Hafting an Axe: DIY (2020)
filson.comRe-hafting various hammers and axes with ash wood is one of Eoin Reardon's favorite things to do on his TikTok and YouTube, see e.g.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipHiPNA8rsA
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3z6AjHOO58
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOadiyVyL2M
Apparently ash has some very nice elasticity/damping properties, making it very nice to use the resulting implements?
Always a nice meditative watch.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraxinus_excelsior#Uses:
“The resilience and rapid growth made it an important resource for smallholders and farmers. It was probably the most versatile wood in the countryside with wide-ranging uses. Until World War II, the trees were often coppiced on a 10-year cycle to provide a sustainable source of timber for fuel and poles for building and woodworking. […] Ash timber is hard, tough and very hard-wearing, with a coarse, open grain and a density of 710 kg/m3. It lacks oak's natural resistance to decay, and is not as suitable for posts buried in the ground. Because of its high flexibility, shock resistance, and resistance to splitting, ash wood is the traditional material for bows, tool handles, especially for hammers and axes, tennis rackets, and snooker cue sticks, and it was extensively used in the construction of early aircraft”
I guess ash trees growing easily and producing timber that can be used in all kinds of way also is the reason Yggdrasil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yggdrasil) is an ash tree.
The wood of ash branches in particular is especially nice for this purpose. Hornbeam as well!
I definitely recommend old USFS videos on axe work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22tBYD-HMtA
If this fascinates you, be sure to check out this video on making a celt axe using low tech methods.
This entire channel is fascinating and strives to be very “authentic” about doing everything without turning off the camera and cheating.
There are so many old American made axes for people who are interested that there is really no need to go low tech. You can pick up axes or axe head for cheap at yard sales or estate sales, follow the instruction in the article to make an axe that rivals what you can get on Amazon.
I had an axe lose its head mid swing once. It was a long and terrifying flight. It flew a very long way but luckily missed everything that matters.
This guide would have been very helpful for fixing it.
To be fair it’s not trying to be a guide. It’s more of a “let’s explore historical technology for education and fun.”
I love the series of his videos where he harvests and smelts iron. All using things he finds or builds in the forest.