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Thread: Boy's axe experiences?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    Fairbanks AK
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    Boy's axe experiences?

    When I was about 8 years old I asked my step dad for a smaller axe, he said it was "better" to start using man sized tools and grow into them. I conclude it is a disputable matter.

    I have had a 19" haft kicking around my shop for a year or three, and finally scored a 2.5 pound boy's axe head last week while I was down in the lower 48.

    Having never used a boy's axe when my age was measured in single digits, I have zero experience using them as intended.

    Now that I am fully grown and have the components on my bench I am sorely tempted to round off the end of the haft so I could, as a grownup, swing it single handed like a framing hammer or a really big hatchet, just dominant hand gripping the ball on the end of the haft.

    Someday I want to a positively memorable grandpa, so I would rather set this thing up correctly for future grandchildren.

    One option would be to crash Sunday School at my church, with an axe, and turn the kids loose. That option would likely not end well, I am already not the favorite brother of our children and youth minister.

    Did any of you get to use one of these when it was the right size axe for your skeleton? I have sharpie marked the areas I am tempted to round off in the picture. Since I am leaving the top of the swell alone, I think two handed operation would still be just fine; just making sure.

    Thanks

    20210616_181958[1].jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    SoCal
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    When I was a bou, the Boy Scouts were a functional, useful organization (and may still be.) I started with the officcial BS hatchet. Mostly had to use my dad's axe for brush clearing around the place. I think it depends on the kid, Some have the strength and hand-eye coordination and some do not.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    Fairbanks AK
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    Thanks for the pointer Curt. I looked at a bunch of Boy Scout boy's axes online today.

    I finally decided to just go for it and round off the end. I figure once a child has grown big enough to choke down far enough on my modified handle for my modification to make a difference with two hands, it is time for the child to pick up a bigger axe. I have those readily available.

    Final pic is with the wedge glued in and the first coat of BLO soaking in. Tomorrow I will cut the top flush after the glue dries, sharpen, and then slather up the whole thing with the next coat of BLO.

    I hung the haft straight, or square, depending on which nomenclature you prefer, the head is neither opened up or closed down. As I got the head started it was hanging a little closed down, so I had to modify my shaping a little bit as I was working the top of the haft. There is a world of of preference out there for open or closed hangs in single bit axes, but when you get around to hanging a double bit you really want to hang it straight/ square. Practice pieces is the only reason I can think of for a lot of the ready made hafts I see in hardware stores, they are other wise useless. I probably looked at 50 hafts this size and only bought this one.

    None of my four children are pregnant with a grandchild that I have heard about yet, so it will be a while before I get to field test this. In the meantime, I can use it as a warhammer if I need to. I might round the butt end off a little bit more tomorrow after the glue dries on the wedge, there will be some test destruction after sharpening and trimming before the next coat of BLO goes on.

    FWIW once the haft was hanging correctly I scraped off the factory finish, sanded at 60 grit, wiped the dust off with a paper towel soaked in isopropyl, let that dry, then clipped off the standing fibers with fine steel wool, sanded with 100 and 220, wiped down with isopropyl again, no standing fibers when dry, hung it for keeps with wedge and glue and then first coat of BLO. Head is an AATCo I found in California for $35, I had to cut the old (loose) haft off to fit it in my checked bag home.

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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Edmond, Oklahoma
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    Scott,

    Good thread, and it is also a reminder to me.

    I have a hatchet that I bought probably as a 7th or 8th grader, so probably over 55 years ago. I somehow must have broken the haft, because I remember trying to put a new one on, and pretty well messed it up. When dad saw what I was up to he did the best he could, given my messing up the replacement haft, to fix my mess and put the handle on the head. Watching dad, I learned how to fit a hammer head or hatchet head, etc., with a new haft.

    I have regular carpenters hatchets now, so the camping type hatchet is not something I use. I do have a grandson in scouts, and after talking to my son in law to make sure it was OK, am going to give it to that grandson. It will be a little heavy for him now, perhaps, but he will grow into it. His folks are the scout masters.

    I just got it out and looked at it, as I am heading to the hardware store to pick up some other items, so I will take it with me in hopes of finding a replacement haft that will fit the head. When I looked at it, I realized that it is a very good brand, a Banko from Sweden, so he will be getting a very good quality hatchet.

    Your post reminded me about the hatchet, I want to put a new handle on it to undo the damage I did about 55 years ago. It also could use a new belt sheath, as the old one is now has cracks. Putting on a new haft and making a new belt sheath will be a good set of projects for a grandpa and grandson for or for my son in law and my grandson.

    At any rate good post.

    Thanks and regards,

    Stew
    Last edited by Stew Denton; 06-18-2021 at 12:10 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    You are welcome Stew.

    This is a new tool for me, and it is quite the little thumper with a 2.5 # head on a 19 inch haft. It sounds proportional to a 5 pound head on a 36 inch haft right? Nope, not for me as a grown up. The haft isn't long enough to generate any kind of speed, but a little kid who has been using hatchets and is finally big enough to use an axe like this is going to be grinning ear to ear.

    I probaby should have left the butt end of the haft alone, and I am doubly glad I didn't take off any more that I did. I honed on an 80 grit oilstone to 30 degree included angle, a good compromise of sharpness and edge retention for limbing and knots in my local trees.

    Two handed it is an authoritative close quarters chopping axe, but awfully heavy to use as a big hatchet.

    I did use it to take the bark layers off a knotty 16 inch round this morning. Once the birch round is dried I am going to cut a step into it, a la Peter Galbert's "Chairmaker's Notebook."

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  6. #6
    I have couple. The name boy's axe doesn't do it justice. I use mine a lot clearing quad trails. I picked up a Sanvik , likely a Weiterling, (sp) at a thrift saw,it was a revelation. Extremely handy. After winter the first guy to use the trail has to deal with snow damage, large stuff takes a chain saw or swede saw. I use it as a one handed axe, it's the perfect camp axe.It replaces the hatchet with a highly useful tool.

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