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help identifying a hatchet
- Thread starter MANTLE536
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It's a saw wedge. An example from Warren Axe and Tool's 1937 catalog:
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The pattern like yours with the eyelet was popular with tree toppers. We used them when topping to make a spar pole for a high line operation. Arborist also used them when topping or removing urban trees. The eyelet was to attach the wedge to yourself when you were high in the tree so it did not fall to the ground just when you needed it. I used to tie two of them together and hang them from the back of my neck so they were on my front side, just one way to do it.
Square_peg
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Did you do that? That was the gutsiest work in old time logging operations. Some of those spar trees were topped at the 150'-200' level. Then rigged with multiple sets of guy wires. Those guys were nuts!
http://www.washington.edu/uwired/ou...s/Curriculum Packets/High Lead Logging/I.html
Which does go to show that receiving input from 'been there done that' old farts, and which is often rebuffed by new generation 'presto-Google know-it-alls', can, and does, open a few eyes. New on me (about those wedges) but then again I spent many late winter/early spring hours (when the ground was still frozen and unemployment was high) in mature eastern hardwood trees hand-sawing them off limb by limb, starting at the top, 30 years ago. No power saw involved and this was dictated entirely by convenience and safety much more than efficiency.
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I topped trees in the day. I did not however top the spar trees. The guys we had who did that were not only nuts but they were all of a wirey, short build (not my body style). Some could move up a 100' tree in a blink of an eye. Most would actually get up and stand on the top of the 100' high stump and survey the terrain ! High lead systems were still somewhat in use at least into the early 1960's. They were quickly being replaced by ground skidders just as the crosscut saw was replaced first by the Wright saw (my first power saw experience) and then the chain saw in the late 1950's
Your article mentioned that the toppers used an axe to top the spar tree. We always used the axe in combination with a one man crosscut saw. Same way we ground felled timber. This way you could use the wedges we are talking about to direct the fall of the top. Using the axe for your back cut at 100' plus height would be VERY nuts.
Not too many years ago I got similar wedges with eyelets, made of aluminium. These are used by arborist to top trees using a small chainsaw.
Your article mentioned that the toppers used an axe to top the spar tree. We always used the axe in combination with a one man crosscut saw. Same way we ground felled timber. This way you could use the wedges we are talking about to direct the fall of the top. Using the axe for your back cut at 100' plus height would be VERY nuts.
Not too many years ago I got similar wedges with eyelets, made of aluminium. These are used by arborist to top trees using a small chainsaw.
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A little more info
from here.
FWIW I have a wedge that looks like yours (and may be the saw wedge in Steve Tall's post). It is marked "WA & TOOL" and "2 1/2". It is a double taper.
Bob
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Looks pretty nuts to me
[video=youtube;ex5D6Srglks]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex5D6Srglks&index=17&list=WL[/video]
I've tried to find out why the spar trees were topped. Probably a dumb question, but thought you would know why. My only guesses are it might have something to do with attaching the rigging and/or reduce unnecessary weight.
Bob
yes, they were crazy, dancing on the stub 200 ft. up.
i think there might be a vid on youtube. see someone posted it
pretty cool wedge.
buzz
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Bob, Yes the spar tree was topped for rigging. Look at Square Pegs attachment and it will show you the rigging.
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Thanks
I looked into this a little more and attaching the high lead rigging posted by S_p would not require the tree to be topped. Maybe the high climbers just did it so they had a place to stand on and show off.
Bob
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We topped the spar trees for 2 reasons--
Once you rigged fast you did not want the wind to be moving the remaining top above the fast rigging point. When the whole tree cannot move the way it does in it's nantural state it might break off from the wind.
Even if the wind did not break the top off it can break branches that can play hell by jamming the rigging.
Once you rigged fast you did not want the wind to be moving the remaining top above the fast rigging point. When the whole tree cannot move the way it does in it's nantural state it might break off from the wind.
Even if the wind did not break the top off it can break branches that can play hell by jamming the rigging.
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Thank you. I did not really think it was for the high climber to show off on. It is my impression that these guys worked HARD and efficiently so there must have been a good reason to do it. I've read lots of old logging articles, but never found an explanation. Thanks again.
Bob