There is a cleaning operation going on at a place close to me. Things are found, sorted, saved, thrown away, and awake questions. Some things we don’t even know what they are for. Among the things that were found, were several axes of different sizes, ages, and models. Unfortunately, the man who collected them is no longer with us, so some questions are left unanswered.
Axes – different models
Given that it is a farm we are talking about, I take it that most axes have been used for making firewood and fence posts. On some of the axes, it´s obvious that the backside has been used a lot.
Of the axes in the photo below (only a few of the found ones), I have used the Husky ax and the rear of the two small ones in the middle. They are both good for wood splitting if the wood is in the right size. The Husky ax I mainly use for tree felling and banging wedges. That was what it was bought for.
Two of the axes stand out. I guess they are called “broad-axes”? They used the kind of axes to chop off people’s heads back in the old days. Today, I have only seen them used in log house building. I haven’t tried, but I doubt they are any good for wood splitting(?).
It would be nice to hear more about them (on the pics below), and of course, about the other ones if anyone has anything to share.
If they could speak
What could they tell if they could speak? It’s a very hypothetical question, I know, but still. What have they experienced? How many times has someone missed the pole and hit the leg? How many winters have the firewood from those axes kept the families on the farm warm? Have they been used in the forest? Probably …
I remember my very first colleague when I started working in the forest. He started his career in the 1930s delimbing trees with an ax. Since then, he couldn´t straighten his fingers out for the rest of his life. But he could swing an ax! That was obvious when he felled trees using wedges.
It would for sure be interesting to hear the stories around those axes.
Photos: Per Jonsson
