The 5 Types of Ax Everyone Should Know

The forest isn't just going to lay down and stack itself into timber piles because you asked nicely. You'll need to fell, chop, and hew it into submission. Here are the tools to do it.

Felling Axes

First things first, if you want to knock down trees you're going to need a felling ax. These are designed with an extremely sharp, thin blade (or "bit") and slowly tapered head in order to cut across the wood grain as deeply as possible with every stroke. To that end, felling axes tend to have mid-weight heads?about 2.5 to 3.5 pounds?and have a 28- to 36-inch handle. This makes them ideal for creating stumps and lopping off the limbs of downed trees. There are many variations to the basic felling ax design, often bearing the name of the region it was developed such as Michigan or Dayton axes.

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Hudson Bay Axes

Fitted with a smaller head and handle than a felling ax, the one-handed Hudson Bay is what's known as a 3/4 ax. Developed in the 17th century by French fur traders working the Hudson Bay trade routes, its 2-pound head and 22- to 28-inch handle make it perfect for trimming limbs and small chopping jobs. You won't take down a Sequoia with it, but a Hudson Bay will quickly turn a pile of medium-size logs into kindling.

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Splitting Mauls

Rather than cut deeply across the grain as a felling ax does, a splitting maul utilizes a heavy wedge-shaped head designed to rend logs along the grain. These axes feature a 6- to 8-pound head, which delivers a more forceful strike without becoming stuck in the wood, and a nearly straight handle, which allows the user to lever the maul deeper into the split after the initial strike. Mauls also have a broad butt (the rear face of the head) that can be used to hammer a second splitter through the log.

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Broadaxes

Broadaxes, named for their large bits and long beards (the lower part of the bit that hangs down below the rest of the head), have long been used in traditional woodworking for hewing logs into beams. The bits of these axes are beveled on either a single side, giving it the appearance of a very a chisel, or on both sides, which creates a scalloped cut. This allows the user to precisely cut away the rounded edges of a log while creating a relatively flat face. The only drawback is that these axes can only be used as dedicated left- or right-handed tools dictated by the side of the bevel.

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Carpenter's Axes

For more delicate woodworking, a carpenter's ax is essential. These single-handed axes are slightly larger than hatchet, with a 1.5-pound head and 10- to 14-inch handle. These axes typically have long beards that allows the user to choke up on the handle for more control.

[Top Image: Paul Maguire / Shutterstock]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-5-types-of-ax-everyone-should-know-508726882

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