Name That Tool

[Left Coast Chris]

This is probably WAY too simple for some of you but I bought this tool at a yard sale and it works great as a bark pealing tool.   I asked a couple of old timers and they did not have a name for it.   It has an axe head with a curved part that is shaped on the inside maybe for brush cutting.    The curved part slips behind bark really great and is strong enough for light prying.

Anyone know the name or history?  Haven't seen any for sale otherwise.

One thing forsure..... it would be pretty scarry on halloween.... kind of a grim reaper look.

Cool eh?

[logwalker]

That's a slingblade. Some people call it a Kaiser blade. I call it a slingblade, unh huh.

[Jeff]

We refer to them here as a ditch ax or brush ax. I reckon thats the name you would need to use to buy a new one.

[Dave Shepard]

"What are you doin' with that lawn mower blade boy?" "I aim to kill you with it, unh hunh!" The pinnacle of Billy Bobs careet, IMO. :D

That tool is know as a brush axe around here, although there would be a bit more depth to the blade, and maybe not so thick.


Dave

[Left Coast Chris]

Ah...........kaiser rings a bell.   And....... it looks like a "brush axe".   The estate sale I bought it from was the home of a former Forest Service Engineer.  You do not see these very commonly any more.  The guess would be that the main use was by the Forest Service for fighting fires?

Not sure how the hook is used exactly.......... its hooked around enough that you cannot really get a good swing and have the inside of the hook cut a piece of brush.  The hook must be used in a drawing motion on smaller brush instead of a swing.

[Ron Scott]

From the amount of hook on that one, I'd say it's a "Brush Hook". We had a lot of them years back in the Forest Service. We called them "brush hooks". Similar to the Kaiser tool, but it only cuts on the hook side where the Kaiser has less hook and is sharpened on booth sides for cutting.

They were a hand tool used for brushing fire line not suited for an axe. They were used by crew members ahead of the axe users and sawyers. Surveyors also used them for brushing survey lines.

They were dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced. We got rid of most on them and I don't see then used much anymore.

[rpg52]

I've got a couple brush hooks, the fastest way to cut 1-3" diameter brush, but definetly dangerous - easy to slip and cut out a chunk of leg.  Mine don't have the sharpened side on the back so maybe they are a Kaiser, never heard of that one. 
Mine are two different designs - the best is like this one, only with another strap that wraps around the handle below.  The newer one has the curved blade attached to the front of the handle - it doesn't work nearly as well though.  Like an axe, they need to be really sharp to work well.  The curved part on mine is much wider than the tool in the photo.  This tool looks like a blacksmith-made tool as opposed to a manufactured one.
Ray

[thiggy]

The tool that I know as a Kaiser blade or brush hook is the same as illustrated in Wikipedia under Kaiser blade.  I don't recognize that rather formidable instrument which you have shown us.