wouldn't batter the wedge so much as a Dayton. I suppose I could round the corners of my Dayton but it's the only one I own and I hate to modify it in that way. Maybe I should find a Plumb monosteel Michigan and harden its poll.

Here's my hard poll Dayton. It has a chip in the poll due to the hardness. Doesn't have the bevels like yours.
A6-1.jpg
 
muleman77 said:
This one's a dandy. I've had it 7 or 8 years. I know the hardened polls come up on here now and then, usually rafting axes of course.

The beveled poll is an unusual factory feature for a dayton, as far as I've seen. This axe has a very hard poll, according to a file. It shows no dents yet, even slight.

It's a 4 lb True Temper, with no high centerline. Still on the original handle, as I got it. Original paint, what's left of it anyway. I've pounded with it a bit, and it's also a great chopper, flat or no. I kind of hate to rough it up too much, but I use it now and then just because I like it.

A bit of an oddball that I really like.

FulyKmD.jpg


cTxQLVG.jpg


RPKNRy2.jpg


trx2cbO.jpg
Click to expand...
Nice one Muleman. Thanks for sharing that one with us.
Do you know when the plastic wedges replaced the steel ones?
 
garry3 said:
Nice one Muleman. Thanks for sharing that one with us.
Do you know when the plastic wedges replaced the steel ones?
Click to expand...

As far as falling wedges, if that's your question, no I don't know. It's been a long time, I'm not old enough to remember anything else. I'd bet some here may.
 
garry3 said:
Do you know when the plastic wedges replaced the steel ones?
Click to expand...

I think around 1975-1980. I remember when I never saw them. I started running a chainsaw in the late 70's and they weren't something we had at that time though the pros may have already had them. It was aluminum wedges back then. Not good for a saw but not as bad as a steel wedge.
 
garry3 said:
Do you know when the plastic wedges replaced the steel ones?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure when plastic wedges were first developed, but in about 1963, the gentleman that started Double Taper Wedge Co. was working on my dads falling crew in the SW Washington Cascades. The crew did a lot of "product testing" that summer! Prior to the acceptance of plastic, most fallers were using magnesium or aluminum alloy wedges. Steel wedges were phased out shortly after crosscut saws in the late 1940's. Steel wedges will quickly destroy a saw chain!
 
I saw "plastic wedges" and thought of the epoxy or plastic wedge in my FSS Barco pulaski. Then my brain caught up and I remembered this was about felling wedges.
 
I was using aluminium felling wedges until about 1975, then plastic. But GSA (Federal Supply) had Rock Maple wedges available up until about 1993. That was the last time I ordered any, they may still be available for all I know. They were about the same size and taper as plastic ones. They also worked great in log cabin restoration to spread wall logs and for cribbing and jacking.
 
I the early 90's I still had my aluminum wedge. After 2 company moves I've not been able to find it. Shucks.
Mule & Square, I can understand wanting to keep your Rafter and Dayton poll ax in lightly used condition. But with me if I owned it that
ax would be put to use splitting and limbing or what ever I needed it for that day. DM
 
I remember a few of those aluminum wedges in a box in dads saw room. He never used em that I saw, but still had a few from before the plastic ones took over.

I'm not afraid to use any of my axes, but with several dozen ready and willing to work, I do pick and choose. I've got another less pristine condition hard poll Dayton, the one I referenced above that dad gave me, that I probly use as hard as any axe ever gets used. I may get a few pictures of it, and show it too.
 
Here's my other one
The stamp is ATCO, west Germany. When dad gave it to me it had similar to permabond in the original handle, and a lot of pale green paint remaining. But that was 5 or 6 handles ago :)
The forging is pretty rough, but it's a tough axe.
zTGswkJ.jpg


89L7R62.jpg


I used a cruiser double bit handle on it, some time ago. I was in kind of a hurry, wanted it fixed, and had it handy. It isn't a perfect fit, but its holding up pretty good, so still there!
hrwJ2tH.jpg


AKQhgH8.jpg




It's got a chip in it, bottom right in the picture.
Below.
This poll has done some serious pounding, and it's not really deformed yet. It just gets shiny spots from the impact :) I use hardhead metal capped wedges all the time. I beat a couple of them to pieces every season. I think it's a lot easier on axes than an all metal wedge, but they can mark a poll up. I do believe the plastic absorbs some shock, and don't really worry about deforming eyes.
GNRXFO1.jpg

Notice the hardheads in my wedge pouch. Replaced last month.
HuheQrR.jpg


I use this council for the same thing, only I haven't had it that long. It's already showing the start of some mushrooming, and I haven't even knocked all the paint off yet. It's a good axe and I get a lot of heavy use out of it, but will have to dress it pretty soon. I have 6 or 7 identical, and can get more, so I don't really mind beating them up.

nGgBRXz.jpg


13BhUlf.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top