Making a new axe-handle.

A

aarya

Joined
Jun 21, 2006
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Just thought i`d share this clip of an old finnish woodsman, making a handle for an axe-head.
Seems like the guy knows his way around a knife if ye ask me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcfwlfz_tGs

This clip is from a 34 minute silent video i downloaded a while back, from a finnish website. Come to think of it, i think i learned about the video from here, so maybe someone remembers the thread.
Anyway, rehandling your axe, if you carry one, is a good skill to have.

Enjoy.
 
That was great! Thanks for sharing. It really makes me want to sit down and give it a shot.....especially since I just picked up an old axe that is going to need some tlc and a new handle! What is the rest of the video about?
 
I'll have to look it up after my assignment is done tonight. I am about to start a new handle for my 10.5", 8# broadaxe (my baby), and have not done an axe handle in a while. Hope it does not break as soon as I try it out!
 
All you Scandi/Pukko fans should love this! In those close up shots,you could really see the polish on that edge! I would definitely have to say,it was not the old man's first rodeo!LOL Brought back strong memories of my Grandfather. Thanks for sharing this.
 
The more I think about it,the man was an artist with an axe! I've got a GB Carpenter's hatchet I thought was pretty damned handy! But,it looks like he is just using a regular forest-type axe. Sweet.
 
Amazing amount of skill there. His tools must've been awful sharp. It looked as if he were carving pine instead of maple or birch (or something else maybe).

I loved seeing the curls coming off his knife. Such amazing control. I also liked how he pulled out the card scraper (square of metal with a burr on the edge at 5 minutes in). They are wonderful tools to clean up a project instead of using sandpaper.

Thank you so much for sharing that. Too bad those skills are often becoming lost these days.
 
PB Wilson said:
I also liked how he pulled out the card scraper (square of metal with a burr on the edge at 5 minutes in). They are wonderful tools to clean up a project instead of using sandpaper.
Click to expand...

That wasn't a card... it was a piece of glass. You can see him break it to get a fresh edge.


Cool vid!


Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
I've tried glass before. Works really well as long as you don't cut yourself. Fine Woodworking magazine even had an article on using glass, but being published in a litigious country, they probably spent more time taping and adding safety measures, than it took to actually finish the project.
 
aarya said:
Just thought i`d share this clip of an old finnish woodsman, making a handle for an axe-head.
Seems like the guy knows his way around a knife if ye ask me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcfwlfz_tGs

This clip is from a 34 minute silent video i downloaded a while back, from a finnish website. Come to think of it, i think i learned about the video from here, so maybe someone remembers the thread.
Anyway, rehandling your axe, if you carry one, is a good skill to have.

Enjoy.
Click to expand...

Incredible! Thank you for sharing.
BTW, I sent you a message.
Thanks again,
Jason
 
I tried uploading the whole movie to youtube, but it came up with an unexplained error. I`ll try again later.

As for right now, if anyone wants to know how to make wooden knitting needles...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScXvwtiHT7c

Junkyard, i got your message. The movie is 424 MB, so a tad on the large side to email. I`ll try again to upload it to youtube however.
 
that was awesome. it reminds me of my girlfriends finish grandpa. I love the skill involved in the video. thanks for sharing.
 
The link worked for me. The moral of the story is to take two axes hiking with you in case you break a handle on one.:D Great video! I agree about watching the curls come off his knife, it was oddly relaxing to watch that.
 
Very cool video. Watching him deftly make those deep, controlled cuts was a thing of beauty. Makes me want to get out there and carve something.
 
That was beautiful! That little Scandi went through that wood like butter...

Two things that I really noticed was how much control he got from bracing the piece against himself and useing the knife like a drawknife. Also, the different grips he used really show why nearly no guards are used on Scandi knives. A lot of those grips would have been very uncomfortable if not impossible with a guard in the way.

Thanks for sharing!!!:thumbup::thumbup:
 
I remember posting up a link to that video at some point, so it might have been me.

I was able to track down the whole three DVD set. Apparently it is produced by the Finnish government. I think all the filming was done in the 1930s?

All cool stuff...from slaughtering and butchering pigs to making axe handles...

The video inspired the creation of my own axe handle from a chunk of Maple a month or so ago...
 
Very nice video, the control the guy has over the wood and the tools is very impressive.
 
Hey Simon, how's the project going? Are you still waiting for the maple to season and dry a bit?
 
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