Largest single bits?

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PhilipWimberly

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I've seen so few really big single bits and am curious about them. Who made the largest single bits pre-1950? (excluding pulaski, mauls, broad axes, fire axes etc) How much did they weigh? I seem to remember seeing an 8 pounder.
Has there been any evolution to the very large single bits? i.e. trended heavier/lighter over time...certain patterns/regions used heavier heads, etc
On the very large SB's, was the head larger overall, or was the bit relatively standard with increased thickness/weight in the poll? What about the eye? Larger for more lumber in the handle?
Anything else interesting about very large (over 5#) SB's?
Why so few? Is it just the obvious? (No one wants to swing the monsters?)
 
most single bits were 3.5lb with some topping out at 5lb for rafting/ construction patterns.
Then you have the Connecticut pattern and I suppose the Hoosier pattern which are the largest single bit felling axe patterns in north America if I'm not mistaken.Those tend to start at 4lb but 5lb isn't too uncommon I don't think.

The rafting/ construction pattern is pretty much just thicker / heavier, but otherwise patterns like the Connecticut and Hoosier are mostly just larger.
Some patterns can be found with thinner bits than you'd ever get with either of these 2 patterns but I don't think they were necessarily thicker by design.

the largest single bit felling patterns are probably the Australian Tazmanian pattern and the Kelly Dandenong which looks a lot like a Connecticut but larger.
I don't know much about them or the weight ranges, but they're pretty big and thick.
 
I'm not sure about evolution over time. my observations seem to point towards there being a greater diversity of axe weights during the same period that there was a greater diversity of axe patterns. So during the golden age of axe manufacture and use, there was probably the greatest variety of patterns and weights to meet the needs of all users and use types. In terms of why you don't see the super heavy axes any more - is same reason why you don't see the other diversity of axe patterns any more. very few people's livlihood depends on axes. there is less need for all types of axes which includes the heaviest axes, and even fewer people these days who would be able to skillfully utilize a heavy axe.

For american axe patterns my observations are as follows.

heaviest axes seem to be dayton patterns. I've seen daytons up to 7lbs. I own an old 6lb dayton, true temper
next heaviest seems to be kentucky patterns - I've seen several over 5lbs
Rafting patters seemed to be usually 4-5 lbs, so on the heavy end but not the heaviest.
I've seen 5lb jerseys and own several 4 - 4.5 lb jerseys
I own vintage double bit axes that are 4.5 and 5lbs, western and michigan patterns. I used to have a huge peeling double bit. don't remember what it weighted. I don't think more than 5lbs though.
Jerseys seem to be one of the smaller patterns - they seem to be most commonly 3lbs, but have seen them up to 4lbs. I'm sure there were heavier examples, but not commonly.

Now, the heaviest "old" axes seem to be the english axes. I've seen tons of older english made axe heads that weigh 6-7lbs. I'm not sure what the english were doing with those heavy axes, maybe felling timbers for shipmaking or something. I imagine those long bitted short polled heavy axes really sucked to swing accurately. no thanks.

In the present day, I think most 'heavy' axes are used as fallers axes by chainsaw sawyers. These tend to be 4-5lb axes with short handles. there is also a category of people who use 4-5lb axes for splitting wood, though most woodsplitters use mauls which are much better suited to the task for most hardwoods. The heaviest axes used today are firemans axes, but those are specialty axes which you excluded from your inquiry.

in terms of size/weight ratios - I have only a small sample size, but I do have true temper daytons that range from 3 3/4 - 6lbs and the axe heads increase in all dimensions as weight increases. so total length, bit length, and eye thickness increases.

however, I've noticed that with jersey axes, total length and bit length doesn't seem to increase a lot with a weight increase from 3 - 4.5 lbs so most of the weight increase must be in eye and poll thickness, as most true temper jerseys measure approx 5.5" x 7" regardless of weight. This is obviously a generalization and there will be slight measurement variations with weight, but not as much as would be predicted by the weight change.
 
some french axes are very large with extra long bits. they can be felling ones with a very long narrow bit, and branching axes with a fan like pattern for limbing mostly, and cutting on a block (usually a lay down tree or log). some are heavy but generaly they are thin...
 
FLINT77 said:
I'm not sure about evolution over time. my observations seem to point towards there being a greater diversity of axe weights during the same period that there was a greater diversity of axe patterns. So during the golden age of axe manufacture and use, there was probably the greatest variety of patterns and weights to meet the needs of all users and use types. In terms of why you don't see the super heavy axes any more - is same reason why you don't see the other diversity of axe patterns any more. very few people's livlihood depends on axes. there is less need for all types of axes which includes the heaviest axes, and even fewer people these days who would be able to skillfully utilize a heavy axe.

For american axe patterns my observations are as follows.

heaviest axes seem to be dayton patterns. I've seen daytons up to 7lbs. I own an old 6lb dayton, true temper
next heaviest seems to be kentucky patterns - I've seen several over 5lbs
Rafting patters seemed to be usually 4-5 lbs, so on the heavy end but not the heaviest.
I've seen 5lb jerseys and own several 4 - 4.5 lb jerseys
I own vintage double bit axes that are 4.5 and 5lbs, western and michigan patterns. I used to have a huge peeling double bit. don't remember what it weighted. I don't think more than 5lbs though.
Jerseys seem to be one of the smaller patterns - they seem to be most commonly 3lbs, but have seen them up to 4lbs. I'm sure there were heavier examples, but not commonly.

Now, the heaviest "old" axes seem to be the english axes. I've seen tons of older english made axe heads that weigh 6-7lbs. I'm not sure what the english were doing with those heavy axes, maybe felling timbers for shipmaking or something. I imagine those long bitted short polled heavy axes really sucked to swing accurately. no thanks.

In the present day, I think most 'heavy' axes are used as fallers axes by chainsaw sawyers. These tend to be 4-5lb axes with short handles. there is also a category of people who use 4-5lb axes for splitting wood, though most woodsplitters use mauls which are much better suited to the task for most hardwoods. The heaviest axes used today are firemans axes, but those are specialty axes which you excluded from your inquiry.

in terms of size/weight ratios - I have only a small sample size, but I do have true temper daytons that range from 3 3/4 - 6lbs and the axe heads increase in all dimensions as weight increases. so total length, bit length, and eye thickness increases.

however, I've noticed that with jersey axes, total length and bit length doesn't seem to increase a lot with a weight increase from 3 - 4.5 lbs so most of the weight increase must be in eye and poll thickness, as most true temper jerseys measure approx 5.5" x 7" regardless of weight. This is obviously a generalization and there will be slight measurement variations with weight, but not as much as would be predicted by the weight change.
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Thanks so much for the time and thought. Really appreciate it.
 
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