It's not as fast as modern metal tools, but it sure beats trying to gnaw it off like a beaver! You can really see how useful the stone tools were to humans, we without big fangs or claws to cut for us. Reminds me of when I was a kid and out playing "cave man" in the woods, I bashed two large granite rocks together until one split and I had a sharp splinter. Used it to cut down a wee sapling, maybe 2-3 cm in diameter, but boy did I feel accomplished doing it!
very nice to watch! I saw one mans online similar effort whos reconstruction used leverage as well to help the tree break early. Love your videos. Keep it up.
This is from a course. People who buy the course are the ones involved. This is an exhibit of his course, not to demonstrate the abilities of the axe per se
you can just reform the edge, no need for a new axe, and have you ever tried uprooting a tree? their roots can span for literally miles, there's a reason we don't uproot trees today, and choose to chainsaw then stump rot
vin 950 there's a guy on RUclips that cuts down trees by making an initial cut around the tree, maybe about an inch deep and then he breaks the tree at that notch by pushing on it. He only does this on smaller trees, but the principle should be the same on bigger trees, just more power and a bigger notch is required. In theory this is a faster way to cut a tree down because the fibers on the outsides of trees are more designed for flexing and bending, while the inner fibers are designed for compression.
@@deandeann1541 Not clever enough, otherwise the Native Americans would have built log cabins and other permanent structures rather than using teepees.
Is there a place that sells large chunks of flint, chert, or obsidian on which to learn knapping skills? The vid of MAKING the axe head and handle were truly of rare greatness.
Nice video. Next time try cleaning out your cuts. Cutting only at an angle peels the wood but slows the work. You want to chip chunks of wood from the tree. it will take you half the time and effort to fell the tree.
Interesting. A modern steel axe could take that tree down with about fifteen blows. But why strike only from above? My experience is that you get the tree down faster by alternating over and under cutting to open a wedge shaped cut.
Awesome !!! The amount of time and craftsmanship /knowledge that went into making this axe /tool was amazing. Where by chance did you purchase the trousers you are wearing in the axe head making segment.Thanks
Two questions: 1. Why would pre-historic man desire a big log? They were nomadic so what would be the use of a big log? (don't say making a canoe). Isn't it more likely the axe was used for trees to thick to break by other means but still useful for example house building? Maybe 10 centimeters / 4 inches? 2. Why would pre-historic man bend to his knees to cut a tree? I don't think they would have any concept of "landscape scarring".
By the end of the stone age people were living in agricultural settlements. Why prehistoric man (or woman) should want a big log? To build a big house. By late stone age times they would have been able to muster large teams equipped with ropes and levers so they would have been able to make quite a large structure.
The ax worked better than I thought and held up well. While I was watching this I had a (probably not original) idea. Ugh and Mug the cave dudes may have set a fire at the base of the tree which they would tend to ensure things did get out of hand. After a while the tree would partially burn through so when the ax is applied to it their is less work to do. A group of people could set fires under several trees. While the big beefy manly men and women worked on chopping down and processing the trees old people, women with small children and older children could tend to the fires. In so doing a not particularly large group of people could fell several trees in a day and put away quit a bit of fire wood and construction material. The cleared land could be used for some kind of primitive agriculture as many "weeds" would grow well in the sunlight and along the clearings edge. Is their any archaeological evidence to support my speculation?
Dan Morgan Some chopped to the middle of the tree, then took coals from the fire, and stuffed them into the cut notch...add some dry material, and chill until it burns to the point where the tree falls. Likewise, they used fire to burn out log canoes and wood burl bowls.
They would have probably stuck with felling smaller diameter trees as otherwise we would have found the Native Americans living in some sort of log cabin-like structures rather than the teepees and other homes which were just a few sticks with hides draped over them. Remember, these were subsistence level people so they wouldn't have had the time for such an undertaking due to them mostly living hand to mouth on what they hunted and gathered each day.
@@seanfoltz7645 No clue where you learned that but Native Americans had in part nomadic life-style. Tipi were used because they were essentially tents. A necessity, when you move around so much. They did have permanent housing structures like pueblos (stone/mud-brick houses) and log houses. Besides, Native Americans is an awfully broad term. nvm, it was apparently a troll comment.
@@zhanibek8384 LOL - you just repeated what I said - that they didn't even have semi-permanent structures. As for them being subsistence level - that's why they were nomadic as they didn't have any crops and herd animals to warrant a permanent structure - subsistence level living is the side effect of having to constantly travel in search of food since your food isn't reliable, surpluses are rare and the ability to store surplus food is limited to what you can carry. All said, America's first colonists failed as other than the Indians wiping out the actual native Americans - Clovis Man - they accomplished nothing, failing to exit the stone age, domesticate animals, construct fixed structures, make cloth from wool/cotton, discover the wheel or develop a written language and this was despite living in the most resource rich continent there was and having no external races/civilizations to compete against for 10,000 years.
In the beginning the guy is making a joke by telling the guy chopping to carve the stump into something and he thinks the guy is making fun of him in some way.
Great axe, too bad none of them appear to know anything about using one to cut down a tree. Cut downwards on one swing then cut upwards on the next swing to remove the chip, this clears the material as you cut. They could have cut that in half the time with half the effort had any of them understood how to use an axe.
They all were very singular with the angle of swing of the axe. You can be through a piece of wood twice as quick by changing the angle back and forth and cutting a notch out every other swing.
Exactly! It was painful to watch...it's very common for people who don't use axes to think you just bang away at it and it will miraculously fall down! You're trying to remove wood, not just hit it like a toddler swinging a steering wheel saying, "look mommy! I'm DRIVING"...smh
@@pinecone3630 It is kid - because stone sucks compared to steel, or even copper and bronze, hence the reason the rest of the world ditched stone the second they figured out how to use metal.
This is why the Native Americans had no real towns nor semi-permanent structures and had to make do with teepees - because of the amount of time and effort it takes to drop a tree with a stone axe, then cut the length to size and notch each end so that it fits into the other trees. Now admittedly, the technique those guys were using sucked, but even putting that aside, I'm pretty sure I could have felled that tree faster with my one handed steel axe then they did with that flint one.
There were many many Native American peoples, and most of them did not dwell in teepees, which were portable dwelling used to follow migrating game. There were Native American groups with some large, complex cities like tenochtitlan.
@@seanfoltz7645 the Aztec are native Americans, also even if you didn't consider them to be they were a civilization with the exact same level of material technology as their Northern cousins.
Its an impressing demonstration on how solid that ax really is, but I know they used hot coals and rocks to "char the tree" first and at the same time pick away with the ax on the material that is now not so solid. Lovely clip, thank you.
It's not as fast as modern metal tools, but it sure beats trying to gnaw it off like a beaver! You can really see how useful the stone tools were to humans, we without big fangs or claws to cut for us. Reminds me of when I was a kid and out playing "cave man" in the woods, I bashed two large granite rocks together until one split and I had a sharp splinter. Used it to cut down a wee sapling, maybe 2-3 cm in diameter, but boy did I feel accomplished doing it!
Great job, men! Now it's time for a pint!
Of Budweiser?
Anything but butt light!@@Bringmeoneofthosechickens
very nice to watch! I saw one mans online similar effort whos reconstruction used leverage as well to help the tree break early. Love your videos. Keep it up.
Maybe next time get someone involved who as actually used an axe before?
This is from a course. People who buy the course are the ones involved. This is an exhibit of his course, not to demonstrate the abilities of the axe per se
Never thought flint would hold up that well. Great video
That amount of time and effort.... really shows how important wood was to early man. Did you resharpen the axe at any point? or was it all one edge?
wonder the same
you can just reform the edge, no need for a new axe, and have you ever tried uprooting a tree? their roots can span for literally miles, there's a reason we don't uproot trees today, and choose to chainsaw then stump rot
vin 950 there's a guy on RUclips that cuts down trees by making an initial cut around the tree, maybe about an inch deep and then he breaks the tree at that notch by pushing on it. He only does this on smaller trees, but the principle should be the same on bigger trees, just more power and a bigger notch is required. In theory this is a faster way to cut a tree down because the fibers on the outsides of trees are more designed for flexing and bending, while the inner fibers are designed for compression.
Keyboard - there were ropes during the stone age. Fiber tech is very old, and primitive people were clever.
@@deandeann1541 Not clever enough, otherwise the Native Americans would have built log cabins and other permanent structures rather than using teepees.
Is there a place that sells large chunks of flint, chert, or obsidian on which to learn knapping skills?
The vid of MAKING the axe head and handle were truly of rare greatness.
The marks left in the wood are quite distinctive.
Nice video. Next time try cleaning out your cuts. Cutting only at an angle peels the wood but slows the work. You want to chip chunks of wood from the tree. it will take you half the time and effort to fell the tree.
Glad some one else noticed that. Was gonna mention that but you took care of it.
If you watch the video they do clear it out.
Interesting. A modern steel axe could take that tree down with about fifteen blows.
But why strike only from above? My experience is that you get the tree down faster by alternating over and under cutting to open a wedge shaped cut.
wow.. very sturdy tool!
Awesome !!! The amount of time and craftsmanship /knowledge that went into making this axe /tool was amazing. Where by chance did you purchase the trousers you are wearing in the axe head making segment.Thanks
Yea! much faster than using your face...😀
It seemed to work quit well for what it is....simple stone ax.
Thanks Will
Best Wishes...😀
Two questions:
1. Why would pre-historic man desire a big log? They were nomadic so what would be the use of a big log? (don't say making a canoe). Isn't it more likely the axe was used for trees to thick to break by other means but still useful for example house building? Maybe 10 centimeters / 4 inches?
2. Why would pre-historic man bend to his knees to cut a tree? I don't think they would have any concept of "landscape scarring".
By the end of the stone age people were living in agricultural settlements.
Why prehistoric man (or woman) should want a big log?
To build a big house.
By late stone age times they would have been able to muster large teams equipped with ropes and levers so they would have been able to make quite a large structure.
These guys have never used an axe
The ax worked better than I thought and held up well. While I was watching this I had a (probably not original) idea. Ugh and Mug the cave dudes may have set a fire at the base of the tree which they would tend to ensure things did get out of hand. After a while the tree would partially burn through so when the ax is applied to it their is less work to do. A group of people could set fires under several trees. While the big beefy manly men and women worked on chopping down and processing the trees old people, women with small children and older children could tend to the fires. In so doing a not particularly large group of people could fell several trees in a day and put away quit a bit of fire wood and construction material. The cleared land could be used for some kind of primitive agriculture as many "weeds" would grow well in the sunlight and along the clearings edge.
Is their any archaeological evidence to support my speculation?
Dan Morgan Some chopped to the middle of the tree, then took coals from the fire, and stuffed them into the cut notch...add some dry material, and chill until it burns to the point where the tree falls. Likewise, they used fire to burn out log canoes and wood burl bowls.
They would have probably stuck with felling smaller diameter trees as otherwise we would have found the Native Americans living in some sort of log cabin-like structures rather than the teepees and other homes which were just a few sticks with hides draped over them.
Remember, these were subsistence level people so they wouldn't have had the time for such an undertaking due to them mostly living hand to mouth on what they hunted and gathered each day.
@@seanfoltz7645 No clue where you learned that but Native Americans had in part nomadic life-style. Tipi were used because they were essentially tents. A necessity, when you move around so much. They did have permanent housing structures like pueblos (stone/mud-brick houses) and log houses. Besides, Native Americans is an awfully broad term.
nvm, it was apparently a troll comment.
@@zhanibek8384 LOL - you just repeated what I said - that they didn't even have semi-permanent structures.
As for them being subsistence level - that's why they were nomadic as they didn't have any crops and herd animals to warrant a permanent structure - subsistence level living is the side effect of having to constantly travel in search of food since your food isn't reliable, surpluses are rare and the ability to store surplus food is limited to what you can carry.
All said, America's first colonists failed as other than the Indians wiping out the actual native Americans - Clovis Man - they accomplished nothing, failing to exit the stone age, domesticate animals, construct fixed structures, make cloth from wool/cotton, discover the wheel or develop a written language and this was despite living in the most resource rich continent there was and having no external races/civilizations to compete against for 10,000 years.
make you big fast or grind you down
Did you check for birds nest before felling as are now within bird nesting season?
In the beginning the guy is making a joke by telling the guy chopping to carve the stump into something and he thinks the guy is making fun of him in some way.
Great axe, too bad none of them appear to know anything about using one to cut down a tree. Cut downwards on one swing then cut upwards on the next swing to remove the chip, this clears the material as you cut. They could have cut that in half the time with half the effort had any of them understood how to use an axe.
0:34 that is a man that doesn't know how to use an axe...
what make you think that?
If you use a stone ax the same way you use one made of iron you would not have a stone ax no more, so I am pretty sure they did better than you think.
They all were very singular with the angle of swing of the axe. You can be through a piece of wood twice as quick by changing the angle back and forth and cutting a notch out every other swing.
yeah but they didnt have that much room for the axe to give it a good swing in that different angle
Exactly! It was painful to watch...it's very common for people who don't use axes to think you just bang away at it and it will miraculously fall down! You're trying to remove wood, not just hit it like a toddler swinging a steering wheel saying, "look mommy! I'm DRIVING"...smh
That's why Indians went to the white man's trading post for steel axes..
@@pinecone3630 It is kid - because stone sucks compared to steel, or even copper and bronze, hence the reason the rest of the world ditched stone the second they figured out how to use metal.
I hope all you assholes that complain about HOW BAD your "x brand" of axe is, take something away from this video.
yeah, x brand is worse than stone
Painful to watch.
This is why the Native Americans had no real towns nor semi-permanent structures and had to make do with teepees - because of the amount of time and effort it takes to drop a tree with a stone axe, then cut the length to size and notch each end so that it fits into the other trees.
Now admittedly, the technique those guys were using sucked, but even putting that aside, I'm pretty sure I could have felled that tree faster with my one handed steel axe then they did with that flint one.
one word Cahokia
There were many many Native American peoples, and most of them did not dwell in teepees, which were portable dwelling used to follow migrating game.
There were Native American groups with some large, complex cities like tenochtitlan.
@@gregkosinski2303 That's the Aztecs - not the American Indians
@@rossbobfdsfvfscx5887 They were piles of dirt with basic, primitive huts built on them.
@@seanfoltz7645 the Aztec are native Americans, also even if you didn't consider them to be they were a civilization with the exact same level of material technology as their Northern cousins.
Its an impressing demonstration on how solid that ax really is, but I know they used hot coals and rocks to "char the tree" first and at the same time pick away with the ax on the material that is now not so solid. Lovely clip, thank you.