Question about Axe selection

[Ar549]

Want to preface this with the fact that I have no interest in purchasing a broad axe right now.

Will be doing any felling with my husky chainsaw.  Planning to do a fair bit of hewing on mostly tulip poplar for the time being.  I've been looking at the Hansfor Bruk Scandanavian Forest Axe but am wondering if I should go ahead and step up to the 31" felling axe.

I watch a TON of videos on YouTube of guys going from fell to hew with just a felling axe or boys axe, and doing an amazing job of it.  They are light years ahead of me as far as experience/skill but I'm willing to learn with a single tool, and then maybe add specialized axes later if this is something I want to stick with and do a lot of.

Looking for any opinions here.  Thanks

[Brad_bb]

My experience:  21, 8 foot long timbers hewed from sawn beams since January this year.  I sawed them on my mill Leaving 1/2" of material on each face to hew off.  Hewing is hard enough work as it is, and you will the same final product whether you start with a full log or a sawn beam.  It will just be a lot more work, more material to whack off with a full log. 

To do this, I score with a felling axe, and hew with a Gransfors Bruks 1900 broad axe with a single right hand bevel.  I like the weight and shape of this broad axe.  It is also much easier to hew with a single bevel.  With a typical double bevel felling axe, it can be done, I've seen it done, but it's definitly harder in that it takes more focus, a good eye, and a lot more control of your axe so it doesn't dig into the timber or glance away.  A single bevel lets the axe act like a plane.  As you strike the timber, the axe will contact and follow the face you're already hewed and dig into the part that has not been hewed to the same plane.  It's much more forgiving.  Here is a post I did on it.  There are some videos as well:
http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=104686.0

[Ar549]

My experience:  21, 8 foot long timbers hewed from sawn beams since January this year.  I sawed them on my mill Leaving 1/2" of material on each face to hew off.  Hewing is hard enough work as it is, and you will the same final product whether you start with a full log or a sawn beam.  It will just be a lot more work, more material to whack off with a full log.

To do this, I score with a felling axe, and hew with a Gransfors Bruks 1900 broad axe with a single right hand bevel.  I like the weight and shape of this broad axe.  It is also much easier to hew with a single bevel.  With a typical double bevel felling axe, it can be done, I've seen it done, but it's definitly harder in that it takes more focus, a good eye, and a lot more control of your axe so it doesn't dig into the timber or glance away.  A single bevel lets the axe act like a plane.  As you strike the timber, the axe will contact and follow the face you're already hewed and dig into the part that has not been hewed to the same plane.  It's much more forgiving.  Here is a post I did on it.  There are some videos as well:
http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=104686.0

So a "full size" felling axe, say 32-36"?

[Brad_bb]

Not sure exactly what you're asking?  My felling axe which I think is a Collins, is what I score with as you can see in the one scoring video.  I've never measured the length but I'd guess it's in the 36 inch range.

What I found was that the first 3 beams I hewed were really tough and I was doubting I could do all 21.  I was out of shape and didn't have the muscle memory.  I knew I wasn't going to be able to get any further help and that I just had to buck up and do it, even if it meant only 3 faces per day (which is what I started out being able to do.  But what I then found out was that after those first 3, I started to develop muscle memory, started getting those muscles in shape, and I was able to do 4 faces in a day.  Then the next day I was able to day I was able to 5 faces.  I would only do it for 6 hours at a time max.  I would also take a day off between hewing days.  What I'm saying is, as you get into it, you will get better, stronger, faster, and swinging gets easier with getting in shape, and having that muscle memory.  

The day my buddy taught me hewing, after I had done my first 3 faces, I tried his axe.  He had a Council tool felling axe with a shortened handle that he was using to both score and hew.  I was able to do it, but it was much harder with the double bevel on it.  It was a lot more work to stay in the same plane you were trying hew.  My single bevel axe was much more forgiving in that respect.

Buying the Gransfors axe was worth the $330.  You could always resell it later as well.  The shorter handle is important with a broad axe due to your body position and being close to and over your work.  Using a longer handle axe I believe could result in a much rougher hew because you will be farther away.  The shorter handle also helps give better control.  

Weight of a broadaxe is also important as it need to be right if you're going to be swinging it alot.  I bought a broad axe on ebay a few year ago that had a longer handle and a very heavy head (probably in the 5lb or better range.  It also had and offset handle.  I don't know how that axe was used back in the day but maybe for slashing when standing on the log??  Anyway, I found out that it was useless for me.  The much smaller gransfors 1900 was a very good fit.  

[Ar549]

Not sure exactly what you're asking?  My felling axe which I think is a Collins, is what I score with as you can see in the one scoring video.  I've never measured the length but I'd guess it's in the 36 inch range.

What I found was that the first 3 beams I hewed were really tough and I was doubting I could do all 21.  I was out of shape and didn't have the muscle memory.  I knew I wasn't going to be able to get any further help and that I just had to buck up and do it, even if it meant only 3 faces per day (which is what I started out being able to do.  But what I then found out was that after those first 3, I started to develop muscle memory, started getting those muscles in shape, and I was able to do 4 faces in a day.  Then the next day I was able to day I was able to 5 faces.  I would only do it for 6 hours at a time max.  I would also take a day off between hewing days.  What I'm saying is, as you get into it, you will get better, stronger, faster, and swinging gets easier with getting in shape, and having that muscle memory.  

The day my buddy taught me hewing, after I had done my first 3 faces, I tried his axe.  He had a Council tool felling axe with a shortened handle that he was using to both score and hew.  I was able to do it, but it was much harder with the double bevel on it.  It was a lot more work to stay in the same plane you were trying hew.  My single bevel axe was much more forgiving in that respect.

Buying the Gransfors axe was worth the $330.  You could always resell it later as well.  The shorter handle is important with a broad axe due to your body position and being close to and over your work.  Using a longer handle axe I believe could result in a much rougher hew because you will be farther away.  The shorter handle also helps give better control.  

Weight of a broadaxe is also important as it need to be right if you're going to be swinging it alot.  I bought a broad axe on ebay a few year ago that had a longer handle and a very heavy head (probably in the 5lb or better range.  It also had and offset handle.  I don't know how that axe was used back in the day but maybe for slashing when standing on the log??  Anyway, I found out that it was useless for me.  The much smaller gransfors 1900 was a very good fit.  

Thanks for every bit of that info.  As far as the question on the felling axe, I was just curious on the length.  I know they typically come in the 32-36" range, and was curious which you were doing your scoring with.  

I'm going to have to hew a lot more than 21 logs, so maybe it is worth it to go ahead and get the broad axe.  Just so few options out there and what options there are are high dollar.  

I watch a TON of videos on this and there are some skilled dude's out there.  This guy is a beast. 

Virkesberedning - Rekonstruktionen av Södra Råda medeltidskyrka - YouTube

There's a good shot of both of his axes at the end.  Haven't seen anything on the market like them.  

[lxskllr]

You might be able to pickup a few different styles from the flea market to give them a try. Even if they're suboptimal due to damage, it'll give you a feel for what works for you, and you can then buy something nice to perfect your technique on.

[Ar549]

You might be able to pickup a few different styles from the flea market to give them a try. Even if they're suboptimal due to damage, it'll give you a feel for what works for you, and you can then buy something nice to perfect your technique on.

We're hitting the flea market this weekend for that very reason.  

[Brad_bb]

Looks like he's hewing pine.  

If you were near me I'd show you what I know and let you try my axe.  My felling axe was an old head that I picked out at a friends place a few years ago and had him clean it up and make a new handle for it.  We think it was a Collins.  That is one of the things my friend ( in Maryland) does - makes handles, fits them, restores axes, makes leather sheaths among other things.

Like I said, $330 for the Gransfors turned out to be not a bad price given the good design, quality of the steel, and nice handle.  Plus, I have no doubt that I could turn around and sell it for only slightly less than I paid for it.