Made in USA, cool tool

[Mike Archambeau]

Gents

Found a great American made tool that I am proud to own: http://www.counciltool.com/DisplayCategories.asp?pg=displaycategories&category=77

I have been wanting a quality made axe for some time, and decided to order the 4 pound felling axe. It is beautifully made and packaged, entirely of American made materials, with American labor. Council Tool has been making quality tools in USA for 100+ years. I also own a quality Sweedish made axe, and this Velvicut axe compares very favorably to it.

Looks like you can order directly from Council Tool, but I found mine online from Highland Woodworking: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/council-tool.aspx They were having a black Friday sale which was attractive enough to make the leap.

See it being made here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNQbzQCByX4

I am hoping my childrens childrens children will enjoy owning and using this as much as I do.

Got a cool tool made in USA you want to share? Lets hear about it.

[John Coloccia]

All of these sanding drums are made in the USA by a company called "Singley Specialty Company". I posted a Woodcraft link because I don't know where else to buy them. They come with a lifetime warranty. THEY DON'T WOBBLE and vibrate badly like the stupid rubber drums. They are pricey and are worth every penny. I absolutely refuse to use the rubber drums anymore.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000258/508/Sanding-Drum-3-x-3-x-12.aspx

Of course, Whiteside's bits are all USA made. I use Whiteside bits almost exclusively except for a small handful of specialty bits. Even those, though, look suspiciously like Whiteside bits and I suspect they are in fact custom Whitesides. Whiteside will gladly make you a custom bit if you wish. They will also pick up their phone and help you find what you need. Recently, I needed to find the proper combination of arbor, washers and slot cutter in order to complete special task...one of their engineers called me back and took care of me lickity split.

[Greg Bender]

John,
Thanx for the link /headsup on the sanding drums and lucky for me Whiteside is a local company here in North Caroliina so I have been using there router bits for quite some time . I've never had a complaint at all. They are priced extremely well for the quality and hold there edge.
Greg

[Larry Edgerton]

I bought a Fiskers splitting ax the other day when I was actually looking for a good double bit, my prefered splitting tool. Everything I found was from China.

I'll order one of their big doubles.

I'm a big Whiteside fan as well, and have custom bits made at Nordic Tool in California, another company that is right on the stick.

Larry

[Mike Archambeau]

Hey a double bit Michigan style axe, made in the USA for a guy who lives in MI. How appropriate is that! Let us know how you like it when you have had a chance to use it. Did you see that Council Tool also makes splitting mauls?


My splitting is done for this year....5 cords of oak, beech, maple, and hickory.......all hand split...........and being burned in a Vermont Castings woodstove made in.....you guessed it.......USA. I also have 5 tons of anthracite coal from PA being burned in a Harman Coal stove made in USA by some hard working people in PA. Can't claim to know where the 500 gallons of home heating oil I have stored in my basement came from (could be Middle East) but we will use as little of that as we can by using the CT grown wood for the stove, and the PA coal.

[J.R. Rutter]

5 cords of oak, beech, maple, and hickory.......all hand split.

Wood heat: warms you twice! Nice axe.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Having worn out several council bush axes in a previous career (no I wasn't on the chain gang,) I can testify as to their quality. Not only an American company, buy also a North Carolina company

[John Coloccia]

I have to say that I'm using a pneumatic splitter now, but I wonder if I wouldn't mind hand splitting if I had a good maul. All I have is a cheap Home Depot maul.

[Tony Zaffuto]

I like when vendors voluntarily note country of origin. For example Lee Valley will note if made in Canada or US by a map facsimile near the description of the product. Highland Hardware's service department will tell you country of origin (but you have to ask). There are some catalog vendors (won't mention on a public forum) that are 99.9% imported.

[Mike Archambeau]

I have to say that I'm using a pneumatic splitter now, but I wonder if I wouldn't mind hand splitting if I had a good maul. All I have is a cheap Home Depot maul.

John;

Splitting by hand is as Neanderthal as it comes. Splitting is GOOD WORK! The best sleep I ever get is after a day splitting wood. A good maul is an amazing tool. I recently cut and split a 120 year old red oak tree. It was 100 feet tall and 36 inches in diameter at the base. Tropical storm Irene brought it down. I hand split the whole thing. It was over 3 cords of firewood. My maul handled even the 36 inch logs (cut to 18 inch lengths). The grain was really straight so that helped. A few logs with tuff grain were sliced on the bandsaw. If you do try one of those Council mauls I would be interested in hearing about how you liked the tool.

[Jim Matthews]

How long was your power out?

I hope you residing along the Connecticut river valley have a mild Winter, you're overdue.
I thought last Winter was bad - then Irene was followed by 12 inches of snow and 3 million without power?

You lot deserve a break.

Jim
Unscathed in Westport, MA

[Mike Archambeau]

How long was your power out?

I hope you residing along the Connecticut river valley have a mild Winter, you're overdue.
I thought last Winter was bad - then Irene was followed by 12 inches of snow and 3 million without power?

You lot deserve a break.

Jim
Unscathed in Westport, MA

We endured a 7 day power outage from Irene, but were unaffected by the October snow storm (which affected a lot more people for up to 10 days). We are having a very mild fall, with most days exhibiting above normal daytime highs. It looks like it will not be a year for a white Christmas. I think most people don't miss the snow, but my 10 year old son says "bring it on!"

[John Coloccia]

We were about 4 or 5 days in for Irene, and 8 days for the snow storm. You're not kidding about the weather, though...last night was the first really frigid night I can remember. Most days I didn't even bother lighting a fire because it would get too hot. Last night I had the insert cranking.

[Jim Matthews]

Any National Grid or NStar voodood dolls in your houses?

They argued for 6 and a half days in my little corner over who owned the line, after Irene.
We didn't even have lines down - just now power. That dispelled any confidence I had that they could handle a real disaster.

The Connecticut October confirmed my suspicions.
This must have been a great year to make, sell and install backup generators.