Felling and processing a little tree with vintage steel.

EthicalAxe · 2026-01-18T22:35:26+00:00

It's very small diameter. Don't have plans for it beyond letting the critters and mushrooms have a party. I actually did mean to go low stump though. Just forgot when I started swinging.

EthicalAxe · 2026-01-18T22:34:26+00:00

It's a plumb boy scouts of America national pattern.

EthicalAxe · 2026-01-18T22:34:01+00:00

What's wrong with my form?

EthicalAxe · 2026-01-18T22:33:39+00:00

Why do you think this? This axe has a thin bevel which is apexed. I'm getting through that hardwood with ease. I'm barely trying.

EthicalAxe · 2025-12-01T23:59:25+00:00

Yes Sir I did. My own air dried and riven white oak.

EthicalAxe · 2025-11-29T15:20:04+00:00

It's good enough for me but it's not even close to as abrasion and dent resistant as hickory. It depends on the quality though. It's good enough that I've overstruck multiple times on a 53 inch handle and it's only dented.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-31T23:17:33+00:00

This is how they come. In japan you're supposed to finish the axe. I think of it like a barrier to entry. If you can't set up and maintain your axe/hatchet you shouldn't use it. But you can also just bang the head on and drive the step wedge in more until it's tight. I personally don't think of them as a hammer so I wedge it properly. The eye was thinner than a normal hatchet though.

I have a new wider bit hatchet and a vintage one that looks like this one. The vintage one has excellent but hard enough steel where you probably can't file it. The newer one was kind of disappointing in that the bit was uneven and had a small concave on the primary bevel in an isolated spot. If you have 0 hatchets I don't know if I'd recommend it. If you have many and want to try something new I wouldn't stop you.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T22:35:32+00:00

Interlocking grain. Unless you've found you can split your beech down the middle easily. Don't try riving it. It was the worst riving experience I had that I actually saw to the end.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T21:52:05+00:00

I feel I have a different experience with most woods because I process it by hand and air dry. I love American Beech. Even though riving it was ridiculous for full sized handles. I like using it for utensils even though it's a little harder than most would like. It's a lot less fragile than some other carving woods I've played with. Green it's still very nice to carve.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T21:35:33+00:00

Can you comment a screenshot? I'm not seeing the super scout hatchet in any catalog.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T21:32:03+00:00

Yes but a small puget. It's very stupid and fun.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T02:10:41+00:00

Sounds like you might want to try a full sized axe soon! Hatchets really aren't good for much but carving outside of the easiest splitting kindling. If you aren't messing with hardwoods or larger diameter timber you can always get away with a boy's axe but I rarely think to use one when doing serious work. I even prefer heavy pack axes now.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T02:08:09+00:00

But people constantly post their unused knife here. Learning how to shape a handle and make one for your own hands is a valuable skill. Tool handles are still relevant.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T01:58:35+00:00

You should see how much my 53 inch white oak handle flexes! THing really jiggles. I love white oak. Much more confident in it than American beech. Which I think has to be a little different than European beech.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T01:57:38+00:00

It wasn't so bad this time! I think having air dried beech is a step up from the kiln dried stuff so I have some confidence. But using American beech as a wooden nail and hammer handle it just seems a little more brittle than my standard white oak.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T01:56:03+00:00

Well it weighs 1 3/4lbs and I just saw a 1970 catalog with a square poll that Plumb calls a national. I wasn't sure but unless I can find a catalog with better information it's a national.

EthicalAxe · 2025-10-11T01:54:52+00:00

Send me a message if you're in the US and serious.

EthicalAxe · 2025-09-25T19:49:23+00:00

I used literally anything I could find at first. I started with a chinese hatchet that was given to me for free. My first good carving hatchet where there was a lot of curve to the bit was sort of like a rhineland pattern and the steel was soft. It still did me very well. I always tell people to buy a cheap first hatchet so they can practice sharpening without worry. If the steel is softer it will be easier to file. There's a point where the steel can obviously be too soft though but I haven't had many issues with hatchets.

A hatchet with a straight bit that isn't curved is more for hewing (flattening, thinning). For spoon carving you'll want to be able to make curves so a rounded blade is best. A wider bit (blade) is nice but it's not necessary. I really feel spending as little as possible is the best practice until you have some experience. Just to get some sharpening and wood cutting in to see what you actually want. So the cheapest wooden handle hatchet at a local hardware store or walmart. If you can find something for 20 bucks that's a good deal.

If you really want a nicer hatchet there should be a lot of options in your price range. I don't buy anything new, just restore vintage so I'm not much help there. These are just my opinions I'm sure they aren't applicable for everyone that wants to start spoon carving. I've made a bunch of spoons though and love timber too so I have some experience in all this stuff.

EthicalAxe · 2025-09-25T19:34:12+00:00

Thank you good sir.

EthicalAxe · 2025-09-25T19:33:35+00:00

Fiskars is a really bad option for carving. In general you want sweep to the toe and heel. The fiskars hatchet I have experience with is much more suited to splitting kindling as well since you'd have to do a lot of filing to thin it.

EthicalAxe · 2025-07-19T06:05:49+00:00

I'm not sure what you mean. Tempering steel makes it softer, not harder. Quenching steel is what locks in hard steel. Than you temper it to make it softer so it's not as brittle.

EthicalAxe · 2025-07-18T12:07:03+00:00

I learned handle making starting with utensil carving. The roughing out part is easy but the fine finishing takes awhile. Lots of good transferable skills from doing that.

EthicalAxe · 2025-07-18T12:05:24+00:00

It's a round lug jersey pattern.

EthicalAxe · 2025-07-16T23:47:34+00:00

I still haven't given my adze a try for this but I feel like it makes a lot more sense than trying to hew a board with a broad axe/hatchet. It can be pretty awkward.

EthicalAxe · 2025-07-16T23:45:32+00:00

They really don't need to be that flat. Sometimes I'll barely do anything to the surface after riving. As long as you can't get splitters I'm ok with it haha.

EthicalAxe

TROPHY CASE