It followed me home (Part 2)

jblyttle said:
I'm curious to know if this is cringe worthy.
If yes, I'd be interested in hearing why. If no, I'd be interested in knowing what types of things are objectionable to you.
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The axe depicted has merely been refurbished or what I would call 'cleaned up'. And you did a beautiful job of it. Now, had you ground and sanded off all the 'shrooms, dings and rust pitting and polished the surfaces to make it appear to be 'like new', given it a coat of paint and a maybe even a decal, that'd be what I call a 'restoration', something that would make any collector or museum cringe.
 
That funky upturned looks pretty cool. How does that feel?

I also like the long haft on the claw hatchet. I might try that.
 
Moonw said:
Jblyttle is deffinitely a dangerous fellow. I'm not even sure it's legal what he's doing over there... :p
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It's funny, almost every time I'm at a yardsale or flea market carrying an axe, I hear something along the lines of, "look out he's got an axe", or "look it's an axe murderer". It's joking, but it shows that the average person associates axes more with horror movies than cutting or splitting wood. BTW, my stock answer is to smile and say that there are better cleaner ways. ;)
 
jblyttle said:
It's funny, almost every time I'm at a yardsale or flea market carrying an axe, I hear something along the lines of, "look out he's got an axe", or "look it's an axe murderer". It's joking, but it shows that the average person associates axes more with horror movies than cutting or splitting wood. BTW, my stock answer is to smile and say that there are better cleaner ways. ;)
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Oh yes!

But, I wonder what those noticing you departing with a truckload of axes think then! :)

I live like a mile from the flea market so sometimes I carry "dangerous" stuff out in the open; walking, not by car. Old folks don't care, others OTOH...we have a saying around here...they look as if a bear were passing by.

Exactly why I concealed a vintage cleaver I picked up today. A mini pick axe I was just strolling around with...no one batted an eye. A hammer would be perfectly fine. Talk about double-standards :).
 
jblyttle said:
It's funny, almost every time I'm at a yardsale or flea market carrying an axe, I hear something along the lines of, "look out he's got an axe", or "look it's an axe murderer". It's joking, but it shows that the average person associates axes more with horror movies than cutting or splitting wood. BTW, my stock answer is to smile and say that there are better cleaner ways. ;)
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Is it really joking or just their way showing there disapproval of axe ownership. What I find truly amazing is that I live in a state that not to long ago people made a damb good wage logging here (before all of the liberal transplants) and now they make some of the same stupid comments about axes. Including my local post office workers. When an axe I buy comes in it is not hard to tell what it is and I get crap every time I go to pick one up. I blame the liberals and Hollywood for this undo negative influence on a the very usable "TOOL". Having said that, the liberals here don't think you should be able to cut down one tree period all the while they are buying up our homes of wood and driving up the real estate prices. What a bunch of bias dumb asses!
 
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I'm guessing you live somewhere in the NW. In regard to good paying timber jobs they were never really good paying. And the reason for their decline wasn't any liberal laws but was simply because all the high value old growth timber was gone. The other thing is that they allowed the export of raw timber where it could milled by workers with even lower wages.

And I have no idea where Hollywood fits into this conversation. Please enlighten me.
 
Square_peg said:
I'm guessing you live somewhere in the NW. In regard to good paying timber jobs they were never really good paying. And the reason for their decline wasn't any liberal laws but was simply because all the high value old growth timber was gone. The other thing is that they allowed the export of raw timber where it could milled by workers with even lower wages.

And I have no idea where Hollywood fits into this conversation. Please enlighten me.
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Ya, I suppose my profile may also be a giveaway showing I live in the NW. I agree with part of what you are saying but I lived in an area for several years where my neighbors were able to make a pretty decent living logging so I do know what I am talking about. It wasn't until the big corporations pretty much took over the industry along with the closing of federal lands that forced most people out of the profession.

Anyway, my previous post wasn't really looking for a debate regarding the lost profession of logging in the Pacific NW. It was more so regarding the change in attitudes of our populace and the stereotypes created by the film industry regarding axes, etc… I also find it ironic that so many people who don’t want us to harvest a renewable resource but choose to occupy a home made from that very material. Even our liberal bureaucrats want to have it both ways.

Currently, our governor (Oregon) is trying to change laws so that they can log land that we the public own. As the laws currently stand they would not be able to harvest it so they will just change it to their own benefit.
 
Java_Dude said:
Is it really joking or just their way showing there disapproval of axe ownership. What I find truly amazing is that I live in a state that not to long ago people made a damb good wage logging here (before all of the liberal transplants) and now they make some of the same stupid comments about axes. Including my local post office workers. When an axe I buy comes in it is not hard to tell what it is and I get crap every time I go to pick one up. I blame the liberals and Hollywood for this undo negative influence on a the very usable "TOOL". Having said that, the liberals here don't think you should be able to cut down one tree period all the while they are buying up our homes of wood and driving up the real estate prices. What a bunch of bias dumb asses!
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That's funny. Where I am nobody really even bats an eye. I have had younger kids that you would definitely not think are interested come up and ask questions, and I had one come up to me recently while I was cleaning up a fall down on a road and had a long talk about hanging axes. He was hanging a hatchet and I freely and happily gave him some tips. While bucking roadside (fall down) I had multiple older gentleman smile and watch me work. They later commented how it was nice to see things done the "old way". Conversations about fathers and grandfather's and the old days followed. For the most part people just assume you are splitting firewood. Or you are a woodcutter. Plenty still kicking here.(And they almost always will buy a good limbing ax;))
 
A few years ago I was in a mall xmas shopping. I went into a Sears store there and found two hatchets for my two grandsons (IIRC they were seven and eight years old then). I took the hatchets to the check out. The clerk rang them up and I paid. The clerk didn't put them in a bag and we both just stood there looking at each other. I don't know what he was thinking, but I still had a couple of other stores to go to and I didn't think that walking through the crowded mall in and out of stores brandishing two sheathless hatchets was a real good idea. I finally asked for a bag. He did this but not without grumbling about how they would tear up the bag, blah, blah, blah. Well, that wasn't true as I was able to finish my shopping without exposing the hatchets or making the acquaintance of any of the security personnel. :)


Bob

PS. I packed one of the hatchets in a large box and wrapped it for the younger grandson. He and his mom (my daughter) were sitting next to each other when I gave him his present. When he opened it and dug down to discover the hatchet he let out a shriek with a big look of joy on his face. I quickly looked at my daughter just in time to see her chin hit the floor!
 
rjdankert said:
A few years ago I was in a mall xmas shopping. I went into a Sears store there and found two hatchets for my two grandsons (IIRC they were seven and eight years old then). I took the hatchets to the check out. The clerk rang them up and I paid. The clerk didn't put them in a bag and we both just stood there looking at each other. I don't know what he was thinking, but I still had a couple of other stores to go to and I didn't think that walking through the crowded mall in and out of stores brandishing two sheathless hatchets was a real good idea. I finally asked for a bag. He did this but not without grumbling about how they would tear up the bag, blah, blah, blah. Well, that wasn't true as I was able to finish my shopping without exposing the hatchets or having an interaction with security. :)


Bob

PS. I packed one of the hatchets in a large box and wrapped it for the younger grandson. He and his mom (my daughter) were sitting next to each other when I gave him his present. When he opened it and dug down to discover the hatchet he let out a shriek with a big look of joy on his face. I quickly looked at my daughter just in time to see her chin hit the floor!
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My grand's get something sharp every birthday and Christmas. Sometimes just for a visit.:)
 
Java_Dude said:
Ya, I suppose my profile may also be a giveaway showing I live in the NW. I agree with part of what you are saying but I lived in an area for several years where my neighbors were able to make a pretty decent living logging so I do know what I am talking about. It wasn't until the big corporations pretty much took over the industry along with the closing of federal lands that forced most people out of the profession.

Anyway, my previous post wasn't really looking for a debate regarding the lost profession of logging in the Pacific NW. It was more so regarding the change in attitudes of our populace and the stereotypes created by the film industry regarding axes, etc… I also find it ironic that so many people who don’t want us to harvest a renewable resource but choose to occupy a home made from that very material. Even our liberal bureaucrats want to have it both ways.

Currently, our governor (Oregon) is trying to change laws so that they can log land that we the public own. As the laws currently stand they would not be able to harvest it so they will just change it to their own benefit.
Click to expand...

I guess it's just different here in Washington. Here both the State and its most liberal county, King County, both manage working forests for timber harvest. It's just what we do up here. Oh sure, we have our preserves but we know where houses come from.
 
300Six said:
Lovely find! If you're planning to return it into active service smoothing off the dents, burrs and mushrooming isn't a bad idea. If it's destiny is as a collector item or wall hanger don't tamper with it much more than you already have. I cringe every time someone claims to have 'restored' a classic axe. Spillers were held in high regard and this one is far from dead with regard to 'ability to perform work'.
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Yeah I am no collector, and I cant imagine that this thing is in any sort of shape to be valuable as a collector's item. I think I will clean up the mushrooming removing as little material as possible. I just want to get it closer to its original shape. I can see what you mean how "restore" is not exactly the right term for this. Perhaps "refurbish" or "recondition" would more appropriate. In short - get it ready for more swingin'!
 
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