Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Making An Axe Is A Long But Super Cool Process....

old video, 10 min

http://digg.com/video/axe-making-emerson-stevens

wish Bristoe could check this out!

Sycamore

This is why hand forged axes are in excess of $100 today and still a bargain.

I never have got the hang of putting a new handle on an old one...

Tag

I rehafted one recently, purchased a premium handle, took my time, made sure it fit just right, got it just about finished when I realized the head had a twist. I now tell people that it isn't crooked, it has cast like a fine shotgun. I'll give it to my brother this fall, am certain he'll notice, and have my lie all thought out.

Super Cool !!!!

It takes the practice only a seasoned craftsman has to truly "get the hang of it".

I'm a complete failure

Cool video. Doing that specialized work for a $1.25 an hour. Times along with quality sure have changed.

When my son was working his was through Boy Scouts I bought him a Gerber camping ax with the black plastic handle. What a piece of crap, a broken beer bottle held a better edge.

I soon after bought him a Granfors Brux after throwing the Gerber Ax in the trash can.

Nice film...

Doc

Sad part is the guy was headed south (Mass?) to make twice as much, sweeping floors!

I just kept thinking there were a lot of opportunities to lose a digit in that place.

Sycamore

Nobody wants to pay shyt for fine craftsmanship anymore. That's why nobody wants to do it anymore and why you'll continue to buy cheap junk.

Adjusted for inflation, that is probably about what they sold for then too.

I dunno how much hearing they had left.

That's a buck an hour more than the Chinese guy that's making them now makes an hour.

Actually there is an American company still making very good axes, among other tools; Council Tool in North Carolina. Best barely-known bargain out there.

Wrong, ....
there ARE lots of die hard traditionalists that want things RIGHT.
I'm honored to work for a variety of folks so oriented, ...calling on a variety of skill sets.
Their respect is not automatic, and I don't think it should be,...THAT whole patron / client - craftsman / artisan relationship and dialogue to support it is no longer taught, or exercised by a growing majority.

GTC

It is called hanging an axe and when you do it wrong it was said you can't get a handle on it.

Not hard at all and not really hard to make one from scratch.

Scott, how about a tutorial?

Try this. He does a lot better job than I could.

thanks for that information.

Sycamore