Rest Stop Tree

[isawlogs]

 Ironwood , one of the best to make axe handles . Not from one in the pic ... a nice straight big one .  I make all of my axe handles with it , if taken care of  ( not leave them out in da rain ) they will last a long time . I have an axe here that I use often , that the handle was made thurdy years ago . I gotta amit to hidding it from da BIL ...  ;)

   We call um Ironwood here , well more like  * bois dur  *  ;)

[SwampDonkey]

Yes they make good axe handles. I like hard maple handles to. Mom's uncle used to make all his tool handles out of ironwood. My uncle used to receive some of those axe handles and split a lot of kitchen stove wood with them for two houses. They did well to last a season unfortunately. He was hard on handles.  An red oak handle lasted about 12 blocks of wood before it would shatter. :D

Sometimes we just call'm hornbeam. I find you have to use the common name that suits the audience.  ;D :D

[SwampDonkey]

What do ya mean, SD?

Not a thing, other than the tree is ironwood.

[isawlogs]

   I would not make a handle out of Maple , not enough spring in it  and would break too soon after being put to work .
  I try to make 'bout ten to fiften handles per year . I have enough sawed from two years ago to last me this winter . I have some logs settup and Dads for another batch of handles and have some trees already lined up for next summer .
  I'll need to go to an auction soon and get me some more axes ... 

[SwampDonkey]

I've never broke my hard maple axe handles. I have one blade I put a new maple handle in 22 years ago and I still have it. It's a trusty little axe.   I've abused it terrible and should be condemned, but it's the axe that could.



built lean too's, one thread on here about it.
cut camp fire wood
blazes and painted line trees with my surveyor (that's why it's now got red paint on it)
laid in the back of the pickup in the weather for ages
laid out by the fire pot wood pile for ages.
pounded tent stakes, sign posts
even cut tree roots. 
Oh, the white paint? It got under the drip when I was painting a door. :D

[Furby]

Maybe the "spring" in Marcel's handle is it coming apart! ;)

[SwampDonkey]

No, I agree with Marcel on the spring factor. But I have to defend hard maple as a good tool wood. ;)

[isawlogs]

That axe something like a 1lb and a 1/4 or so ....  a hip axe . When I said not enough spring , I meant it for a wood splitting axe . Ya can make a handle outa almost anything for those one handers .  ;)

[SwampDonkey]

Hey, I use both hands.  It's axually a 2-1/4, stamped on it. See?  ;) ;D

Don't need as much spring or swing if you use on frozen green wood with straight grain.  :D

[isawlogs]

 

   

             

[tonich]

Then I’m beaten! – it is not Ulmus   :-[ :-\



PS. Yet another reason to visit NB.  ;)

[SwampDonkey]

Then I'm beaten! – it is not Ulmus   :-[ :-\



PS. Yet another reason to visit NB.  ;)

All I'm gonna say is there must be some real knarly elm growing in some places.  ;D Ours grow straight and tall here, even the polewood are branchless for 15 feet.   

[Ron Scott]

The bark and leaf photos make it an easy "ironwood". A large one though, larger than most we see here.