An Ax To Grind ~ USDA Forest Service free Guide

[Frank Townend]

This guide published by the USDA Forest Service is an incredible resource for everything ax-related, from beginner to advanced (and it's free!). Filled with succinct and wise passages, clear photos and helpful diagrams, the book explains the in's and out's of felling, limbing, splitting, chopping, bucking, and hewing. Plus, no-nonsense tips on how to swing, grip, sharpen, maintain, select and purchase the right ax for the right job. The subtitle is right: practical.


An Ax to Grind: A Practical Ax Manual
Bernie Weisgerber
1999, 68 pages

Available from USDA Forest Service in HTML
Also available from Clarke Green as a PDF
Also available from the USDA Forest Service in PDF

Edit: note that the PDFs are about 18 Mb and so may take some time to download
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[jeremy levine]

Did you just see this on Cool Tools ? It is a cool guide.

[Frank Townend]

Yes I did Jeremy. You are right it is a cool guide and Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools is a great Web site.

[John Schreiber]

Nice link. Thanks!

[Thomas Knapp]

Thanks Frank, That guide was a good read.

[David Bodkin]

Thanks for posting the link! It's very useful.

[Michael Faurot]

In addition to the publication on Axes, the whole library of stuff can be seen here.

Some items of additional interest to hand tool afficiandos:

• Crosscut Saw Manual
• Crosscut Saw Tooth Setting Tool
• Handtools for Trail Work: 2005 Edition
• Saws That Sing: A Guide to Using Crosscut Saws

[Frank Townend]

Thanks Michael. I saw the saw book and others. Our tax dollars coming back in helpful ways is always good.

[David Keller NC]

Very cool, thanks for the links, I'll download it. But I really wish I could find is the cool grinding wheel that guy on the front cover's using. Most of the ones I've seen for sale have been split, cracked, or otherwise screwed up from improper storage.

[Frank Townend]

Oh right you are David. A lost art. Interesting that in times past, a stone wheel (pedal stone, or pedal wheel) with someone who knew how to use it correctly, was the only way to go.

There is one (motor driven) on eBay a little over a day to go on the auction.