*Excellent information once again, I just watched your Chisel Sharpening video.* I left your comment there look forward to hear from you keep up the great work by for now God-bless..
Its good to see that there is finally more axe content coming out that doesn't suck and that there is hope that reprofiling axes to actually chop might become normal instead of the exception. I would add though, that any axe that is not harder than it should be can be filed easily enough with a good file. I basically almost never use power tools to set up an axe. A good sized double cut file, like a 14 inch mill bastard will make removing the majority of the steel go fairly quick. It takes longer, but it is safer, especially for people not used to grinding tempered tools on a machine. It is also harder to make mistakes in the grind. I have a belt grinder, I just mostly prefer the file. I hope no one thinks they need to go buy a power grinder to set up a tool that predates power tools. For info on filing axes, people can see my videos, ben scott's, or Kevin's disobedience.
Top fella there! I actually learned to reprofile axes via your very good videos. I also use a file for it. Takes some time, but the outcome justifies it. Cheers
I can confirm that. I reprofiled my axe with a course metal file. It didn't take too long. Of course you want some kind of work-holding to make the job easier (as always when using hand tools).
This is one subject i know tons about. Living on the navajo reservation means using wood stoves every winter. Its 6800ft elv. and i didnt use(or own) a chainsaw till i was 20. But luckily the 2 main wood for use around here is pine and red cedar. So its pretty soft for axes, sledges and wedges. Great video. 👍
I did something similar (reprofiling a big chip in the blade) with a Dremel. It worked ok but you need a steady hand as the tool is small. The best tool is sometimes just the one you have.
I worked on a trail crew in idaho where we couldn't use anything mechanized in the wilderness area so hand tools had to be as sharp as possible. Taking the 'cheeks' off of brush axes was done with a file and did take some time. Saftey awareness was imperative because a missed strike or a glanced throw had the potential to cause massive serious injuries and being three or four days to pack out was always in the back of my mind.
@@kniferewiewscool2646 yeah, because "ya got a spare" just ain't cutting it when you have to hoof it back on one foot. As I well learned when I crushed some toes moving some pipes. Rained like an SOB after that dance! Downside, now I know the weather in advance from a few toes advice. :/
So I have been using axes for years to drop trees and limb them out. I have put a lot of axes back into service. It’s no joke when I say that was one of the best presentations on how to get it I have ever seen. Well done sir. Well done. Much respect.
this reminds me of an old english felling axe I used in my teens, Ive always reprofiled my axes to look as much like it as I can, the Ellwell felling axe had very long cheeks and a relatively narrow cutting edge, was exceptionally tough and floated through hard and softwoods because it was thinned out in the right way. spot on with your reprofiling and I can confirm anything but power tools takes eons.
The majority of the axes you can buy today are for splitting. The felling axes were extremely varied in England as they were used by different cutters for different types of felling. The timber cutters had really long heads which was super thin and with a hammer head for driving in felling wedges. The copse cutters axes had a shorter head to work in the confined space between the stems. I still have an elwell bill hook and handbill in the shed. Great steel that holds an edge for ever.
I have learned more about sharpening and function of cutting tools from you than anywhere else. Some I figured out through experience and perseverance. But you confirmed my theories and taught me a lot more with your videos! Thank you! I still get a good laugh every time your $24.99 knife video comes up! Love the humor and time you put into your videos! Jeff
I’m impressed with the performance you got out of your grind, to be sure. But I have seen similar results with a mill bastard file and a lot of dedicated filing on my Plumb and Collins axes. It’s all about the grind (or filing) angle. Love your channel, I turn to you for tech on knives quite frequently. Carry on.
Oh, I know. I maintain cutting tools for a municipal forestry department, as well as my own equipment, and will take the mechanical advantage when I can. I just wanted folks to know that it’s possible with hand tools.
I once reprofiled a Cold Steel Perfect Balance throwing knife from the deep hollow grind to a convex grind with a cheap angle grinder. It took a very long time & took a lot of care. I knew when I was finished by observing the uniformityof the reflected light on the blade surface. So 'optical comparison' aka 'taking a look.' 😁
I started making knives way back in the eighties,when I was a kid,and I still make them too this day, and you are spot on about edge geometry and using the correct grit for axes, the first axe that I rebeveled,I flat ground it,and took the contour out, then I mirror polished it, and YEP, it got stuck, so bad that the handle would break off Everytime I tried too pry it loose. plus you're spot on about overheating the metal, once that steel reaches 300 thru 400 degrees then the temper is toast, then it's back in the fire to be reharded, and tempered which is time consuming. great job on the video, hope too see more of your work.
LOVED the slo-mo splitting sequence! I find splitting wood to be very good for mental health & physical health...I just can't get my wife to do it :( Just cuz you're retired doesn't mean ya can't split firewood
Your the first utuber I've seen that knows this ! My grandfather and my dad knew this and tought it to me . But we used a file , and tuned it up with a stone out hunting
Your videos are awesome. Very well made and flow of thought is easily tracked. Just some info on my experiences: I found a shaving sharp axe and a "sharp enough" axe cut wood with the same efficiency, so I stopped obsessing about making an axe bit sharp as a knife. That razor sharp edge is beaten over & out on the first few chops and the result is the "sharp enough" bit for the rest of the session anyways. The non mirror polish is a good idea. Two slick surfaces like a mirror bit and wood of a clean face cut will stick as you said. My favorite Basque axes, even with their amazing geometry can be sticky. The round bits in soft wood especially. The straight bit Basque axes do better in pine/softwoods than hardwoods, but the round bits penetrate the hardwoods better. (I actually think that's why they made two styles) To alleviate the side slap of the bit while bucking, don't twist your wrists. Angle your body to a 45 degree and chop down straight. This will naturally give the cut angle desired for bucking. Safer too since the axe is far less prone to side slap and bouncing/glancing off.
That's insane. I hear my house with oak and won't touch it with anything less than a large splitting maul. To see that axe cut through those chunks and rounds like butter is awesome. I'd love to learn how to do this - thanks for the great video!
I believe its best to use an axe for chopping, and use a maul for splitting. Some of the logs up here in WV take a bit influencing, like Elm where an axe either bounces off or just gets stuck. I completely agree with slimming the profile though.
Definitely depends on where you are. Here in southern New England, I find that a maul burns more calories, compared to a good axe. With the wood that I am faced with here, a light-weight, sharp, wooden handle axe gets me more work done in a day. White Oak is common, Red Oak is not as common, but is something I see every day, Black Oak will show itself, but not every day. I like to keep some wedges and a maul nearby, for when I am faced with a Black Oak, but they don't get a lot of use. Because of 'Dutch Elm Disease', we don't see very much elm here, and if we do, we tend to leave it standing.
I am starting out at 75 yo 😂. There is something about the smile on a Eastern European craftsmen face, who with sweat, files, and cloth covered vises create works of exquisite beauty. I have power tools galore. But hand filing at a certain point is wonderfulness. 😅😂😊 imho (yes, I don’t have to earn my keep👍🏻)
I keep a double bit with a scalpel on on side and utility edge on the other. All of my felling happens with the sharp side and most of my rough hueing or chopping happens with the dull side. I always tune my ax but never in the middle of the arch to the extent you do but I am definitely going to check it out because you make sense. Thanks for the vid.
How did RUclips know that I sharpened my axe yesterday? Looks like I'm sharpening it again tomorrow.. I've got about 1/2 tonne of Black Wattle to split, rounds are 700mm - 800mm across and weigh 20 to 30kgs, need all the help I can get. The wood is like iron. Oh well, another year dodging gym fees. Cheers for the video, most thought provoking.
One point that might be beneficial is to be careful of this for antique or vintage axes. Some were made by with wrought iron or other low carbon steel and forge welding a strip of high carbon steel into a slot formed in the cutting edge (like a hot dog in a bun). If too much material is removed on this style if axe head you will expose the weld joint and cause it to break off and fail. Only do this with an axe made entirely of high carbon steel.
Respectfully i have to disagree. Axes made by forge welding a high carbon bit in a slot formed in the cutting edge don't fail in the way to have described for a number of reasons. Firstly a forge welded joint is incredibly strong, it is just as strong as the metal surrounding it and thus is no more likely to fail than a monosteel axe head. Secondly you would have to grind away so much material to expose much of the joint that you would barely have an axe left. The cases where forge welds fail is when the weld has not been done correctly from the start and you get a partial weld in which case what you describing might happen but again you would have to grind away so much material to endanger even a poor weld that it is unlikely and in 20 years of restoring vintage axes i have never seen this happen nor heard of it happening amongst my peers. Finally the forged construction you are describing is relatively rare even in vintage and antique axes so you are unlikely to run into them in the first place however if you do you wont have problems for the reasons detailed above. I write all this to encourage you and anyone else reading to go out and restore vintage axes and not worry about this as it is immensely fun and rewarding to give an old tool new life and perhaps even make it better than it was the day it was made. Kind regards, Tim
Thanks for the info as always. I have been trying to do this on my hatchet. Only tool i have is an angle grinder. DON'T, or be extremely careful. My disk split and put an inch long piece of the reinforcing mesh inside the disk into my finger through my gloves. The finger had to be opened with a scalpel to remove the piece and clean the wound. Just my experience, do as you wish but be careful.
It is a beautiful thing to see you chopping from the left and the right to remove the largest chunks possible. Yes, it is an art form so few study. Why waste energy just pounding willy nilly. Strategic placement of every chop. I love it. Nice to hear the crackel of big pieces wedged out of there. Also nice splitting!
Thanks for making this video and showing us how to make our own ax shave sharp. I can't wait to try this with my ax -- suitable only for use as a large butter knife.
I have an axe that was passed down to me from my great-great grandfather. It's had the handle replaced three times, and the head replaced twice. But it's still cutting like new.
I generally use a double bitted ax, with one side very sharp and the other side sharp enough. If i am chopping where the cut is close to the ground or the wood is dirty, i use the not so sharp side. When splitting a wood block i tilt the ax to hit the wood and have the weight of the ax head pry the cut apart...
If you're trying to do reprofiling manually by hand, you clamp it in a vise and use a file. (Sometimes it's surprising how much bite a good hardened file will have vs. the metal used for a blade.) But yeah it does take a bit of time. Save the stones and sandpaper for the finishing steps.
Thanks a lot for this video. A lot of people seem to completely forget that sharp things cut more than blunt things or that metal is much stronger than wood when it comes to axes lol.
Sorry if I missed it, but is there a certain edge angle to shoot for on an axe? Thanks! Awesome channel btw! I’ve learned everything I know about sharpening here.
My man, another great video. You just seem to answer questions before they are asked. You do so all while cutting out the bullshit formalities. Jason Knight is the only other person that not only makes sense but doesn't bore me to death. Just discovered some of your house restoration videos and I have enjoyed those very much as well, Keep it up brotha. Go Buckeyes
Terrific! You certainly know how to make an ordinary axe into a awesome one! If Noah ever has to build an ark again, I'll let him know your secret. He'll then be able to cut a forest in half the time! 🙏👍✌️🇬🇧
It is very interesting to see how different principles are used in how axes are made and used in your case and what I am used to. I live in Europe (Hungary) and most axes here are more like sharpened hammers than precision blades like yours. Mutch thicker blades with higher angle tapers. They work by using enough momentum to barely enter the wood but force it apart enough to start a crack in it. I was taught not to really sharpen an axe as it doesn't need a knifes edge. Their edges are very durable this way but they can't cut across the grain like yours does. The style of axe you use was probably also present here at some point but with different kinds of saws being so easily available they don't really exist anymore outside of highly specialised environments.
there are different axes for different purposes. there are carving axes, which can have a straight edge, carpentry axes, which have a chisel grind and a crooked handle that allow for quickly processing timber, felling axes designed specifically to cut cross grain and splitting axes specifically designed to cut along the grain. the main two sorts of axes i'm going to be talking about are felling axes (which are the focus of this video) and splitting axes. a felling axe needs to be hefty but also thin for it to be capable of cutting through the tough wood fibres, that's why this guy is grinding down the bevel to make the edge thinner, thus greatly reducing the friction the blade experiences as it passes through the wood. a splitting axe needs to have a broad head and a steep angle as it isn't supposed to cut the wood as much as just wedging itself in there to force the fibres apart, rather than cutting them. the reason why you don't see axes like what this guy is making is that most hardware stores either sell multi purpose axes, which have a thinner profile, but a steep bevel, which is supposed to make it so they can cut cross grain and split wood, but in reality just suck at everything and some hardware stores do sell dedicated splitting mauls as well, but those are really bad at cutting cross grain. finding a dedicated felling axe in a hardware store is an extremely rare thing, so you have to either order a dedicated felling axe from a company that specializes in making those like Gränsförs Bruk OR you buy a cheap multi purpose axe from the hardware store and then put in the work to re-profile the edge and of putting a longer handle on it.
I have done this to many many axes using a file and finishing with an axe stone or sandpaper mounted on a wooden block. Lumberjacks of yesteryear cleared vast forests with axes and saws but with no powertools to keep their tools sharp. A good axe file will take off a lot of steel in short order.
Don't have a belt grinder, but I have been using a Dwalt angle grinder for a couple of decades to sharpen my axes. It always gets my axes very sharp. Now I want a belt grinder to step up my game!
I spent a fair bit on my axe (at least by my standards), so I was nervous about fiddling with the edge geometry, but I think I'll take my calipers and my grinder see what I can do with it.
Sweet video learned much. Not having all the equipment means doing everything by hand. I have yet to find anyone local who sharpens axes. Hmmm. Chainsaws and wood splitters. That’s a general rule around here. Still I have a few axes that REALLY NEED PROFILING! I live in western New York. Most of my area is populated by Amish folks. Talk about doing things the old ways!
This can be done with a good set of 10-12 inch files and c-clamps nearly as fast. In fact it is easier to develop and control the desired crescent pattern and convex profile. The US Forest Service has great videos on this since they maintain areas where fuel-powered tools aren't allowed.
You want to make sure that you don't mess up the high centerline if it's an American axe. This keeps the surface contact to a small area to reduce friction. It's also important for chip removal. Thinning is fine you just don't want a flat spot.
Of course there are different axes depending on the use such as splitting ot cutting and one point that is very important as accuracy in the cutting so that the cut goes in the right place not sprayed all over the place. During the CovID19 restrictions I "rebuilt" seven axes, 5 that were just heads sitting around somewhere and a couple of existing old axes. Yes you can reprofile a splitting axe to be a cutting axe, but it can be a lot of work.
to be fair that log's been down a good long while. Most of us use the axe for splitting, and we fell with chainsaws. I used a double bitted as my splitter for decades and it was and ancient tool easily a hundred years older than me, the smith made it thin. It is a great splitter. Way better than a maul.
A word of caution about a proper thin bit felling axe. Be wary of extreme COLD temperatures. The colder the steel, the more brittle it becomes. Felling axes have been known to fracture upon impact in frozen wood. Some go so far as to keep their axe warm indoors and keep the head tucked under their coat whenever possible raising the temp. above ambient when working in very cold temperatures.
You received some criticism for various things in this video. I happen to know several experienced axemen who commented in this video who didn't offer criticism but commendation...I found your challenge to the critics to demonstrate and race very humorous....nice video sir...
Its not like I haven't tried other methods or different things. I say do what works best for you and your surroundings. What works for me doesn't work for everyone.👍
Great video and I totally agree. I first saw this cheek thinning technique for better cutting some time ago in one of Skillcult's video and I'm sure Steve will like this video as well :D I've been reprofiling each and every axe that I own like that ever since.
Sry I lost my concentration for a sec at "axe cheeks", giggled like I was back in grade school. Great Content, left a like and hit the bell for ya. Stay safe and healthy.
i found it interesting to view the slo-mo splitting in youtube's .25-speed. it appears the log splits all the way to the bottom just as the "cheek" portion _begins_ its entry into the top surface. i think that supports Outdoors55's specific thinning regimen, as it probably results in getting to that point in the impact with more energy preserved.
i love these northern hemisphere videos. Just about all timber being cut is a soft wood. Here in Australia, just about ALL trees are hardwoods, with many much harder than oak.We tend to use saws to cut wood and an axe for splitting.
I’ve done the same with an angle grinder, works great! I’ve also reprofiled a thick splitting axe with a file. It worked, but I’ll never do that again…
To do it by hand I would use a nice new mill file. They are surprisingly efficient at removing material and surprisingly controllable to get desired angles. But think of it like a whole series of little precision cutters rather than an abrasion material you rub back and forth. So you only want to cut in the forward direction then lift the file return and repeat. Get in the habit of using the whole length of the file against the work piece through the stroke to spread the wear out so that you don't just prematurely dull the middle section. I have reprofiled and sharpened several axes this way. Once I even thinned out a beautiful old axe too much and the edge folded, ruining it. Perhaps it was already so worn that I was also getting back into steel that wasn't hardened, which combined with that thin profile led to failure? I still have it, I should do a hardness test and look at re heat treating it if necessary.
@@eachday9538 It doesn't blunt the file. It does help clear chips from the teeth, and actually cut a little too. Different technique for different things. Only push is more controlled removal back and forward is for rapid removal.
@@autumn5592 Yeah, not convinced. Proper old school tradesmen, fitter and turners, taught me that. I always imagined the theory would be that back and forth cause metal fatigue on the cutting tips like if you bend wire back and forth it'll snap, or maybe it just bends the tip over so it won't bite. I'm not sure. But doing some quick googling just now it seems most file teeth are definitely angled to only cut in one direction and several articles I found say don't file back and forth because it dulls the file. I couldn't find any articles to dispute that.
@@eachday9538 Fireball tools has a very good video on it, disproving the myth. Files DO only actively cut in one direction, however, because it is harder than the material it is filing, it will 'scrape' material on the backstroke, like a card scraper on wood. This old tony also has a video about it iirc. He likened files to a hacksaw blade. He asked if teeth only cut in one direction, if they only cut in one direction why do we move backwards in the cut with them, surely it would damage the blades? Files don't experience wear like that, they don't bend, they break, because they are so hard. Filing backwards does not put any significant strain on the teeth (especially when supported by the other rows), so cannot damage them. Just because something was done a particular way for a long time doesnt mean it's correct or the right way. That said, there are benefits to only pushing, but it depends on application.
I certainly agree for cutting a narrower profile would work better. Look how narrow profile the old hewing axes are. But I don’t see the advantage when used for splitting
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Check the description for things mentioned in the video. Thanks for watching!
*Excellent information once again, I just watched your Chisel Sharpening video.* I left your comment there look forward to hear from you keep up the great work by for now God-bless..
Holy crap that's a sharp axe. Hope u are doing well.
Please explain the proper technique to use an axe
Dang fella, that’s a great way to lose a foot, chunking or not. Otherwise, your videos are great.'
Its good to see that there is finally more axe content coming out that doesn't suck and that there is hope that reprofiling axes to actually chop might become normal instead of the exception. I would add though, that any axe that is not harder than it should be can be filed easily enough with a good file. I basically almost never use power tools to set up an axe. A good sized double cut file, like a 14 inch mill bastard will make removing the majority of the steel go fairly quick. It takes longer, but it is safer, especially for people not used to grinding tempered tools on a machine. It is also harder to make mistakes in the grind. I have a belt grinder, I just mostly prefer the file. I hope no one thinks they need to go buy a power grinder to set up a tool that predates power tools. For info on filing axes, people can see my videos, ben scott's, or Kevin's disobedience.
Top fella there! I actually learned to reprofile axes via your very good videos. I also use a file for it. Takes some time, but the outcome justifies it. Cheers
I can confirm that. I reprofiled my axe with a course metal file. It didn't take too long. Of course you want some kind of work-holding to make the job easier (as always when using hand tools).
I remember putting the Shiney on my flintlock octagonal barrel with a file.
This is one subject i know tons about. Living on the navajo reservation means using wood stoves every winter. Its 6800ft elv. and i didnt use(or own) a chainsaw till i was 20. But luckily the 2 main wood for use around here is pine and red cedar. So its pretty soft for axes, sledges and wedges. Great video. 👍
Careful with creasote buildup in your chimney. Burning sappy wood like pine is a good way to get a chimney fire.
@@joecoastie99 you know so much more then the native Americans. Good for you
Flagstaff here Bro. I'm a tree worker. Lot's our wood goes to the reservation. Happy winter to you.
@@wonderweasle2212 you’re a wanker. Good for you.
@@joecoastie99 hahahhaahahahahahahahahaha
Definitely one of RUclips's most underrated channels! Production and the commentary are great. Plus your humor always gets a laugh out of me.
Appreciate that!👍👊👊👊
Your Mars joke followed by the macro shots of the belt was pretty awesome!
The same can be done with care and and angle grinder with flap wheels. Its pretty easy as long as you go slow
For sure! Ive done several with a grinder. Forgot to mention it in the video. Thanks for the comment 👍
I used a file. No, it was not fun.
@@johanneswerner1140 I was thinking about doing the same thing a file, how long did it take?
@@johanneswerner1140 you either had a bad quality file or too fine
I did something similar (reprofiling a big chip in the blade) with a Dremel. It worked ok but you need a steady hand as the tool is small.
The best tool is sometimes just the one you have.
The sound of that sharp edge cutting cleanly through the paper is music to my ears! Nicely done.
Hello how are you doing 😊
@@helenarusso bot
I worked on a trail crew in idaho where we couldn't use anything mechanized in the wilderness area so hand tools had to be as sharp as possible. Taking the 'cheeks' off of brush axes was done with a file and did take some time. Saftey awareness was imperative because a missed strike or a glanced throw had the potential to cause massive serious injuries and being three or four days to pack out was always in the back of my mind.
Yeah a missed strike fucked up my foot with a misstrike. gotta be carefull
@@kniferewiewscool2646 yeah, because "ya got a spare" just ain't cutting it when you have to hoof it back on one foot.
As I well learned when I crushed some toes moving some pipes. Rained like an SOB after that dance! Downside, now I know the weather in advance from a few toes advice. :/
So I have been using axes for years to drop trees and limb them out. I have put a lot of axes back into service. It’s no joke when I say that was one of the best presentations on how to get it I have ever seen. Well done sir. Well done. Much respect.
this reminds me of an old english felling axe I used in my teens, Ive always reprofiled my axes to look as much like it as I can, the Ellwell felling axe had very long cheeks and a relatively narrow cutting edge, was exceptionally tough and floated through hard and softwoods because it was thinned out in the right way. spot on with your reprofiling and I can confirm anything but power tools takes eons.
The majority of the axes you can buy today are for splitting. The felling axes were extremely varied in England as they were used by different cutters for different types of felling. The timber cutters had really long heads which was super thin and with a hammer head for driving in felling wedges. The copse cutters axes had a shorter head to work in the confined space between the stems. I still have an elwell bill hook and handbill in the shed. Great steel that holds an edge for ever.
I have learned more about sharpening and function of cutting tools from you than anywhere else. Some I figured out through experience and perseverance. But you confirmed my theories and taught me a lot more with your videos! Thank you! I still get a good laugh every time your $24.99 knife video comes up! Love the humor and time you put into your videos! Jeff
Yes I would like to see more axe videos!!! Interesting! Like all of them, no matter the subject. Always learn something!
You’re the Apex, God of the edges. I graduated from the school of sharpening watching your videos. Thanks for everything. ❤
I’m impressed with the performance you got out of your grind, to be sure. But I have seen similar results with a mill bastard file and a lot of dedicated filing on my Plumb and Collins axes. It’s all about the grind (or filing) angle. Love your channel, I turn to you for tech on knives quite frequently. Carry on.
Ive done two or three with a file and finally said screw that😂 Thanks for the comment really appreciate it👍👊
Oh, I know. I maintain cutting tools for a municipal forestry department, as well as my own equipment, and will take the mechanical advantage when I can. I just wanted folks to know that it’s possible with hand tools.
@@OUTDOORS55 I use a handheld angle grinder, it does take a bit of finesse with the tool but I have a LOT of experience with one. 🤓🍻
@@alsaunders7805 same, a grinder gets u so far if u got experience.
I once reprofiled a Cold Steel Perfect Balance throwing knife from the deep hollow grind to a convex grind with a cheap angle grinder. It took a very long time & took a lot of care. I knew when I was finished by observing the uniformityof the reflected light on the blade surface. So 'optical comparison' aka 'taking a look.' 😁
I started making knives way back in the eighties,when I was a kid,and I still make them too this day, and you are spot on about edge geometry and using the correct grit for axes, the first axe that I rebeveled,I flat ground it,and took the contour out, then I mirror polished it, and YEP, it got stuck, so bad that the handle would break off Everytime I tried too pry it loose. plus you're spot on about overheating the metal, once that steel reaches 300 thru 400 degrees then the temper is toast, then it's back in the fire to be reharded, and tempered which is time consuming. great job on the video, hope too see more of your work.
LOVED the slo-mo splitting sequence! I find splitting wood to be very good for mental health & physical health...I just can't get my wife to do it :( Just cuz you're retired doesn't mean ya can't split firewood
Cutting into oak like that is really something. Thanks for the lesson.
8:44 those shaved hairs flying off with the backlight lighting them up... That shot is EPIC (and that axe scary sharp!)
Your the first utuber I've seen that knows this ! My grandfather and my dad knew this and tought it to me . But we used a file , and tuned it up with a stone out hunting
Your videos are awesome. Very well made and flow of thought is easily tracked. Just some info on my experiences: I found a shaving sharp axe and a "sharp enough" axe cut wood with the same efficiency, so I stopped obsessing about making an axe bit sharp as a knife. That razor sharp edge is beaten over & out on the first few chops and the result is the "sharp enough" bit for the rest of the session anyways. The non mirror polish is a good idea. Two slick surfaces like a mirror bit and wood of a clean face cut will stick as you said. My favorite Basque axes, even with their amazing geometry can be sticky. The round bits in soft wood especially. The straight bit Basque axes do better in pine/softwoods than hardwoods, but the round bits penetrate the hardwoods better. (I actually think that's why they made two styles)
To alleviate the side slap of the bit while bucking, don't twist your wrists. Angle your body to a 45 degree and chop down straight. This will naturally give the cut angle desired for bucking. Safer too since the axe is far less prone to side slap and bouncing/glancing off.
I don’t think I’ve ever watched your videos without learning something valuable! Most enjoyable! Thanks!
Ok, so now we need 10 hr. version of you just cutting a wood, very satisfying)
Tend to agree, thinning an axe is generally a good thing, tried it years ago, liked it, continued to do it.
That's insane. I hear my house with oak and won't touch it with anything less than a large splitting maul. To see that axe cut through those chunks and rounds like butter is awesome. I'd love to learn how to do this - thanks for the great video!
Wow! Impressed with the shaving of your arm!
I believe its best to use an axe for chopping, and use a maul for splitting. Some of the logs up here in WV take a bit influencing, like Elm where an axe either bounces off or just gets stuck. I completely agree with slimming the profile though.
Definitely depends on where you are. Here in southern New England, I find that a maul burns more calories, compared to a good axe. With the wood that I am faced with here, a light-weight, sharp, wooden handle axe gets me more work done in a day. White Oak is common, Red Oak is not as common, but is something I see every day, Black Oak will show itself, but not every day. I like to keep some wedges and a maul nearby, for when I am faced with a Black Oak, but they don't get a lot of use. Because of 'Dutch Elm Disease', we don't see very much elm here, and if we do, we tend to leave it standing.
Technique makes sense, explanation is right on the point. Good video, as always!
can you do a video on garden tools? Id love to hear your thoughts about shears, scissors, and machetes!
Thanks Alex, great advise. and your sentence;
“This is axe grinding, this is not sending a rocketship to mars” !that’s humor. Congrats
I am starting out at 75 yo 😂. There is something about the smile on a Eastern European craftsmen face, who with sweat, files, and cloth covered vises create works of exquisite beauty. I have power tools galore. But hand filing at a certain point is wonderfulness.
😅😂😊 imho (yes, I don’t have to earn my keep👍🏻)
I keep a double bit with a scalpel on on side and utility edge on the other. All of my felling happens with the sharp side and most of my rough hueing or chopping happens with the dull side. I always tune my ax but never in the middle of the arch to the extent you do but I am definitely going to check it out because you make sense. Thanks for the vid.
Thanks for addressing this topic. I'm glad you're not afraid to buck conventional wisdom when the evidence leads you there.
How did RUclips know that I sharpened my axe yesterday? Looks like I'm sharpening it again tomorrow.. I've got about 1/2 tonne of Black Wattle to split, rounds are 700mm - 800mm across and weigh 20 to 30kgs, need all the help I can get. The wood is like iron. Oh well, another year dodging gym fees.
Cheers for the video, most thought provoking.
One point that might be beneficial is to be careful of this for antique or vintage axes. Some were made by with wrought iron or other low carbon steel and forge welding a strip of high carbon steel into a slot formed in the cutting edge (like a hot dog in a bun). If too much material is removed on this style if axe head you will expose the weld joint and cause it to break off and fail. Only do this with an axe made entirely of high carbon steel.
Respectfully i have to disagree. Axes made by forge welding a high carbon bit in a slot formed in the cutting edge don't fail in the way to have described for a number of reasons. Firstly a forge welded joint is incredibly strong, it is just as strong as the metal surrounding it and thus is no more likely to fail than a monosteel axe head. Secondly you would have to grind away so much material to expose much of the joint that you would barely have an axe left. The cases where forge welds fail is when the weld has not been done correctly from the start and you get a partial weld in which case what you describing might happen but again you would have to grind away so much material to endanger even a poor weld that it is unlikely and in 20 years of restoring vintage axes i have never seen this happen nor heard of it happening amongst my peers. Finally the forged construction you are describing is relatively rare even in vintage and antique axes so you are unlikely to run into them in the first place however if you do you wont have problems for the reasons detailed above. I write all this to encourage you and anyone else reading to go out and restore vintage axes and not worry about this as it is immensely fun and rewarding to give an old tool new life and perhaps even make it better than it was the day it was made. Kind regards, Tim
Thanks for the info as always. I have been trying to do this on my hatchet. Only tool i have is an angle grinder. DON'T, or be extremely careful. My disk split and put an inch long piece of the reinforcing mesh inside the disk into my finger through my gloves. The finger had to be opened with a scalpel to remove the piece and clean the wound. Just my experience, do as you wish but be careful.
Don't use cutting disc for surface grinding, I guess.
It is a beautiful thing to see you chopping from the left and the right to remove the largest chunks possible. Yes, it is an art form so few study. Why waste energy just pounding willy nilly. Strategic placement of every chop. I love it. Nice to hear the crackel of big pieces wedged out of there. Also nice splitting!
Thanks for the video, always enjoy watching!
I had hoped it would turn into a literal laser beam. Even so, the video did not disappoint!
Thanks for making this video and showing us how to make our own ax shave sharp. I can't wait to try this with my ax -- suitable only for use as a large butter knife.
I have an axe that was passed down to me from my great-great grandfather. It's had the handle replaced three times, and the head replaced twice. But it's still cutting like new.
Hello Craig how are you doing 😊
I generally use a double bitted ax, with one side very sharp and the other side sharp enough. If i am chopping where the cut is close to the ground or the wood is dirty, i use the not so sharp side. When splitting a wood block i tilt the ax to hit the wood and have the weight of the ax head pry the cut apart...
I must admit that I learned something from your channel. Not just this video.
I really like this ax based content!
Fantastic info for all ,I've never seen any one else address this issue in this manor.
Thanks for this great video!
If you're trying to do reprofiling manually by hand, you clamp it in a vise and use a file. (Sometimes it's surprising how much bite a good hardened file will have vs. the metal used for a blade.) But yeah it does take a bit of time. Save the stones and sandpaper for the finishing steps.
Sharpening Axes isn't something I have a vast amount of so this was really useful, nice one :)
That grinder doesn’t look like a bucktool. What’s the one you’re working on? I see the kbac speed controller.
Thanks a lot for this video. A lot of people seem to completely forget that sharp things cut more than blunt things or that metal is much stronger than wood when it comes to axes lol.
Really good vid! I'm going to tackle mine with an angle grinder. Thanks!
Hello how are you doing 😊
Sorry if I missed it, but is there a certain edge angle to shoot for on an axe? Thanks! Awesome channel btw! I’ve learned everything I know about sharpening here.
You did a nice job on axe .
My man, another great video. You just seem to answer questions before they are asked. You do so all while cutting out the bullshit formalities. Jason Knight is the only other person that not only makes sense but doesn't bore me to death. Just discovered some of your house restoration videos and I have enjoyed those very much as well, Keep it up brotha.
Go Buckeyes
Hello Fred how are you doing 😊
@@helenarusso Im good and you? You know Elizabeth?
@@fredsanford336 Hello Fred nice to hear from you. No i don’t know the Elizabeth you talking about.
Where are you originally from?
Excellent! Very informative, now all i need is some time to tend to my trusty Axe.
Love the asmr at the end. So satisfying!😊
The hults brukh kisa felling axe is fantastic. Super nice behind the edge.
Terrific!
You certainly know how to make an ordinary axe into a awesome one!
If Noah ever has to build an ark again, I'll let him know your secret. He'll then be able to cut a forest in half the time! 🙏👍✌️🇬🇧
It is very interesting to see how different principles are used in how axes are made and used in your case and what I am used to. I live in Europe (Hungary) and most axes here are more like sharpened hammers than precision blades like yours. Mutch thicker blades with higher angle tapers. They work by using enough momentum to barely enter the wood but force it apart enough to start a crack in it. I was taught not to really sharpen an axe as it doesn't need a knifes edge. Their edges are very durable this way but they can't cut across the grain like yours does. The style of axe you use was probably also present here at some point but with different kinds of saws being so easily available they don't really exist anymore outside of highly specialised environments.
there are different axes for different purposes.
there are carving axes, which can have a straight edge, carpentry axes, which have a chisel grind and a crooked handle that allow for quickly processing timber, felling axes designed specifically to cut cross grain and splitting axes specifically designed to cut along the grain.
the main two sorts of axes i'm going to be talking about are felling axes (which are the focus of this video) and splitting axes.
a felling axe needs to be hefty but also thin for it to be capable of cutting through the tough wood fibres, that's why this guy is grinding down the bevel to make the edge thinner, thus greatly reducing the friction the blade experiences as it passes through the wood.
a splitting axe needs to have a broad head and a steep angle as it isn't supposed to cut the wood as much as just wedging itself in there to force the fibres apart, rather than cutting them.
the reason why you don't see axes like what this guy is making is that most hardware stores either sell multi purpose axes, which have a thinner profile, but a steep bevel, which is supposed to make it so they can cut cross grain and split wood, but in reality just suck at everything and some hardware stores do sell dedicated splitting mauls as well, but those are really bad at cutting cross grain.
finding a dedicated felling axe in a hardware store is an extremely rare thing, so you have to either order a dedicated felling axe from a company that specializes in making those like Gränsförs Bruk OR you buy a cheap multi purpose axe from the hardware store and then put in the work to re-profile the edge and of putting a longer handle on it.
I have done this to many many axes using a file and finishing with an axe stone or sandpaper mounted on a wooden block. Lumberjacks of yesteryear cleared vast forests with axes and saws but with no powertools to keep their tools sharp. A good axe file will take off a lot of steel in short order.
Your intro is impressive! *Excellent information thanks for Sharing* I look forward to hearing from you by for now Ken, your new friend
Awesome tutorial! I can’t wait to re-profile my axes now
Video came just when I needed it. Just got a lot of wood to process after having a pine cut down on my property and I turned down the haul away fee 😅
Don't have a belt grinder, but I have been using a Dwalt angle grinder for a couple of decades to sharpen my axes. It always gets my axes very sharp. Now I want a belt grinder to step up my game!
I have certainly used some flap wheels to great effect.
Matt, right on! Right on!
Thanks for the info. Always enjoy your videos. I always learn.
I spent a fair bit on my axe (at least by my standards), so I was nervous about fiddling with the edge geometry, but I think I'll take my calipers and my grinder see what I can do with it.
Informative, truthful, and direct, this is the kind of stuff I want!! I’ve subbed from two different accounts now. Keep ‘‘em coming.👍👍
Sweet video learned much. Not having all the equipment means doing everything by hand. I have yet to find anyone local who sharpens axes. Hmmm. Chainsaws and wood splitters. That’s a general rule around here. Still I have a few axes that REALLY NEED PROFILING!
I live in western New York. Most of my area is populated by Amish folks.
Talk about doing things the old ways!
This can be done with a good set of 10-12 inch files and c-clamps nearly as fast. In fact it is easier to develop and control the desired crescent pattern and convex profile. The US Forest Service has great videos on this since they maintain areas where fuel-powered tools aren't allowed.
Makes perfect sense, but I had never trusted the idea to do it, even though it popped in my head; thanks!
You want to make sure that you don't mess up the high centerline if it's an American axe. This keeps the surface contact to a small area to reduce friction. It's also important for chip removal. Thinning is fine you just don't want a flat spot.
Brother that axe is CHUNKING through the wood. That's better than anything I've worked with.
Of course there are different axes depending on the use such as splitting ot cutting and one point that is very important as accuracy in the cutting so that the cut goes in the right place not sprayed all over the place. During the CovID19 restrictions I "rebuilt" seven axes, 5 that were just heads sitting around somewhere and a couple of existing old axes. Yes you can reprofile a splitting axe to be a cutting axe, but it can be a lot of work.
We need more of your videos 😍👍 pls keep your work up, really appreciate
Ever tried a hultafors from Sweden? They come practically done for the purpose.
I use a spray bottle and my bare hand to keep the temp in check when sharpening on a bench grinder.
That axe is crazy sharp it sticks to the stump when chopping and cuts through like butter
Great content - I learned a lot here. Thank you
to be fair that log's been down a good long while. Most of us use the axe for splitting, and we fell with chainsaws. I used a double bitted as my splitter for decades and it was and ancient tool easily a hundred years older than me, the smith made it thin. It is a great splitter. Way better than a maul.
You can also use a 36 grit fiber disk on an angle grinder to do this.
A word of caution about a proper thin bit felling axe. Be wary of extreme COLD temperatures. The colder the steel, the more brittle it becomes. Felling axes have been known to fracture upon impact in frozen wood. Some go so far as to keep their axe warm indoors and keep the head tucked under their coat whenever possible raising the temp. above ambient when working in very cold temperatures.
You received some criticism for various things in this video. I happen to know several experienced axemen who commented in this video who didn't offer criticism but commendation...I found your challenge to the critics to demonstrate and race very humorous....nice video sir...
Its not like I haven't tried other methods or different things. I say do what works best for you and your surroundings. What works for me doesn't work for everyone.👍
@@OUTDOORS55 Well done...
Great video and I totally agree. I first saw this cheek thinning technique for better cutting some time ago in one of Skillcult's video and I'm sure Steve will like this video as well :D I've been reprofiling each and every axe that I own like that ever since.
Sry I lost my concentration for a sec at "axe cheeks", giggled like I was back in grade school.
Great Content, left a like and hit the bell for ya.
Stay safe and healthy.
I have two axes. One for cutting . A thin blade and one fr splitting. A scandi grind one that I customize w Dremel tools
Thos is useful knowledge for my office job
i found it interesting to view the slo-mo splitting in youtube's .25-speed. it appears the log splits all the way to the bottom just as the "cheek" portion _begins_ its entry into the top surface. i think that supports Outdoors55's specific thinning regimen, as it probably results in getting to that point in the impact with more energy preserved.
That's amazing how well it chops. I had no idea an axe had to be reprofiled. I wonder why they don't just put the correct grind on at the factory?
I have 2 kinds of axes - thick for splitting wood (for my fireplace) and thin for cuting wood. There is place under the sky also for thick axes. 😎
Looks like your having fun outdoors 👍
You sure make some seriously dangerous tools. For that I thank you!
i love these northern hemisphere videos. Just about all timber being cut is a soft wood. Here in Australia, just about ALL trees are hardwoods, with many much harder than oak.We tend to use saws to cut wood and an axe for splitting.
Oak and hickory are not soft woods😂 I dont have any soft woods on the property. Everything is white oak, red oak, hickory some cherry.
What is the belt "x5 nor x belt"; the last belt you are going to use,?
You are amazing, you dedicated yourself to be the honest one who grinds.
What do you think of the Brant and Cochran Allagash crusiser? Was interested in one as an all arounder, but has more of the thicker wedge shape.
I’ve done the same with an angle grinder, works great! I’ve also reprofiled a thick splitting axe with a file. It worked, but I’ll never do that again…
To do it by hand I would use a nice new mill file. They are surprisingly efficient at removing material and surprisingly controllable to get desired angles. But think of it like a whole series of little precision cutters rather than an abrasion material you rub back and forth. So you only want to cut in the forward direction then lift the file return and repeat. Get in the habit of using the whole length of the file against the work piece through the stroke to spread the wear out so that you don't just prematurely dull the middle section. I have reprofiled and sharpened several axes this way. Once I even thinned out a beautiful old axe too much and the edge folded, ruining it. Perhaps it was already so worn that I was also getting back into steel that wasn't hardened, which combined with that thin profile led to failure? I still have it, I should do a hardness test and look at re heat treating it if necessary.
Backstroke on a file is fine, it's faster too.
I do agree with learning to use full strokes though.
@@autumn5592 It'll work, but I was taught it bluntens the file quicker. But I've never tested that.
@@eachday9538 It doesn't blunt the file.
It does help clear chips from the teeth, and actually cut a little too.
Different technique for different things.
Only push is more controlled removal back and forward is for rapid removal.
@@autumn5592 Yeah, not convinced. Proper old school tradesmen, fitter and turners, taught me that. I always imagined the theory would be that back and forth cause metal fatigue on the cutting tips like if you bend wire back and forth it'll snap, or maybe it just bends the tip over so it won't bite. I'm not sure. But doing some quick googling just now it seems most file teeth are definitely angled to only cut in one direction and several articles I found say don't file back and forth because it dulls the file. I couldn't find any articles to dispute that.
@@eachday9538 Fireball tools has a very good video on it, disproving the myth.
Files DO only actively cut in one direction, however, because it is harder than the material it is filing, it will 'scrape' material on the backstroke, like a card scraper on wood.
This old tony also has a video about it iirc.
He likened files to a hacksaw blade.
He asked if teeth only cut in one direction, if they only cut in one direction why do we move backwards in the cut with them, surely it would damage the blades?
Files don't experience wear like that, they don't bend, they break, because they are so hard.
Filing backwards does not put any significant strain on the teeth (especially when supported by the other rows), so cannot damage them.
Just because something was done a particular way for a long time doesnt mean it's correct or the right way.
That said, there are benefits to only pushing, but it depends on application.
Does he do another heat treat? Seems like it would soften the surface up quite a bit.
You did not mention the secondary bevel angle and the width on it.
I make a 30° bevel 1.5mm wide. And use fine diamond honing stone the a strop
This looks fun !!!
I certainly agree for cutting a narrower profile would work better. Look how narrow profile the old hewing axes are. But I don’t see the advantage when used for splitting
Great video! Now i know why my small axe sucks!