broad hatchet

Re: broad hatchet

Roger Nixon

>I've recently added a pair of these to my toolkit, a Shapliegh Diamond Edge right handed and a Stowe Supply left handed.

It was a surprise to me that these are too hard to be sharpened with a file and have to be honed.

Alex Bealer's "Old Ways of Working Wood" has some good information on using these tools.

Further Info,

Jorge Casta�eda ~ East Penobscot Bay

>The FoxFire books have some info on hewing with hand tools, and it can be found also in " The tools that built America" by Alx W. Bealer.

If you want to get into hewing, I have some experience, I use a shipbuilder's adze for the vertical surfaces and then turn the log on its side and refine the already hewn surface with a brad axe, so I do'n carry the weight of that axe, as it is very heavy for me. Have you seen the cover of the latest Lee Valley catalog?, mine is exactly like the one in the upper left corner.

2�

Jorge.

Re: broad hatchet

Mike Hamilton

>I can't imagine finding two worth having around here. Of course as soon as I commit to a new one, a fine old chip and pit free right handed piece will show up.

Still looking for anyone who has knowledge of either the new Plumb or Vaughan. Fathers Day approacheth.

Regards,

Mike

Re: broad hatchet

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Mike,

I see broad hatchets and hewing hatchets on ebay all the time for cheap money. Also unlike some ebay tools, with a hatchet,what you see in a picture is generally what you get.It's hard to hide flaws in a picture of a solid chunk of steel.If the picture is blurry or too tiny to see detail,ask the seller for a better picture or don't bid. There are plenty more.

At first I was confused about terminology. It took awhile to figure out that a hewing hatchet has two bevels and a broad hatchet has one flat side. It doesn't help that some sellers don't know what they're selling.Just FWIW. You probably already knew this.----Jack

Re: broad hatchet

Bob Hackett

>If pitting or other edge problems are what`s putting you off you may want to consider what the oldtimers used to do,resteel the edge.It was a common thing to use up the hard steel edge and just have a smith put new steel on a favorite ax,adz,etc.

If you find a hewing tool that feels good as far as balance,weight,and handle configuration,don`t let a pitted or thin edge put you off.If the price is right it`s worth bringing a bit of history back to work.

Mainely,Bob

BTW-Saint Roy also has some good info on hewing tools as does Drew Langsner,to include handle making and allowing for proper blade to handle orientation,or "hang".

Getting the blade/handle angle right is critical for adz work.Too much and it acts like a plane with too much iron,too little and it skips and you get to see why they used to call them"shin hoes".

Re: broad hatchet

Don Clark

>This is one tool that seems to be dirt cheap on E-Bay. Take a look- even good names seem to be going cheap, real cheap.

I have two older "no-name" ones and, I found in both instances, that they were either cast or forged poorly. However the steel and the handles in both are excellent.

After a bit of work on an electron-burning monster (belt sander) to flatten the backs properly, they are excellent hatchets.

Don Clark

Re: broad hatchet

Mike Hamilton

>Now I'm confused. I thought a hewing hatchet and broad hatchet were the same thing. When I google on hewing hatchet, I find this interchangability on the sites of Drew Langsner, John Alexander, Highland Hardware and many others. I do find that ebay has most of what I'm wanting listed under broad hatchet and quite a mish-mash of hatchets under hewing hatchet.

Regards,

Mike

They are

Todd Hughes

>I think both a Hewing Hatchet and a Broad Hatchet are about the same with both tradtionaly having an edge with only one bevel,[like a chisel]....in the excellent book "Dictionary of wood working tools " by RA Salaman he has this to say about a "Side Axe, Hewing Axe, Broad Axe..A name given to axes whose cutting edge is bevelled only on one side"

I think when you "hew" something whether a log for a cabin or a chair part you are square it up and you need to use a single bevel axe/hatchet to do the best work. Think double bevels hatchets are named according to the shape of the head and the job they do, like a Carpenter Hatchet, lath hatchet, shingle hatchet, camp hatchet, etc. etc.....Todd

Sorry

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Mike,I'm sorry if I confused you further. I was of course wrong. The distinction I was thinking of was between "felling" tools and "hewing"tools.

I guess I still don't have my terminology down pat.

humbly---Jack

Re: Sorry

Mike Hamilton

>The whole terminology thing throws me curves regularly. I am pretty green to the whole hand tool thing.

Regards,

Mike

Re: Sorry

Jack Guzman from Maine

>That was my main reason for the apology.It's hard enough learning without someone making it even harder by throwing in misinformation.---Jack