The Adze

The place to talk about knives, swords, edged weapons, sticks and impact weapons, restraints, and and the techniques and tools for preparedness and survival without firearms.
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Netpackrat
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The Adze

Post by Netpackrat »

Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in Random. There are probably lots better places to put this than at a gun forum, but I'm not a member of any of those sites, and I know there are people here who will find it interesting.

So, I was talking with my father in law not long after we bought our cabin. I think it might have been when he went out there with us, and I was showing off some of my tools, including the froe and mallet that my dad made for splitting shingles back in the 70s. I mentioned that eventually I was going to buy an adze for working with timbers and such out there, and since we usually try to give each other neat tools for Christmas, it wasn't too much of a surprise when the next time I saw him, he presented me with an old adze head that he had been saving, shown here:

Image

It's got a lot of pits in it, and somebody sanded off most of the rust at some point, such that the manufacturer's mark is visible on the underside of the head. Enough of the mark is still clear enough to get the name of the maker, and a quick Google search brought up lots of info about them. The mark looks closest to the one shown in figure 41 at the link, without the double stamping. There are some punch marks below the bull logo, which may have been an owner's initials or something. I was kind of surprised that the markings showed up as well as they did in this picture:

Image

The founder of the company began making edged tools in Pennsylvania in 1806. The company continued in the hands of his family until at least 1906, and after the company was sold (looks like maybe to another family member), the brand continued on until the 1920s. So, this adze has been kicking around for at least 90 years, and probably a lot longer than that before it eventually wound up on my workbench. It sat there for at least a couple of years, in need of a handle.

As it turns out, you can buy an adze handle for about ten bucks plus shipping from Ace Hardware Outlet on Amazon. The only problem being, they ship the first one to Albany, New York, and then they have to send you another one to the correct address. That struck me as being not a very efficient system of distribution.

Said handle didn't fit my antique head worth a damn, although I'm sure it's probably a good fit for whatever modern manufacture adze it was made for. Fortunately it was too big, so with a lot of trial and error, and trips back and forth to the belt sander, I was able to achieve a decent, tight fit:

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So, now I just need to learn how to sharpen this thing properly. It's actually pretty sharp as it is, and I already used it to mangle a 2x4 without hurting myself. (what, you've never seen a sheet metal brake used as a table before?)
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Denis
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Re: The Adze

Post by Denis »

Lucky you. Well wear!

Now you have to go build a dugout canoe, or a log cabin from scratch, or a timber-framed boat...

I finally get the system: it's magic crates for firearms, and magic OSB for tools.
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Netpackrat
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Re: The Adze

Post by Netpackrat »

Denis wrote:Now you have to go build a dugout canoe, or a log cabin from scratch, or a timber-framed boat...
Father in law is a professional shipwright, which explains what he was doing with a 90+ year old adze head. He doesn't get to do as much woodwork these days as he would like to, from what I gather. I'm pretty sure I don't have it in me to build an entire cabin from scratch. One of our neighbors out there did that, but their cabin is a lot smaller than ours, and they only used logs for the bottom few feet; the rest is sawed lumber.

I might try to build a log sauna, however. Part of our fire prevention efforts include dropping several large spruce trees that are within falling distance of the cabin. I definitely don't want or need any more firewood right now (especially not spruce), and I hate to just get rid of the logs or burn them up in the bonfire. Last time I was out there I peeled all the bark from one using a re-purposed ice chipper, which wasn't too difficult once I figured out the trick. Dragged it under the cabin to dry. Next spring I plan on going in and cutting down more of them, and doing the same while the sap is still running. I'm going to get a real bark spud and probably a broad axe first though.
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati

"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
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Rich
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Re: The Adze

Post by Rich »

How does that lumberjack song go? :lol: :lol: :lol:
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blackeagle603
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Re: The Adze

Post by blackeagle603 »

re: lumberjack song

If you wear a skirt and call it a kilt is it still "women's clothes"


re: tool sharpening
I covet one of these worksharp units. I have their little handheld belt sharpner for knives and like it. It worked nice on an axe I tried it on but it's a bit light for regular use on heavy steel tools.
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Netpackrat
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Re: The Adze

Post by Netpackrat »

One of the books I have on traditional woodworking mentions that the reason the handle is easily removable, is so it may be sharpened on the underside using a grindstone. Since I use a 1" belt sander for grinding steel instead of a grinding wheel, I don't really have something equivalent for that purpose. I usually sharpen axes with a file. I will have to call my father in law and see what he recommends.

I posted the link here to another group I am a member of, and one of the guys there has built a timber framed house; he identified it as a shipwright's adze. That makes sense considering it was given to me by a shipwright. The guy on the other group said the post on the back is for starting holes in timbers for the large nails used in ship construction. My father in law had told me it was for sticking it into the end of a log when you are ready to take a break, and still be easy to remove it (compared to a sharp point). I suspect that both uses were equally common. :mrgreen:
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati

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Netpackrat
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Re: The Adze

Post by Netpackrat »

My father in law saw these pictures, and had the following comment:
Old Haakon used to say " Ven I vas learning to use da adz dey made me vear da stovepipe leggings. Dey hurt more dan da misses vit de adz. I learned mighty qvick.
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati

"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
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gromulin
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Re: The Adze

Post by gromulin »

I've got a couple of those. Dad was an old school carpenter. The length of the handle was custom to the user so they could swing them between the legs safely. A sharp Adze could really ruin a pair of boots.
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MiddleAgedKen
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Re: The Adze

Post by MiddleAgedKen »

Netpackrat wrote:I posted the link here to another group I am a member of, and one of the guys there has built a timber framed house; he identified it as a shipwright's adze. That makes sense considering it was given to me by a shipwright. The guy on the other group said the post on the back is for starting holes in timbers for the large nails used in ship construction. My father in law had told me it was for sticking it into the end of a log when you are ready to take a break, and still be easy to remove it (compared to a sharp point). I suspect that both uses were equally common. :mrgreen:
Heck, the large nails could have been drifts.

This thread brought back something I dimly remember reading back in my subscribing-to-WoodenBoat-magazine days: "Cherish the adze, my son, but shun the broad-axe."
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Netpackrat
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Re: The Adze

Post by Netpackrat »

MiddleAgedKen wrote:This thread brought back something I dimly remember reading back in my subscribing-to-WoodenBoat-magazine days: "Cherish the adze, my son, but shun the broad-axe."
Do you recall if they elaborated on the reason for that?
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati

"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
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