Got an axe today and......

[durulz]

Yeah, axes are completely different to machetes.
Up until recently I used a machete all the time. However, recently I bought an axe and have used it only a couple of times.
It's very different in use and technique to a machete. More top heavy for one thing, even when held up by the head of the axe. And therefore more leverage and momentum. And when you've been doing a lot of chopping and your arm gets weaker...the control gets less.
There's something satisfying about using an axe, but you have to have your wits about you.

 

[Buckshot]

very good example of why sissy sticks are sooooo good!

Just in case someone doesn't know a sissy stick is just a small stick, twig, offcut that holds the wood to be cut steady while keeping the hand further away from the target area.

Mark

 

[Tadpole]

I’m no expert with the axe, but when I have wood I wish to chop, that will not stand up on the chopping stump, I use a short stick to hold the wood steady, commonly referred to by my family as a sissy stick, it does however keeps the pink bits away from the sharp bits. It works for me

 

[Chainsaw]

My dad taught me to use a stick (sissy stick, like it ) whenever the thing to be chopped wouldn't sit nice on its own. He did catch me once holding a bit of wood about to drop the axe on it. He only caught me once 'cos the shouting he gave me made sure I would never do it again!! Little chainsaw has yet to be shouted at by me for not using a sissy stick which is good.

Get well soon fella, glad you can still count to ten without having to remove your socks!

Cheers,

Alan

 

[T1tch]

Get well soon fella, glad you can still count to ten without having to remove your socks!

Or putting your hand in your pocket

My Axe bit me at the last midlands meet I attended; jumped out the side of a rotten trunk and into my foot - so I can sympathise with you mate. Hope it heals well, and soon.

 

[Chainsaw]

Or putting your hand in your pocket

That'd only take it to nine and a half

Cheers,

Alan

 

[warthog1981]

Or putting your hand in your pocket

My Axe bit me at the last midlands meet I attended; jumped out the side of a rotten trunk and into my foot - so I can sympathise with you mate. Hope it heals well, and soon.

Did you get any pictures of you wound ?

 

[chris7273]

Well November Rain, I wish you to heel fast.

Sad story for you, but always good as reminder : edged tools are dangerous... practice with someone experimented is always a good idea.

Yesterday I nearly cut one (or maybe 2 or 3) of my toes because I was too impatient with my cheap hatchet (not a GB, not a cegga, not a wetterlings, but sharp and strong enough to send me to the nearest hospital ;-) )

When your thumb is OK and when you are OK to play again with the axe, pay attention to your legs and your feet : a small axe is really more dangerous than a normal (long handle) axe : with a long axe, the blade will hit the ground before reaching your body. With a bushcraft axe or a hatchet : always think twice (where will the blade go if I miss or if sth goes wrong) before you hit... Mors Kochanski's book gives good advices on how to work with our edged babies.

 

[novembeRain]

Well actually I would say that the technique used at exactly 2.40 was potentially dangerous. I would suggest the holding hand should never be below the level at which you are striking with the edge. If it is and the wood splits or cuts more easily than you expect or the axe does not dig into the wood and bounces out then you are suddenly in a very dangerous situation.

At 2.40 he is doing what I call a bump cut, it is a useful cut for starting an axe cut at the top of a piece of work but should only be used where you can hold the work to the side, not below. If you can't safely hold the work to the side then its time to batton.

Think I got the time a little wrong, whatever time what I was on about is where he sets the axe into the stick with a batton. To me it would make sense to do this wherever possible - both hands are well clear.

What I did was hold the wood and the idea was to just tap the wood with the edge so it stuck - then knock it on a piece of wood to split it - which would've worked if I was a much better shot BUT it's obviously NOT a safe method and I'll not be doing it again

 

[novembeRain]

Well November Rain, I wish you to heel fast.

Sad story for you, but always good as reminder : edged tools are dangerous... practice with someone experimented is always a good idea.

Yesterday I nearly cut one (or maybe 2 or 3) of my toes because I was too impatient with my cheap hatchet (not a GB, not a cegga, not a wetterlings, but sharp and strong enough to send me to the nearest hospital ;-) )

When your thumb is OK and when you are OK to play again with the axe, pay attention to your legs and your feet : a small axe is really more dangerous than a normal (long handle) axe : with a long axe, the blade will hit the ground before reaching your body. With a bushcraft axe or a hatchet : always think twice (where will the blade go if I miss or if sth goes wrong) before you hit... Mors Kochanski's book gives good advices on how to work with our edged babies.

I got that book for christmas! And spent a good hour re-reading the axecraft section

Perhaps some lines would've gone well with my revision.

Only a dick-head holds, in his hand, what he's chopping with an axe
Only a dick-head holds, in his hand, what he's chopping with an axe
Only a dick-head holds, in his hand, what he's chopping with an axe
Only a dick-head holds, in his hand, what he's chopping with an axe
Only a dick-head holds, in his hand, what he's chopping with an axe
Only a dick-head holds, in his hand, what he's chopping with an axe
Only a dick-head holds, in his hand, what he's chopping with an axe
Only a dick-head holds, in his hand, what he's chopping with an axe

 

[Nagual]

I suppose such things are easily done if you're not careful. I was recently carving a spoon in some damn hard wood from the garden, I wasn't paying attention to my position and the knife jumped downwards onto my leg. not really a bad cut, a few paper stitches and a good clean was all that was needed. The most annoying thing was it cut my only pair of jeans that didn't have a mark on them.. oh well. Ah lesson learned and all that.

Hope your thumb heals quickly.

 

[DoctorSpoon]

What is it with blokes and axes? We always teach folk to sit with their knees together and the chopping block to one side. Within an hour I bet I have to remind every bloke in the room as they all seemed to end up with the chopping block between their legs
Nicola

 

[grumit]

i did something simler a few years back
i was cutting kindling with a cheap b&q axe i had just sharpened
wel was tired stressed out with the thought of yet another xmas with
the inlaws
i got a bit over conferdent with it going through so easy did not see a knot in the wood
the axe jumped so did i when i saw the cut to my finger it was cool i could see the knuckle working ended up with 6 stitches and a nice scar
heel quick and be careful
i now have gb axes and cegga axe and i am a lot more weary

 

[mr dazzler]

Hope you get well soon.
Not wanting to brag, but I havent had any accident with an axe except once when a loose (and sharp) head was on the bench and I brushed against it...... That stung and made me mad. My Dad gave me the same mix of responsibility and strict discipline with axes (and guns) as some others on here evidently had as children. I never let the edge go above my holding hand, I chop on a solid surface/bench/block etc, turning the blank over 180 degrees if necessary. I use a piece of hazel with a 4 inch nail driven right through as a tool to hold little bits for splitting if I want to split eg thin kinderling from one biggish but short stubby log

 

[T1tch]

That'd only take it to nine and a half

....I thought about saying that but then decided he'd probably been through enough

Did you get any pictures of you wound ?

No, I was to busy being ragged by everyone - at least NovembeRain had the sense to do it in his own house, not in the woods with 20+ bushcrafters close at hand to take the P.

Hats off to them they were verry good natured about it and Wayland did an excellent job at sewing up my boot - offered to do my foot as well, but A+E seemed a better bet... with hindsight, I'm not so sure.

Not wanting to brag, but I havent had any accident with an axe

...Famous last words - I recon there should have been a 'yet' in there someware fella, you've tempted fate, and she'll be on the lookout for you now...

 

[T1tch]

i did something simler a few years back
i was cutting kindling with a cheap b&q axe i had just sharpened
wel was tired stressed out with the thought of yet another xmas with
the inlaws

Come on you can be honest with us - you were just trying to get out of going over to the inlaws weren't you; it wasn't realy an accident was it.

 

[novembeRain]

What is it with blokes and axes? We always teach folk to sit with their knees together and the chopping block to one side. Within an hour I bet I have to remind every bloke in the room as they all seemed to end up with the chopping block between their legs
Nicola

Without wanting to lower the tone, you'll find it difficult to get men to sit with their legs closed, it's - shall we say - un natural, and a very hard habit to break (because it can prove very uncomfortable). Could you find another way? I wouldn't mind betting you'd have more success.

Honestly though, I've been brought up with sharps, I've made mistakes and learned from them - the same as most of us. It was just a moment of stupidity, the only saving grace is that my previous experience was probably what prevented it being much worse!

 

[mr dazzler]

...Famous last words - I recon there should have been a 'yet' in there someware fella, you've tempted fate, and she'll be on the lookout for you now...

No "she" wont, I dont believe in "her", and I wont be having a sleepless night worrying about it either The only times I had any bad cuts was from glass in the window factory, and once or twice from chisles, and they were always either 1/ when I was tired 2/ In a bad mood or 3/ trying to force a blunt tool. And I did get tennis elbow from trying to force a draw knife to do the work of a bigger axe.....too lazy to go get the axe, it took about 5 or 6 monthes to get rid of the inflamation.

 

[grumit]

Come on you can be honest with us - you were just trying to get out of going over to the inlaws weren't you; it wasn't realy an accident was it.

it was and all i got was a week off work still had to go to the inlaws

 

[Hedgehog]

For quick splitting of large volumes try a set up like this...

With an axe I would strike from the opposite side maybe.

Quick to reload & no mincing about trying to support the wood with a hand or stick.