Found this forum researching scythes (strange way to find it I know, but the only two knives I have that I wouldn't give away are one I forged with my brother and a Buck 110 my son got me for Christmas). Anyway, I've been enjoying this sub-forum and didn't have anything much to add until I saw this thread. We do most cutting with a chainsaw, but this year I decided to clear the edge of a little hayfield of overgrown cedars with as little power equipment as possible, which seemed fitting as it was one we mowed with a scythe during the summer. At this point I will add a warning that none of the axes here cost more than a fancy lunch, so if you want to see GB, Wetterlings, etc., sorry to disappoint.
First, I started with my trusty TrueTemper Woodslasher 3.5# DB. I got this axe as a teenager (early 1980's) and have used it on and off ever since. It is not fancy but it is a good enough felling axe. A medium size tree as pictured takes about 20 minutes at a leisurely pace.
I think that of roughly a dozen trees in this strip of pasture, 7 have been felled with this axe, one small one-- maybe 6" --- (by my son) with a hatchet, and the rest by a chainsaw, due to time constraints (needing to get some down in a very short period of time without high wind). I would also note that this axe has its original handle, complete with ancient overstrikes and "unusable" grain orientation. I would say, however, that the handle alone outweighs a modern cruiser axe, as it is very tight and straight grained.
Here is the tree downed, topped and partially limbed -- it measured about 45 feet tall more or less:
Limbing can be a chore with these, as the larger (relatively) trees get storm damage and other problems that cause the limbs to be a mess, as the one below:
Topping is handled by a neat very little Sandvik 2-man crosscut saw, while limbing is the job of a Graintex Boy's axe (both below) and a Harbor Freight Hatchet, and very rarely an almost useless (until you need it) 24-inch bow-saw.
Here they all are together, on a group of stumps from trees that I felt had to be felled with a chainsaw due to a very short window of relief from high winds:
I think the Graintex Boy's Axe is the best axe I've ever used in terms that matter to me. Better than my dad's old Plumb boy's axe (which he used for limbing). This despite several "issues" or apparent ones: Indian steel head (non-issue, almost as good as my old TrueTemper at taking and keeping an edge, and it limbs like a machine due to good grind), poor grain orientation, wide rings, sticky lacquer and excessive thickness in handle. I think the thick, rather straight handle is the best part about the axe, as I can swing it one or two handed all day if necessary without any discomfort. The Harbor Freight hatchet is another favorite that we bought on a lark (for $2.99, I think) at one time and has gone through a lot of grubbing and camping trips; treated with just a very little respect, it becomes a quite useful tool.
Anyway, that's about it. The light stuff is being burned and/or piled and the rest will be used for a camping structure of some sort or fence posts/rails.
. I, in turn, never heard the term "pulp axe" until I saw it here, but it makes a lot of sense.
