What is a Felling Axe Good For?

[Laurent Marshall]

I expected a cascade of uses I hadn't thought of, but it hasn't materialized. It looks like felling axes really are not as useful as they once were.

You could shave with one if you really had too, or open a soup can :P

Joking aside, I wouldn't say felling axes are any less useful, it depends on your perspective and motivations. As I see it, the axe vs. chainsaw debate is pretty much at the extreme of the larger hand tools vs. power tools debate in woodworking. Do you enjoy using hand tools? Do you appreciate the skills it takes to use them and create something beautiful? Axes sort of take a lot of the things people like about hand tools (learning and getting better at a physical skill, less dependence on technology etc) and move that all out to an extreme of risk and physical demand.

[lowell holmes]

I think we need one of each kind of tool. So I will start looking for an axe.

[Stew Denton]

Lee, nope.

Like a friend of mine said: "It was my grandfather's ax, it has had 3 new handles and two new heads, but it was my grandfather's ax."

Stew

[Luke Dupont]

I'm not at all knowledgeable of axes or chainsaws, but I see the two as two completely different animals.

Axes can chop, split, carve, and "crosscut", but they excel at the prior three more than the latter. They're a highly versatile tool, generally more portable and reliable, and don't run out of fuel or make a bunch of noise.

Chainsaws are just saws -- they can crosscut large logs effectively, but they're pretty specialized at just doing that. I imagine splitting, for instance, to be a lot quicker in most circumstances than trying to rip a log with a chainsaw -- but I've not actually tried this, so bare that in mind. You also can't do the same kind of intricate carving and cutting that you can do with an axe.

Now, I realize this thread is about "felling axes", and so we're talking about using an axe for felling trees. And, I should mention that I've never felled a tree, either with an axe or a chainsaw. But in my mind, the axe is still a more general purpose, flexible tool, and excels as such. So perhaps my case is more for "general purpose axes that can be used to fell in addition to lots of other useful stuff" as opposed to "large, specialized felling axes that are too large / awkward to be used in other work".

But it does ultimately boil down, also, to what you enjoy. I work with hand tools exclusively, partly due to space and noise constraints, but also because I just enjoy it far more. I find using machines to be unpleasant: I don't like the noise and the dust, and I don't like the disconnected feeling I have with my work and the lack of skill development that I get with hand tools. I also don't like the complicated setup and extensive use of jigs and guides for any and everything which is required of powertool woodworking -- the unflexibility and specialization of tools and extensive preperation and setup work to get them to do things accurately. And, they're not so portable.

Similar cases could be made as to why one might prefer using a buck saw and an axe to a chainsaw. Efficiency isn't everything, unless that's your sole criteria of measure, in which case, it is. So, what are your criteria? What do you need and enjoy and find rewarding, and where do those different criteria converge?

[Laurent Marshall]

Axes can chop, split, carve, and "crosscut", but they excel at the prior three more than the latter. They're a highly versatile tool, generally more portable and reliable, and don't run out of fuel or make a bunch of noise.

I'd agree with most of that - except for two things

Axes are actually pretty loud. Chainsaws buzz incessantly, axes make a crack or knocking sound that can carry a surprisingly long way. You're hitting a fairly resonant object (a log or tree) with a metal object, and a lot of energy. It's kind of like morticing with a chisel and mallet, maybe a bit louder depending on what you're chopping.

If you've ever watched timber sports, a well-trained athlete in ideal conditions can "crosscut", or buck, a pretty big log in seconds - and if you take a look at Australian, Tasmanian, or Basque competitions, it doesn't take them much longer to do the same job with much harder woods! That said, bucking logs for time is probably the most physically draining thins you can do with an axe - you get absolutely gassed in short order. So, for safety's sake, take it easy and don't over extend yourself

[Bill McDermott]

What can I do with it that a chainsaw won't do better?

- Replace the handle with one that you made and fitted to suit your individual preferences.
- Get that edge scary sharp... with exactly the bevel angle and scandi, convex, concave, single or double bevel or hybrid configuration that makes you happy.
- Read the grain and make a call on how best to attack -- especially when limbing. One swing, clean cut. Boo yah! (You know, the chain saw just goes where you point it.)
- Eat more of your favorite, tasty fuel without refilling the gas tank on the saw.
- Have a tasty beverage after work without refilling the chain oil.
- I always wear chaps, ear, face and head protection with a chain saw. I pretty much grab and axe and get to work (yes, there are safety considerations - but not gear).
- In the back woods (e.g. trail clearing), carrying a chainsaw and it's compliment of accessories and fuel only makes sense for jobs that warrant that investment. An axe is a LOT easier to carry along for what you may or may not find along the way.
- Storing the saw in it's orange plastic case is not as fulfilling as putting the axe in the leather sheath I made for it. Silly, but here we are in the handtool forum.

I suppose it's like the conversation I had this afternoon with a friend about the difference between using my Langdon miter saw and his power chop saw. In the end, they are both great. It's really more about getting the wood cut in a way that suits you at that time and in that situation. I will keep using my chain say and my axe.

I suppose, for me, it ultimately comes down to: ten or twenty quick whacks with an axe - versus - a chain sawing session. Same as four squaring a board by hand or a lot of stock by machine.