Norse Hewing

He's a Swede actually, not Norwegian. Nice video!
My bad, I should have googled the caption. I was really happy to see this video though, it is the best one I've seen of sprattaljning, which I've been trying to understand.
 
My bad, I should have googled the caption. I was really happy to see this video though, it is the best one I've seen of sprattaljning, which I've been trying to understand.
"Hantverkslaboratoriet" have a couple of very nice videos about hewing and the making of planks, all done with elbow grease and hand tools. Also, the videos are high def which makes it even more delightful to watch them! :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz_d2E6xGCg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxxua3THbxY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYna8UWai3Y
 
Are they using traditional axes or are those the tools they might use today? (Assuming they would not use chainsaws or some other form of machinery.)
 
The man with the beard was in very good physical condition, and interesting to see he did not run his hand up and down the axe handle when chopping. He just held on to the end of the handle and went to work. i noticed towards the end the man in the orange trousers did run his hand up and down the handle as he chopped. Nice flat land, did not look like Norway. John
 
I started to watch several other of these Swedish videos, found one with a man and a good looking woman, cutting down a very large deciduous tree, she did most of the chopping. What seemed unusual was the two axes the used had very long, narrow blades, on had a slightly curved handle, the other handle was straight, looked like a Japanese axe. Since I do not speak Swedish,not sure why, but they did not make a cut low, then another on the other side of the tree trunk higher up. When the women cut thru, she was on the exact same plane and actually cut thru so you could see completely thru the trunk. They used a rope to pull the tree in the right direction and had spaced logs in front of the tree to keep it off the ground she it fell. I am sure I lost a lot not being able to understand what they talked about, still seemed strange they way they cut down the tree. It was at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYna8UWai3Y. John
 
The cut thru the pith was to prevent it splitting the trunk when the tree started to fall
 
Here is a close look at the axes used in the OP video.
BSacUiK.jpg


Anyone know who made them?

Bob
 
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The man with the beard was in very good physical condition, and interesting to see he did not run his hand up and down the axe handle when chopping. He just held on to the end of the handle and went to work.

That's how I work with an axe.
 
Here is a close look at the axes used in the OP video.
22530712140_eee2e2763b.jpg


Anyone know who made them?

Bob


To think, some people get worked up about some supposed rotational error introduced by using curved hafts. Imagine how more more likely error is to occur with a long bit and no poll as a counter balance. Yet still, even longer bits on mortising axes have been used effectively by timber framers for centuries. But I wouldn't want to fell a tree with a mortising axe.
 
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