There is never a reason to use a dull tool. Inadequately sharp tools are one of the reasons people insure themselves while using them. Kitchen knife, pocket knife, drill bit, I don't care what it is.

A person trying to take branches off a felled tree with a dull axe is going to swing a lot harder. It will be harder to maintain control, and THAT is the situation that is most likely to cause an injury.

Hacksaw, I agree within reason. I am not advocating using a dull axe just not a really sharp one. Using a really sharp knife is different to using a really sharp axe. Safe axe use requires certain muscles to be developed for adequate control that people normally do not have developed. Until they are developed, one should not use a really sharp axe or they will possibly get into a world of hurt.

I have acknowledged that most good axes come sharp enough straight from the manufacturor, just not as sharp as a good sharp knife... at least not like mine. The problem with an axe isn't so much how hard you swing, with some hard wood you will swing really hard even with a really sharp axe, it is how you swing and how you stand.

Learn how to swing and how to stand safely, and then sharpen your axe right up. Not the other way around.

The major thing is instruction, and there are not many people who can share good axe techniques out there.

If you hurt yourself with a sharp knife, you seldom severely hurt yourself. At worst a few stitches are needed. If you hurt yourself with a really sharp axe you are usually going to the hospital and fast. If you can't get to a hospital it could be reallllly bad.

I am advocating training and practice, then razor sharp. The Japanise masters would have just given the trainee a weighted handle and told him to practice, once the muscles were trained, they would have then and only then given the student a sharp instrument, it is the same as sword training.

Only an unwise person gives a guy with no training a really sharp axe and then says practice away.

I started using an axe at age seven and even with good training I have had a few near misses. Only let someone who is inexperienced use a sharp axe under tight instruction and supervision, even more than you would with a knife.

Anyway that is my 5 cents worth,
Mac.

Sound reasoning.

that's why I don't use them when I don't have to LOL.

Well now, let's see here. If we have a less-than-sharp axe and we hit ourselves (due to inexperience), we are hoping it won;t cut us (because, using plain English, it is DULL). But if we have a sharp axe, razor sharp (as it should always be) we must be experienced or we might cut ourselves.

I can understand your opinon, Macgiver, each to his own, but I can;t quite grasp the logic and reasoning behind it, despite the long post. It's like adding two whole numbers and still coming up with a fractions in the sum.

An axe, or a hatchet, like a knife, is either sharp or dull. Each user must choose his poison. Their choice might be based on efficiency, accuracy, and safety, in which case they would most assuredly choose the sharpest of each.

The problem with starting with a dull tool is that it only gets more dull with use. IF we aim for dull tools, then starting with one we're already one step ahead.

Not being one for "disclaimers", I'll make one this time: this post is only my opinion. THat opinion is: start with a sharp tool, it will get to your desired dullness before you know it.... and the danger factor will then increase.

A razor sharp knife will get you a few stitches. An ax or hatchet sharpened similarly may get you an amputation if you miss. It's like the first time I used one of the short handled 4lb sledgehammers. I ended up with barked knuckles and was wondering if I'd managed to break a couple of fingers. Using either a claw hammer or 12lb sledge probably would have had a better result. The claw hammer would have taken longer. The full size sledge would have been quicker and kept fingers out of the way.

Well yes, I won;t argue that a sharp axe isn;t dangerous. If you look into the barrel of a loaded gun, and pull the trigger..................

You see, there are inherent risks in everything we do and everything we use to do with. The point is not that an axe can;t kill you or de-limb you, rather the point is: like using a gun or driving a car, or using a knife or an axe, you use it with the understanding that there are risks.

So now that we know that axes are dangerous, why would we ever use one? Why, to chop things of course. So we pick up this dangerous tool, since we chose to, and we want it to help us do something. An axe is a cutting and chopping tool, so we want it................ sharp.

If we are afraid of these inherent risks, especially if the tool is sharp, then have we decided we'll make it safer by keeping it dull? (or maybe just a little less-than-sharp which, as I said earlier, is DULL). Or maybe we should just use a saw which is safer than an axe. But then, when sawing with a saw with very sharp teeth.....well, I'm tired of explaining this.

I would pass a law that anyone who uses a cutting tool must endeavor to keep it sharp, or at least endeavor to start out with it sharp. I mean....sharp as in very sharp.

Hey Stretch, I'm not saying that a just sharp enough axe won't cut you, it will just do less damage than a razor sharp axe. My main point is don't put a really sharp axe in the hands of someone who has not been trained how to use it.

I guess that we are talking about definitions of sharp. To my mind there is Shaving sharp, Very sharp, sharp enough to do the job, not sharp enough to do the job--- aka Dull, and very dull meaning it should have been sharpened long ago. Sharp enough to do the job won't go through jeans and flesh as easily as Shaving sharp, where you won't feel it as it slices through an artery.

This is coming from a knifemaker who likes to have all his knives shaving sharp and considers a slightly less sharp knife, kitchen or otherwise, as a tool which is very dangerous to the user.

A person learning good knife habits will learn what not to do by cutting themselves a few times. We do not have that luxury with an axe.

If one insists on using a razor sharp axe when inexperienced, at least have someone show you how to do it and point out some of the mistakes that can be very damaging. Five minutes of instruction can save much trouble down the road.

I agree. I don;t want my daughter using an axe until she's had the proper training. But once she does, I don;t want her using an axe the will glance and skip either (not that a sharp won;t either sometimes).

Anyway, since I was dreaming again of becoming King and passing laws that cutting tools must be sharp, I stepped out just several moments ago and........

.... touched up the edge on my already razor sharp HB hatchet! ((( )))

P.S. If anyone knows who makes the HB Svedish hatchet, I'd appreciate the information.

Good question about the HB hatchet Strech.

I have a 2 1/2 lb HB Swedish axe head but can find no information on it. It looks of good quality, has a nice ring to it and is of the Hudson Bay pattern.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

Well put!!!