Woodsman's trio ( vintage style )

I think I put this photo together for a thread talking about a winter's trapping and traditional tools.

So excuse one of the knives but this is what I carry. The folding knives rotate based on what I am currently into but the fixed and axe are main stays.

Husqvarna carpenter's axe and a cut down Old Hickory slicer. 5" blade on it now. A Queen stockman and an old scout knife.

KfmzISV.jpg
 
Not sure how vintage the requirements are but here goes:
1. 2 LB Hudson Bay belt axe with a 19-20" handle. Hudson Bay pattern is flat cheeked and can be used as a carpenter's hatchet. You can choke up behind the blade to fashion things. The narrower pole works better for use as a hammer because it concentrates the force. It has a wide enough pole to be a decent splitter and has a long enough handle to be a decent chopper without being too long for the belt carry.

2. A 12" medium/thin blade Latin style machete or Ontario/Russell type butcher/carving knife in a leather sheath. This serves a camp knife, butcher breaking knife, fillet knife, bush-whacking knife, self defense knife, food harvesting and food prep,

3. 3-4" fixed blade medium thickness knife with a drop point, this is the general utility knife (I would not want a folder as it is not as durable or as useful in a wide variety of applications), skinning knife, food prep knife

This is pretty much how the mountain men geared up. I'll also take my .54 Hawkens flintlock with patched round balls
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: A17
The modern equivalent is:
1. Council Tool Hudson Bay Belt axe with a leather carry pouch
2. 12" Latin style Tramontina machete with a leather sheath
3. Mora Clipper with a friction fit leather sheath
 
  • Like
Reactions: A17
thunderstick said:
Not sure how vintage the requirements are but here goes:
1. 2 LB Hudson Bay belt axe with a 19-20" handle. Hudson Bay pattern is flat cheeked and can be used as a carpenter's hatchet. You can choke up behind the blade to fashion things. The narrower pole works better for use as a hammer because it concentrates the force. It has a wide enough pole to be a decent splitter and has a long enough handle to be a decent chopper without being too long for the belt carry.

2. A 12" medium/thin blade Latin style machete or Ontario/Russell type butcher/carving knife in a leather sheath. This serves a camp knife, butcher breaking knife, fillet knife, bush-whacking knife, self defense knife, food harvesting and food prep,

3. 3-4" fixed blade medium thickness knife with a drop point, this is the general utility knife (I would not want a folder as it is not as durable or as useful in a wide variety of applications), skinning knife, food prep knife

This is pretty much how the mountain men geared up. I'll also take my .54 Hawkens flintlock
Click to expand...
What no pictures ? :D

Now I don't want to argue or anything, but will say that a riggers axe on a long handle would probably be a better choice than a HB, the lugs mean the head won't inevitably come loose like a HB and they've actually got a hardened hammer poll unlike an HB.
Now an HB hatchet with a hardened poll would make a fine tool, they tend to stay tight in a hatchet length.
 
No pics because I am at work and could not resist responding--love this type of thread!
I'm not going to debate Riggers vs Hudson as long as we keep a belt carry length. I'm not seeing a woodsman needing a hardened poll nor a 19" handle coming loose on a Hudson Bay design, but I would concede that a hardened poll with lugs would be a bonus.
 
  • Like
Reactions: A17
 
thunderstick said:
Here are links that illustrate my suggested vintage options:
1. Vintage HB belt axe profile--note the deeper head than the typical HB pattern https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Hu...957132?hash=item3b31f122cc:g:IjEAAOSwKUJc5pq6

2. Vintage Butcher/camp knife profile https://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Vintag...324640?hash=item1a7d7a6ba0:g:1NAAAOSw9ytc-ZHO

3. Vintage Utility knife profile options
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Vintag...324640?hash=item1a7d7a6ba0:g:1NAAAOSw9ytc-ZHO
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-M-...387174?hash=item48cac27626:g:BKgAAOSw7N5c9IXW
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-4-...710723?hash=item2ac8eeaa03:g:YXYAAOSwcdBcRp47
Click to expand...

I suppose this example of an HB would be an exception and a good choice , most commonly they're narrow polled and known for working loose because of this.
 
I have a traditional Council Tool HB that's been stellar. I also have a Craftsman 2.5lb that's a modified HB on a 28" handle. This is a great limbing/forest axe. I'm tempted to put it on a 20" ish handle for a woodsman belt carry and/or faller's axe.
 
It's interesting that the mountain men had a preference for the Green River large butcher knife style over the Bowie knife style, especially since their large butchers doubled as a self defense knife. Both the Green River and Bowie per se came on the scene after the fur trade days. Today's Russel and Old Hickory knives are about as period correct as you can get for style. With the original post being a "woodsman's" knife I think a large and smaller traditional butcher knives were the typical first choices for a duty knife in the woods. I also think those guys had it pretty much figured out as to what worked best. I know from experience that a large hilt or thick blade just don't work that well for all round usage.
Personally though I still prefer a 12" Tramontina over a 12" Old Hickory because I think it is a little more versatile. It has a thin slicing blade but with a little more depth and weight to be used a slashing tool.
 
Last edited:
jmarston said:
I think I put this photo together for a thread talking about a winter's trapping and traditional tools.

So excuse one of the knives but this is what I carry. The folding knives rotate based on what I am currently into but the fixed and axe are main stays.

Husqvarna carpenter's axe and a cut down Old Hickory slicer. 5" blade on it now. A Queen stockman and an old scout knife.

KfmzISV.jpg
Click to expand...
Do you have a sheath for the Old Hickory?
 
Very nice. That look goes with the era and the aura of duty knife. May I ask what you trap for? I haven't trapped since being a kid on the farm but I have friends who are into it big time--one of those are in AK.
 
BTW I don't think it's fair to ask that a pocket knife be counted as one of the 3 tools. I can't put my pants on without a pocket knife being in there. Sometimes they even come through the wash that way (or at least start through the wash that way). :) It's like asking me to count my handkerchief.
 
thunderstick said:
BTW I don't think it's fair to ask that a pocket knife be counted as one of the 3 tools. I can't put my pants on without a pocket knife being in there. Sometimes they even come through the wash that way (or at least start through the wash that way). :) It's like asking me to count my handkerchief.
Click to expand...
Well my idea is a set of 3 you keep together and grab when you're going into the woods, it's not like you're going to empty your pockets...ect before you go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top