Toolbox Tuesdays - Axes

Broad Axe 

     

            A most essential early American tool was the chisel-edge broad axe. The broad axe had a short bent handle protruding outward from the side of the axe head with the bevel on that same side (picture 1). The American style broad axe had a fairly large squarish head or poll compared to European axes which did not. Two hands were used and the process was called "squaring" or "hewing". The process began with the stripping of the bark and a chalkline was made with a squaring cord. Then using a felling axe* the tree would be scored to the chalkline. Finally using the broad axe the tree would be hewed to the line. 

* A felling axe has a knife edge compared to the chisel-edge of the broad axe 

*Come out to the Heritage Farm Show at the Backus-Page House Museum September 13th and 14th to see our antique broad axes and all the other farm implements feature on our Toolbox Tuesday blog posts.