Knives to axes

[jaybo1943]

I want to say a little about myself and maybe get some advice thereby. Up until now -- I'm 71 -- I've been primarily a knife man. I own a whole bunch of 'em and always carry one, generally a sheath knife. Sidebar: when I retired I fulfilled a vow that I would carry a full tang knife whenever I wanted, something I couldn't do at work. Sidebar 2: I switch knives like many men choose ties: whatever suits my fancy that day.

In the last few years I have done a lot of camping and so have acquired some "axes" to bring along: a Wetterlings wilderness hatchet, a Roselli "axe" (sort of a long hatchet with a splitting bit), and a CRKT Woods Kangee. I plan to use the Wetterlings for fine chopping (small branches, kindling), the Roselli for splitting camp firewood and "ulu" work, and the CRKT for chopping larger branches, splitting knots, and digging up roots and rocks. (Needless to say I do primarily "car camping".) 8^)

The thing is that I'm going from precision slicing with knives to chopping with "axes", which is a major change for me. I'm used to fine bevels and razor-sharp edges and now I'm going to adjust to wide bevels and durable edges; precision to brute force. (BTW I think that shaving the hair on my arm with an axe or hatchet is as foolish as chopping wood with a fine knife.)

So what advice can you give me in making this transition from a one-hand slicing instrument to a two-hand chopping tool?

 

[Steve Tall]

Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy.

Biggest thing is accuracy. Not much strength is involved, only endurance (for example, my favorite axe only weighs 2 1/4 pound). You have to be able to "draw a line" so to speak, severing all the fibers on each side of the chip. The wood will clear itself, you are just cutting the fibers and popping the chips. I try to imagine a line that looks like \_/ through the log. Anything that isn't along the angled parts is a bad swing. Cut the wood as green as you can get it too, I'd rather cut green Maple than really dry pine...

...
I learnt how to use an axe when I was in Scouts (a long time ago)
And being little with a small amount of strength, it all depended on technique.

Cutting with an axe is a languid fluid action
An easy of the swing
The using of your hands to guide
Very little power until you are accurate

Your right hand as the pivot of the swing, and the guide to the angle of the axe as it strikes
Your left hand, lazily travels from the head down to your right hand for the strike
Feet apart, knees flexed and shoulders low

The first thing is accuracy
Can you aim where you want to strike?
Can you strike where you aim?
The harder and faster you strike, the more difficult it is to control the axe and the less accurate you become
So slow and easy
Focus on the point
Feel the center point of your hands as they come together
Feel the angle of the axe head as it strikes

How accurate?
We split matches length ways, and the better of us could light a non-safety match
And that is as Boy Scouts, with no real strength

Once you are accurate, you can power your swing
But not using strength
You almost pull back slightly on your swing to create a faster center of the pivot
Then the chips fly....

And with regard to splitting:

"Over the years I had watched numerous old timers at work, and the most obvious 'secret' of their efficiency was accuracy. There never was a wasted swing. On large blocks they'd "draw a line" -- either through the middle, or the aimed-for "slab" off to the side, but without the ax getting stuck in the least interim. That line -- consisting of three to five ax widths -- seemed like one drawn with a straight edge… Then the splitting blow -- one with a bit more force -- would part the block as if by magic. The other factor was their ability to 'instantly' perceive each block's weakest point and place that first line just there."
-- Peter Vido, Axe Connected blog

 

[Square_peg]

First off, welcome to the axe forum!

The thing is that I'm going from precision slicing with knives to chopping with "axes", which is a major change for me. I'm used to fine bevels and razor-sharp edges and now I'm going to adjust to wide bevels and durable edges; precision to brute force. (BTW I think that shaving the hair on my arm with an axe or hatchet is as foolish as chopping wood with a fine knife.)

Instead of the normal 'primary bevel'/'secondary bevel' that I put on a knife the axe's edge is one rolling bevel culminating in an angle somewhere between 20° and 30° depending on use and the quality of the steel. A sharp axe should indeed be able to shave the hair off your arm. Wider bevels may only barely do this. But you want that bit very sharp. A sharp bit bites in, a less sharp bit may glance off - a very dangerous thing.

The US Forest Service publication 'An Ax to Grind' is a good place to start.

http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdfpubs/pdf99232823/pdf99232823Pdpi72pt04.pdf

'Woodsmanship' by Bernard Mason is also an excellent resource for learning the use and care of an axe.

http://cedarriverforge.com/Photo-index/axephotos/Woodsmanship.pdf