# The best ax for felling trees?



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

Hi. I am looking for the best type of ax to chop down trees with. Also, for those of you who have felled quite a few trees with axes, tell me, how often (in terms of how many trees you have cut with it) do you personally need to sharpen your ax? Also, do you section the tree while it lays on the ground, with your ax?

And please tell me, what is the best type of saw (hand tool not power tool) for sectioning? The best type of maul for splitting?

If any of you are chicks, that would be especially helpful, as I am also. Thanks.


----------



## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

the best ax... is a saw. Much easier work if your in hardwood.


----------



## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Unless you have more time than money..... Husqvarna


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

If I HAD to use an axe, I'd want a fairly thin "double bitted" head.


----------



## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

WolfWalksSoftly said:


> Unless you have more time than money..... Husqvarna


I'd figure a top shelf ax that could really handle constant work wouldn't cost much less than a good grade ranch type chain saw or even a small professional grade. The last Husky I got was $350 with an extra chain and case. Not really that expensive and due to it's being a "pro" saw it's light in weight.



To the OP

Why do you wish to use hand tools?


----------



## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

You'll get more responses at a site like arborsite.com

Personally I'd go with a chainsaw.... Splitting maul any will do. The big red one at tractor supply co works just fine. It's like 18lbs... 

Sledgehammer + splitting wedge works better and less stress on one's back.


----------



## sawman65 (Sep 8, 2011)

the double bit ax is best you can cut twice as much between sharpening's. yes you need to sharpen, a good bastard file will do. the maul is a thing that YOU need to be comfortable with. i have R.A. and use the 6lb it works for me. some days i will use a 3lb sledge with a short handle and a wedge. that way i can sit and split.
the only saw i have used is a power saw.


----------



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

The thinner double-bit ax is spot-on, but the pic is misleading.
Note the curved cutting edge. That is actually somewhat of a handicap.
A very slight curve to an almost straight cutting edge will actually get you through the tree trunk or branch quicker.

The new blades leave a lot to be desired, unless you special order from Germany or Switzerland, but there are some old ax heads around to be had at flea markets and such. 

This old Keen Kutter is shaped about right.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Keen-Kutter...085?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab04af425

This one from Maine is really shaped to fell trees....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sno...647?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c607b7cd7

You'll want to experiment with different head weights and handle lengths to see what fits you best...... or do like I did and start out with whatever your Pop had laying in the wood shed and develop your techniques and preferences from there.

Some of the tried and true names are Keen Cutter, Stanley, Kelly, Craftsman, Collins etc.
The good ones will have the name stamped into the blade somewhere. The new ones probably won't be stamped..... don't know, though, haven't bought any new ones. :shrug:
Eventually, you'll likely want to make your own handles.
The replacement handles sold today are just plain junk.
The cure job is bad and the shape is not much better..... so you'll be wanting a draw knife and set of hand planes to go with, maybe a good set of wood rasps.

As for the splitting, a double bit ax with a *thick, heavy* blade does wonders on straight grain stuff. 
I like the splitting maul style that has the sledge hammer head built in the backside of the splitting edge. The modern ones are OK, but, again, the handles, even fiberglass, just don't hold up.

Sledge hammer and wedges will take you all the way....just a little slower sometimes than a good maul outright.

Splitting wedge.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COLLINS-SPL...551?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0fe09e97

Best shaped maul, especially for a lady....(the old 25# Sotz "Monster Maul" was great for a 19-yo male in the prime of his ambition  ).........
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Spl...129?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336e031df1

Yes to bucking up a log with the ax once felled. A saw is faster and less messy, but those ax chips make great kindling.
As for how often to sharpen, well....there are variables. If you are taking out stumps all day and cutting roots, you're going to let that edge go just a little longer. If you are felling, limbing and bucking with an ax.....like an old man once told me, "ain't no time wasted in whettin'"


Do you read much ?

I bought this book back in my formative years......
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-The-Ax-...223?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item5d2b51ea57

The man does a thorough job of explaining just about everything you'd need to know, from his point of view and experience. Like the men on board, here, he does recommend power equipment if you have access to it for your woodland projects, but, like me, Cook seeks to keep the old traditions alive and his ax blades sharp.

The day will come......

Incidentally, I keep a VERY large and mint condition broadaxe beside my bed.
When young men come to visit whom I think might would have the slightest interest in my eldest daughter, I make a point to be sitting on the porch with a large whet stone, (I like a Carborundum #57 Brand) just a whettin' that blade as they walk up to the house.
I've yet to meet the young man whose eyes light up with appreciation for a good blade, lovingly cared for......and, until I do, well. :croc:


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

BooRadley said:


> Hi. I am looking for the best type of ax to chop down trees with. Also, for those of you who have felled quite a few trees with axes, tell me, how often (in terms of how many trees you have cut with it) do you personally need to sharpen your ax? Also, do you section the tree while it lays on the ground, with your ax?
> 
> And please tell me, what is the best type of saw (hand tool not power tool) for sectioning? The best type of maul for splitting?
> 
> If any of you are chicks, that would be especially helpful, as I am also. Thanks.


A felling axe is thin like the first example, cuts deep and doesn't bind in the wood. Worthless for splitting as it goes deep and no wedge effect. A felling axe doesn't need sharpened often if kept out of dirt, it needs honed with a stone, you can shave with it. Buck before limbing the bottom of the tree to keep it up off the ground. .

But, I have to say if you are doing this to cut wood for firewood a saw is better and easier. A felling saw has a narrower blade than a bucking saw, they were also called a whip saw. Best in 2 person operation, each end is pulled, hard to push this type of saw and keep in the wood.


Best type of saw? How big are the trees to be cut? How strong are you? If small trees (less than a foot) I would use a Bow saw to buck with, thin, narrow blade for easier one person operation.

Maul, there again how strong are you, I am 5'3", male with a bad left shoulder, arm and hand and have always had a tough time using a splitting maul, I use wedges and a heavy hammer, 4 lb is about all I want....James


----------



## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

In the hands of an experienced user, a double-bitted axe may be fine, but I don't think I would recommend it for a beginner, as the OP seems to be. If you don't know how to grip it, and you haven't swung an axe, there's too much possibility for a comeback and a nasty cut...My opinion.......

geo


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

A nice double bit axe - like the Swedish made, hand-forged Gransfor axe shown by BFF - a large bow saw or one-man crosscut saw for bucking the tree trunks into rounds, and a small bow saw or a buck saw for the smaller limbs and branches. Remember to get the appropriate sharpening files for each saw and maybe a fine stone for the axe and a saw set for the crosscut saw. Don't forget a peavy to turn the logs so the saws don't get pinched. Congratulations, you've just spent the same amount as a chainsaw would cost.


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

I was in a stand of lodgepoles with old stumps from long ago. They had been felled with an axe and it looked like they were getting them down with about 3-4 blows. Every stump was identical looking. It must have been some axe and operator.


----------



## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

I've heard some solid thoughts here. Especially the one about getting a quality chainsaw. I'm sure you have your reasons, and there yours.
When axes, and even some saws, are built. They are painted to preserve them in transit. I see many people that forget to remove all that paint and polish the surface of the blade. Then keep it oiled and wrapped in oil soaked cotton cloth when not in use.
Oiling and wrapping in paper after production is a more common practice for higher quality tools such as Swedish and German wood chisels as well as the best axes.
A polished blade goes deeper with the same amount of force and moreso, doesn't get wedged in as easy. To the point, look at a wood carvers chisel to show the refined surface. They always have a mirror finish.
Off the subject but to the point. We annually polish and point the plow shares, as it's easier for the mares to pull it through the ground. Then brush on paint when completed for the year.
Most axes, these days, are drop forged and dip in paint. The paint hides some of the surface imperfections.
When polishing I start out taking an unfired brick to the surface. Then coarse buffing compound on a wheel, steadily using finer until you can see your image reflected in the surface.
I hope these ideas and thoughts help.


----------



## stormwalker (Oct 27, 2004)

I'm a woman.
First, I'd ask you- Why not a chainsaw?
Second,- Have you handled an axe of any sort?
Third- How about a two-person saw?


----------



## canecutter (May 4, 2011)

Council tool is a company that takes axe making seriously and they are made in USA.
They do not make junk at all. The prices are higher than the local store but worth it..
The website has good descriptions of the different types they sale.

The axes at the local hardware stores are getting worse all the time. Some even appear to be made out of cast iron now!

Their are a few retailers on the net that are cheaper than buying direct from the company.

http://www.counciltool.com/


----------



## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

Stihl Woodboss. $299.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

I didn't think that there were many left who would know the answer to that question but I was wrong! We had several on the family farm which indeed were sharpened with a stone because they were so thin. They were also light and easy to use. When I was 12, I chased a black squirrel into a hole in an 18" thick oak tree. I shinnied up and plugged the hole and went home and got one of the double-bits. I chopped that tree down, chopped my way into where the squirrel was, caught it and took it home alive. The axe was probably just about as sharp when I got done as when I started. It really wasn't that much effort even for a 12-year old with determination. It was either the axe or a one-man crosscut saw and I hated those.

As for the squirrel, uncle and I stayed up late after the milking to build a fancy cage for it. Got done and put the squirrel in the cage and it ran around in it a couple times and dropped over dead!

Martin


----------



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

stanb999 said:


> the best ax... is a saw. Much easier work if your in hardwood.


Not an option for me. But I like your sig.


----------



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

Forerunner said:


> The day will come......


Indeed it will.

Your post is rich with very valuable information, and I will surely be referring to it. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it.

And I love what you said about your broadaxe.


----------



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

jwal10 said:


> A felling axe is thin like the first example, cuts deep and doesn't bind in the wood. Worthless for splitting as it goes deep and no wedge effect. A felling axe doesn't need sharpened often if kept out of dirt, it needs honed with a stone, you can shave with it. Buck before limbing the bottom of the tree to keep it up off the ground. .
> 
> But, I have to say if you are doing this to cut wood for firewood a saw is better and easier. A felling saw has a narrower blade than a bucking saw, they were also called a whip saw. Best in 2 person operation, each end is pulled, hard to push this type of saw and keep in the wood.
> 
> ...


Very good information. Thanks. 

I might get some kind of hand saw to work with. Trouble is, most of the work I will be doing alone. There is another here, but they are too disabled. Otherwise, I have always loved the idea of using the 2 person saw. Tough work I know, but it all is, so what?


----------



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

geo in mi said:


> In the hands of an experienced user, a double-bitted axe may be fine, but I don't think I would recommend it for a beginner, as the OP seems to be. If you don't know how to grip it, and you haven't swung an axe, there's too much possibility for a comeback and a nasty cut...My opinion.......
> 
> geo


I used an axe some when I was young. But I used what we had, and can't remember much about it. It was double-headed, and it didn't take long to get into the rhythm of it.


----------



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

Ed Norman said:


> I was in a stand of lodgepoles with old stumps from long ago. They had been felled with an axe and it looked like they were getting them down with about 3-4 blows. Every stump was identical looking. It must have been some axe and operator.


It certainly must have! Impressive.


----------



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

You hang in there, BooRadley.

I like your attitude. :thumb:


----------



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

CIW said:


> I've heard some solid thoughts here. Especially the one about getting a quality chainsaw. I'm sure you have your reasons, and there yours.
> When axes, and even some saws, are built. They are painted to preserve them in transit. I see many people that forget to remove all that paint and polish the surface of the blade. Then keep it oiled and wrapped in oil soaked cotton cloth when not in use.
> Oiling and wrapping in paper after production is a more common practice for higher quality tools such as Swedish and German wood chisels as well as the best axes.
> A polished blade goes deeper with the same amount of force and moreso, doesn't get wedged in as easy. To the point, look at a wood carvers chisel to show the refined surface. They always have a mirror finish.
> ...


Valuable info here. Thanks.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

You can still get one-man crosscuts but they ain't cheap and need a lot of upper-body strength to fell trees but it can be done. I could cut logs with one but not standing timber.

www.crosscutsaw.com/1.html

Martin


----------



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

stormwalker said:


> I'm a woman.
> First, I'd ask you- Why not a chainsaw?
> Second,- Have you handled an axe of any sort?
> Third- How about a two-person saw?


Hi Stormwalker. 

I've fooled with chainsaws, and I hate them. Pulling them out when they get pinched, cleaning, sharpening the chain, mixing the fuel/oil, and trying to figure out what the heck is the matter with them when they mess up and how to fix it. Then there's the cost. Quality chainsaws cost serious money. I know that manual tools for these purposes do as well, but I'm also thinking of the future. Survivalist stuff, how to make it in a depression, etc.

I used an axe a bit when I was young. 

Can't use a two person saw most of the time. There is another here, but they are too disabled to work the other end. Otherwise, I think it'd be great.


----------



## BooRadley (Jul 30, 2010)

Paquebot said:


> You can still get one-man crosscuts but they ain't cheap and need a lot of upper-body strength to fell trees but it can be done. I could cut logs with one but not standing timber.
> 
> www.crosscutsaw.com/1.html
> 
> Martin


Bucking with one, does this take more strength than you would expect a female to be able to manage? I'm 5'2", 39, average strength (but I use it better so people think I'm stronger than most women). I'm really liking what I see when I look at the one person crosscut saws. The cheap bowsaws from xmart haven't been very useful to me for anything lager than 4", but they look a lot different than the pictures of the one person crosscut saws I'm seeing.

Thanks.


----------



## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

BooRadley said:


> I used an axe some when I was young. But I used what we had, and can't remember much about it. It was double-headed, and it didn't take long to get into the rhythm of it.


Can't/won't argue with that.....go for it. Get a good one....

geo


----------



## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

BooRadley said:


> The cheap bowsaws from xmart haven't been very useful to me for anything lager than 4", but they look a lot different than the pictures of the one person crosscut saws I'm seeing.
> 
> Thanks.


One thing that causes this is that bow saws are intended for limbing. Cutting stuff larger than a couple of inches results in pinching. This can be countered with the use of wedges. As you cut into the trunk, drive a wedge in behind the blade to keep the trunk from sitting down on the blade. Also research the terms "notch cut" and "felling cut". You'll save yourself a lot of time, effort and frustration. Good luck.


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

I knew an old lumberjack who got his start logging in the 1940s with a two man misery whip. His partner the first day was an old Norwegian. They got the first big Doug fir felled and started on the second and my friend was already worn out. After a while, the Norwegian said, "I don't mind you riding over there, but try not to drag your feet."


----------



## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

FISCARS makes excelent axes. They are very light, but cut deep. If you are not a seasoned ax-maiden I would shy away from a double axe. A little fatigue and you might take a nice chunk of yourself on the back swing. Saws are really much better at this than an axe. Look for Swede/Finn makers. They take a lot of pride and use better steel than most. Germany too. A good 2man saw is really the best idea for anything of size. Mike


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Ed Norman said:


> I knew an old lumberjack who got his start logging in the 1940s with a two man misery whip. His partner the first day was an old Norwegian. They got the first big Doug fir felled and started on the second and my friend was already worn out. After a while, the Norwegian said, "I don't mind you riding over there, but try not to drag your feet."


Are you sure that wasn't my uncle? He was full Norwegian, I'm half, and he was always hollering at me to stop riding the saw!



BooRadley said:


> Bucking with one, does this take more strength than you would expect a female to be able to manage? I'm 5'2", 39, average strength (but I use it better so people think I'm stronger than most women). I'm really liking what I see when I look at the one person crosscut saws. The cheap bowsaws from xmart haven't been very useful to me for anything lager than 4", but they look a lot different than the pictures of the one person crosscut saws I'm seeing.
> 
> Thanks.


Bow saws have no weight to them so you have to exert pressure both vertical and horizontal. Bucking logs with a one-man crosscut is fairly easy since the weight of the saw does much of the work. Especially so since they usually have a real good set to them. Even after they start to lose their set, still not all that hard to use. But kneeling to leave only a 2' stump wore me out in a hurry. 

Martin


----------



## mldrenen (Nov 29, 2007)

double bit is nice, but a good single bit axe will do the job. 

i have two snow & neally axes, one new and one 50+ years old. the newer one is of lower quality. forerunner's list of manufacturers is a good place to start, and you can find them regularly on ebay and in local antique/old tool shops. pick one up, replace the handle, and have it sharpened.

a good quality crosscut saw will cut well, cost a small fortune, and are a royal PITA to sharpen. if you do get one, i suggest having it sharpened professionally the first time, possibly watching to see how it's done, then take the time to learn and do it yourself. here's a primer:

http://www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html

for splitting wood, i love my old Chopper 1 splitting axe. if i were to purchase a new axe/maul for splitting, i'd probably give one of these a try:

http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-7884-36-Inch-Super-Splitting/dp/B004M3BAQE/ref=pd_sim_ol_5


----------



## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

vallyfarm said:


> FISCARS makes excelent axes. They are very light, but cut deep. If you are not a seasoned ax-maiden I would shy away from a double axe. A little fatigue and you might take a nice chunk of yourself on the back swing. Saws are really much better at this than an axe. Look for Swede/Finn makers. They take a lot of pride and use better steel than most. Germany too. A good 2man saw is really the best idea for anything of size. Mike


Of all of the people who have responded, I am probably the least skilled with an axe. With that being said, we use the Fiskars ones, as well. I bought the splitting axe for hubby two years ago for Christmas. I also bought the sharpener for it. It works so well that I decided to take a turn with it. I found it to require very little effort compared with trying to split with a maul or with a splitting wedge. I'm a 5'2" female with a back problem and could still manage to use it effectively, if I paced myself.

This is the one that I bought and I got it at Amazon, though I doubt that it was from this seller:

http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-7884-...BAQE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321215156&sr=8-1


----------



## shepherdtim (Oct 22, 2009)

BooRadley...you got a lot of responses but few that answered your question...check out Fiskars axes. They are outstanding!


----------



## js2743 (Dec 4, 2006)

i would prefer my Stihl axe it works really good and all you gotta do is keep it in contact with the tree and it will do all the work of cutting it down.


----------



## mldrenen (Nov 29, 2007)

shepherdtim said:


> BooRadley...you got a lot of responses but few that answered your question...check out Fiskars axes. They are outstanding!


i think most of the responses answered her questions (plural).


----------



## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

WolfWalksSoftly said:


> Unless you have more time than money..... Husqvarna


My father was a supervisor for a natural gas exploration company... back in the 70's the owner came back from their Colorado ranch, and thought it'd be nice if the roustabout 'crew' used a 6' crosscut saw to cut trees off the road. After my pa found out they'd spent all day cutting one large tree in two sections to roll out of the road, he told the owner they'd just spent 1k in labor, for what one person could've done in five minutes with a chainsaw. Crosscut came home, chainsaws were the rule therever after.

Sharp single bit axes would be my favorite... I love my ultralight axe (indestructible) but a heavier one eats wood quicker. While in the Forest Service, one of my bosses tried to show me how to sharpen an axe. We were 25 miles in the Gila Wilderness. He "did" get it mighty sharp... it'd shave. We packed up, he wrapped it in it's spiffy hard plastic protector, and lashed it to the mules.... and promptly slit his hand all the way to the bone... could see all four bones in the hand. No radio coverage, so we wrapped it up, and he walked the 25 miles to the road, then the hour drive into town.


----------



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Oh yeah > 

Well, my younger brother and I have been running Stihls exclusively since we were in our mid teens. He's got the scar to prove that he split his big toe clean in half with a model 064 in the early nineties...... and I have the scar to prove that I inadvertently tried to give myself an appendectomy in the late eighties with an 038 magnum.....

So, take your pick for safety, ax or chainsaw. :thumb:

Edited to add..... I still have the scar on my left kneecap from when I was four years old and was playing with Grandfathers hatchet/hammer combo. He kept it pretty sharp, too, come to find out. 

I find that my safest and most trouble free days are the very few that I find myself staying in bed with a nasty cold or the flu.


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I don't have a nick on me from an axe but a long scar from a chainsaw chain when it departed the bar. I was not running the chainsaw but it sliced through my knee cap letting the fluid escape. Most painful accident I have had to endure....James


----------



## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

A lot of the double bit axes made today are what my father used to call "crazy man" axes the blades being the same on both sides. The old double bit axes farmers used to buy(and woodsmen) had a thin blade on one side for chopping and a thicker beveled side for splitting on the other side.
Till this day I can still picture Dad looking at the axe bit before starting to make sure he had the proper side for splitting or chopping. he could split wood with an axe as fast or faster than most people with a maul, well into his late sixties when he started using a single jack and wedges on huge blocks..


----------



## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

I've been nothing but impressed with my Scandanavian Forest Axe from Gransfors, but think I would prefer having the the American felling axe. I keep it razor sharp and have seen it slice a man's boot wide open the longer handle of the felling axe would help keep the head farther from your feet/legs in the event of an errant swing/bounce...

http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html


----------



## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I have a video of a few logging camps not far from here in Canada. Filmed in the late 1940s I would guess. Just two brothers with a chain saw, everyone else had axes and two-man saws. Cutting huge pine. Each swing of the axe sent large chunks of wood flying. Logs were cut into 16 foot lengths, stamped on the end and taken to the river's edge for release when the river opened up in the spring.
It takes some skill to sharpen an axe. You must sharpen about an inch back, not just the very end 1/4 inch.


----------



## VERN in IL (Nov 30, 2008)

canecutter said:


> The axes at the local hardware stores are getting worse all the time. Some even appear to be made out of cast iron now!


Yes those "Razorback" axes by Union tools, those are BAD. I like Collins Axe'es. I am a fan of the double bit axe, they just feel balanced in my hands, HATE those Michigan single bit axes.

I perfer a Bacho 36" bow saw, lighter, just be sure not to pinch the blade.

I would not use a Motorized saw unless I'm wearing Kevlar chaps!


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

I wouldn't get a competition axe...



> Woodchopping horror as competitor's axe head flies off handle into 100-strong crowd and strikes man in groin
> 
> By Jennifer Madison
> 
> Last updated at 6:48 AM on 14th November 2011


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rowd-strikes-man-groin.html?ito=feeds-newsxml


----------



## Kicking_Bird (Aug 24, 2011)

Fiskars Is your Best Bet ! Fiskars Is the Best Buy for the Money, Here's a Review,
http://www.canadianwildernesssurvival.com/reviews/Reviews/Fiskars Axes Review.html


----------



## CraigMeade (Oct 29, 2011)

There is another solution for felling large trees.

The settlers used to burn them out. This is from the Pacific Settlers Manual of 1875.










Craig Meade
Pioneer Handbooks blog


----------



## MushCreek (Jan 7, 2008)

I have a small Gransfors-Bruks axe, and I love it. Although it is too small for serious felling, I can take down an 8" tree pretty fast. Not cheap though- close to $100- for a small one. I mostly use it to clear small branches after I drop a tree- it's faster than a saw for that.


----------



## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

We used axes the first year. I can honestly tell you, it will flat out tear you up, specially if it is a large hardwood. I really applaud your spunk though. What kind of trees are you taking down?


----------



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Ax work will certainly bring to life muscles you never knew you had..... but if you start small, working short durations at first and work your way up to full time, you'll be a force to be reckoned with. Don't wear gloves, either. Build those callouses. A calloused hand grips an ax far better than a glove.


----------



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

CraigMeade said:


> There is another solution for felling large trees.
> 
> The settlers used to burn them out. This is from the Pacific Settlers Manual of 1875.
> 
> ...




There are people on this web site who would hang you if they caught you touching a match to wood!
They'd burn you at the stake if it wasn't for the politically incorrect particulates given off by a burning body.........


----------



## CraigMeade (Oct 29, 2011)

Forerunner said:


> There are people on this web site who would hang you if they caught you touching a match to wood!
> They'd burn you at the stake if it wasn't for the politically incorrect particulates given off by a burning body.........


The chapter goes on to say the fire is contained within the tree and goes out when it reaches the sapwood. But I take your point. Even the good old-fashioned BBQ is a health and safety concern these days. It really is. Burning at the stake? We're not even allowed to burn THE steak anymore. They'll have to just sear me on both sides and serve me blue.


----------



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

*scratches head in wonder*

What do you suppose they'd use for their heat source ? :huh:


----------

