Be careful with that axe, Eugene

[StarsintheSky]

My property is a wooded lot in the country and this year the first signs of the Emerald Ash Borer are showing. Fortunately, this is several years after when we expected to get hit, unfortunately, my property is about 75% ash trees between 10 and 40 years old which are all doomed. This means that, if I were to cut down one soon-to-be-dead ash tree every day I'd have my work cut out for most of a year.

To make some of the task easier (read: more fun), I decided to splurge a little and bought myself a double-bit axe, something I'd always lusted after. Everything was going well until most of the way through the second tree when the handle snapped clean off at the head.

Spoiler

Show

Now, where did I put that crucible?

I'm sorry that my first real post is a dorky story but anyway, hello everyone!

[The_Ender_lord]

Heres where the Master Troller comes out of a bush and starts laughing.

[Horizon]

That handle was precariously thin. Maybe go for a thicker handle. Also, why the fuck would you use a double edged axe? It's impractical, and if it bounces back, it's gonna be quite painful.

[The_Ender_lord]

Sigg'd!

[DaveYanakov]

Double head axes are lighter than a maul type and have the advantage of being able to flip the axe when one face begins to dull, which lets you work for a longer period of time before stopping to sharpen your tools. It's the same reason I carry more than one chainsaw into the woods. It's possible that you were using too much force in your swing. The idea is to let the axe do the work with a steady, easy swing that you can keep up for hours at a time. More likely, whoever sold you the tool skimped somewhere. A good hickory replacement shouldn't be too expensive but they make fiberglass/plastic tool handles that are quite good these days. If you're going to be doing this a lot, do yourself a favor and invest in something lightweight and durable.

That said, your axe already broken. It's too late for the crucible.

[Ribky]

I knew you hated trees Dave.

[embirrim]

I second Dave's opinion on fiberglass axes. I bought one a year ago or so, and although You can't change the blade as you would on a normal wooden axe, they fill in the top with some kind of liquid glass that is very hard. I've always had problems with the blades swinging off from the top, but not with the fiberglass ones.

[August West]

Great song! And fitting title.

[SterlingRed]

I've snapped a few wooden handles. I've never managed to break a fiberglass or plastic one.

[DaveYanakov]

I knew you hated trees Dave.

Does the cheetah hate the gazelle when he culls the weak and sickly from the herd in order to ensure his own survival?

[morvelaira]

I knew you hated trees Dave.

Does the cheetah hate the gazelle when he culls the weak and sickly from the herd in order to ensure his own survival?

No. He just goes *omnomonomnomnom*

[Horizon]

And we're not much different, except that we also take the skin to make leather, the bones for all sorts of shit including weapons to kill more animals with, the tendons and ligaments to bind things together with, the list goes on and on. A full grown deer can make you a nice jacket, a decent knife, and a grappling hook, and more.

[Derzuel]

It is interesting how of those who can hear, most do often not listen.

But yeah welcome to the forums. Not much you can do about the axe other than replace the haft, though I must say that from the photo it appears to have a rather thin at the head, which could be why it broke in the first place.

[Horizon]

Someone's already made that point!
*chirping crickets*
What, are my jokes that dull?
I'm just axing!
I thought they were the cutting edge!
Broken axes are comedy gold. Or pyrite.

[tedium]

buy some good gloves while you're out getting a replacement handle. you got a lot of work in front of you, and blisters suck!

[Rianaru]

buy some good gloves while you're out getting a replacement handle. you got a lot of work in front of you, and blisters suck!

Or you could have hands like leather. Just sayin'

[AngelWithDirtyHands]

Dave, I had to sig that :D
What exactly IS your job? Your experiences never fail to intrigue me.

[StarsintheSky]

It's possible that you were using too much force in your swing.

I'll have to look into that. I'm fairly certain it was at least partly due to the axe's construction but I'm also no expert in woodcutting! It boggles my mind to think that, at one point, axes were the only option. But I sure do enjoy watching a master use only axes to hew logs into beams.

That and, IRL, pickaxes get heavy pretty quickly. I like living in the country.

[DaveYanakov]

Dave, I had to sig that :D
What exactly IS your job? Your experiences never fail to intrigue me.

I have held many a job, both as actual employment and for the family. Most of my forestry experience falls into the family category.