New projects that I enjoy- axe restoration

[Cookie Monster]

I have a Plumb? double bit with a red handle that my dad gave me about 45 years ago. I never see those sold anymore in the hardware stores. Did the fed outlaw those as dangerous to the user? I don't know a lot about blades and axes so just curious. I know a lot more about chain saws.

Looks a lot like this one but mine's in better shape.





My understanding is they were preferred by lumberjacks for falling before they moved to chainsaws.

I am not an expert but have some interest and swinging and reading in all of this.

So the double bit was/is the loggers axe, back in the day the single bit was called the farmer’s axe.

Double bits swing better and are far more useful/productive. You would set up one side as razor sharp cutting with a fine and narrow edge. The other side would be set up more blunt for more durability as you would use that side when there was any chance you would dirt/rock the axe finishing the buck or limbing close to the ground. You wanted to keep the sharp side sharp for production and making money.

Loggers with chainsaws use a single bit (typically short and straight handles) because they/we need a side for pounding plastic wedges for felling trees where you want them and may be helping some bucking.

Doubles might be more dangerous and this perception probably has dropped them out of favor. That and hardware store just selling shitty stuff that was never made to do any real work.

[cornstalker]

I am not an expert but have some interest and swinging and reading in all of this.

So the double bit was/is the loggers axe, back in the day the single bit was called the farmer’s axe.

Double bits swing better and are far more useful/productive. You would set up one side as razor sharp cutting with a fine and narrow edge. The other side would be set up more blunt for more durability as you would use that side when there was any chance you would dirt/rock the axe finishing the buck or limbing close to the ground. You wanted to keep the sharp side sharp for production and making money.

Loggers with chainsaws use a single bit (typically short and straight handles) because they/we need a side for pounding plastic wedges for felling trees where you want them and may be helping some bucking.

Doubles might be more dangerous and this perception probably has dropped them out of favor. That and hardware store just selling shitty stuff that was never made to do any real work.

I have heard it said that the more blunt side of a double bit was also for "grubbing". I am unfamiliar with that term. Do you know what that means?

[cornstalker]

I have a Plumb? double bit with a red handle that my dad gave me about 45 years ago. I never see those sold anymore in the hardware stores. Did the fed outlaw those as dangerous to the user? I don't know a lot about blades and axes so just curious. I know a lot more about chain saws.

Looks a lot like this one but mine's in better shape.





My understanding is they were preferred by lumberjacks for falling before they moved to chainsaws.

You should dig it out and put a pic up in here. Would love to see it!

[Borderland]

You should dig it out and put a pic up in here. Would love to see it!

I'll do that just to satisfy my curiosity about what I have. Now that I think about it the axe was given to me sometime before 1975. Some research would indicate that maybe it's a light weight cruisers axe. I have no idea what a timber cruiser might do with an axe but I know it was an occupation here in the PNW many years ago.

[blues]

I have heard it said that the more blunt side of a double bit was also for "grubbing". I am unfamiliar with that term. Do you know what that means?

It's more blunt because "grubbing" is when you get into the dirt and cut, pry or uproot stuff.

[Cookie Monster]

I'll do that just to satisfy my curiosity about what I have. Now that I think about it the axe was given to me sometime before 1975. Some research would indicate that maybe it's a light weight cruisers axe. I have no idea what a timber cruiser might do with an axe but I know it was an occupation here in the PNW many years ago.

Timber cruisers measure the volume of timber - how many board feet and the quality of the timber. It’s still a job but probably lumped into the duties/activities of a Forester. There might be some pure timber cruisers out there still but I am unaware of any in federal or state land management. It’s just one of the duties of a Forester.

Typically, I think of traditional timber cruisers axe as a light weight double but 2.5 to 3 lb head with a straight 28 inch handle. It can get a lot of work done in a small package. I would think but don’t know from reading or direct knowledge that they would be using the axe to scrape bark off trees to check for disease or other maladies as well as general woodscraft while they were camping/surveying.

[Cookie Monster]

I have heard it said that the more blunt side of a double bit was also for "grubbing". I am unfamiliar with that term. Do you know what that means?

I think of grubbing as digging but Blues beat me to it. I wouldn’t think a typical duty of a double bit was to dig but probably with cutting out stumps for land clearing for agricultural. I would think Pulaski’s would be a better deal but that was developed in the 1905 or 08 or so or at least documented and formalized by Ed Pulaski. I would think a pick ax or mattock was preferred but I am just speculating.

[Bucky]

Huh. This thread is actually about axes. Ami the only one?

[Borderland]

Here is the axe that I was talking about. It looks a lot worse for wear than I remember. No makers mark on it so don't really know who made it. Maybe I'll clean it up now that I know where it is.

[cornstalker]

The Hoffman handle appears to be worth the money and the wait. A very nice haft, suitable for heirloom quality axe heads.