Axe & Knife

Use

During this one day course I’ll teach you how to identify the correct axe for the job in hand and then how to carry, store, handle and care for it correctly. We will look at safe and unsafe working practice at each stage and then the efficient and correct way to handle the tool.  I’ll touch on sharpening and general maintenance but that is another course in it’s own right!

After meeting the range of axes that I have for you to try out, we will use each tool for it intended purpose. The finer details of which tools and techniques to work on will be based on the preferences of the group, but here are some examples of what we can cover (if there is something else you are interested in, then just say!):

       Splitting logs                                                 (splitting maul, etc)

       Splitting kindling                                             (hatchets, etc)

       Felling trees                                                  (felling axe and the obligatory SFA)

       Limbing and dismember the tree                     (as above and hatchets)

       Cleaving trees                                               (axes and wedges)

       Hewing a beam                                             (side axe, and felling axe)

       Hollowing a form such as bowl or seat            (hatchets and adze)

       Carving                                                         (hatchet and side axe)

Click on the images below for a better idea of what you could do.

These courses are an introduction to the safe and efficient use of axes, knives, saws and a few other potentially dangerous cutting tools. The Axe course is a day that I often couple with other day-long courses such as the tool sharpening course. General tool use and knife workshops can be tailored for particular groups such as Scouts and Guides (or for the leaders who can then go on and teach the kids in their charge), conservation groups and nature reserve staff, etc. 

As with my sharpening and tool refurbishment courses, these Tool Use days can be tweaked on the spot to encompass the interests of the group. So if people express an interest in learning to use a two-man cross cut saw, but not felling a tree, then I can bring the saw out and we can cut some large logs!

Axe Use

this picture is a little out of date now, I've got at least another dozen axes for people to try out!