Woodsman's Pal noob - help me out, guys

Hey, I lucked out and got a Woodsman's Pal for Christmas. I have looked at these for years but could never justify the cost. Nice tool, but I'm trying to figure out a bunch of details, so so I'm looking for advice from people who own them.

I like the short length and the heft. This makes it a N.Am. hatchet more than a jungle machete. The factory angle is very large, again more hatchet than machete. Do you keep that angle? Does the steel hold the kind of edge you want with that angle?

I love the handle, the angles, and the rounded corners on the guard. Whoever designed this has gone out and actually chopped wood, evaluated their blisters, and made adjustments. Bravo! But what do you use to seal the leather handle against moisture? I'm thinking spray silicone, by the gallon. And maybe then wrapping with pure Canadian hockey tape for luck and gription?

BTW, I have a boatload of machetes (Ontarios) and as for axes, I have genuinely lost count. I sharpen my own, and with antique axes/hatchets, I haft my own, and do so for others. So I'm looking for some specific advice and experience re the WP.

Finally, would it be obscene to put a bright red racing stripe on each side of the blade? Paint, I mean. It's awfully easy to lose a tool this size in brush and snow.

I have one but never liked the thing truth be told. I don't like the hook on the back. They certainly are hefty tools though.

A stripe on your blade may be pointless. Usually in the snow the blade is what sinks first anyway. That and the fact it would be constantly wearing off with use. I have used ribbons of surveyers tape in winter with good result for similar things. Not wrapped around the handle per se, but attached in the same manner as a lanyard. If the tool drops in the snow some portion of the tape is usually still visable above the surface.

If yours is like mine the blade is pure black with a plain wood handle and a big laynard hole already drilled in. I beleive some people attach a length of leather through there to wrap around the wrist when chopping.

Have an army surplus version that has been in the family for years. Suggest leaving the bevel as is, and carry a file or a round stone to dress the edge. It seems to be tempered relatively soft to avoid chipping out when you hit hard things. The front end of mine is beveled for shovel use, and the hook is annoying to sharpen, but the tool works well for bushwhacking. It is almost never the ideal tool for the job- brush hooks, machetes, axes and shovels are each better designed for their purpose. But the pal has been military issue and in general use for a long time cause it is serviceable and portable- Gerber is now making a clone, which is an endorsement of sorts.

Edit: Brother hacksaw in an old thread here got a factory scandi grind on his canadian belt knife and wound up with an edge that rolled-messing with the engineered compromise between blade hardness and bevel is hazardous. That said, you can modify the bevel, try it, and regrind to the old bevel if unsatisfactory: lord knows you have plenty of metal to work with.

I don't recall how mine is beveled. For some reason I was thinking it was sharpened from one side only.

At any rate, I usually don't mess with stuff like that. It's ground a particular way for a reason. It may be because it was cheaper or It may be because of R & D. Either way I would suggest trying it out a few times before you do anything. Then if you don't like it change it.

Doug,

I have several Pal's and have used them for years. Like Stephen I don't like the open handled version. I do, however like the military model with the guard. As NurseMike indicated, they are the Leatherman of bushwacking. Great for a surveyor cutting sight lines, hook for brush, blade for branches and shovel to dig out the monument.

DON'T put grip tape on it. It is designed to rotate in the hand to reduce the impact on the hand (from the WWII instructions). I use body oil and an occasional coat of Snow Seal or Mink Oil for the leather.

Keep the blade angles the way they are. Grinding them different is usually an error (don't ask!). They worked out a good general purpose grind. If you had a specific purpose in mind you could (like an axe) change it, but you loose the general purpose nature of the blade.

I think a stripe (not red, it is a camo color (or colour for you northerners)) would help but the most important one is on the sheath if you don't belt carry. A bright orange sheath helps. I might paint the whole blade, repaint as necessary.

Most of all enjoy a well made tool - in my mind always a great thing.

Respectfully,

Jerry

I don't think it would be obscene at all, I would call it practical.

Once when fussing with something on a boat I layed a dark colored multi tool down on the beach. The beach was made of bits of black shale. What people sometimes call "shingle". Had a devil of a time finding the tool before the tide came in. On another occaision we were taking a break while hiking. It was easy terrain at that point and I had my poles strapped to my pack. My wife layed hers down on the ground while we had lunch. The poles were a sort of brownish color. After a nice long break we managed to get up and walk off, not really paying attention, and didn't realize we had forgotten her poles till we were miles down the trail.

Since then I always make a point to take a very carefull look around before leaving a rest stop or campsite. I also often mark small or dark colored things that are easy to loose. I bought a length of bright orange nylon cord, and put short loops on the handles of my pocket knives. (I won't by a folder anymore that doesn't have a place to attach a lanyard.) I got some dayglow pink duct tape, and put a few wraps around each of our hiking poles. Just something to make a thing stand out when it's laying on the ground.

Thanks, all! Wonderful comments and insights.

As you may have surmised, I'm trying to get my head around this tool.

At first I thought it was just another machete, and maybe I should trade up to a Gränsfors Bruks short axe.

But I'm starting to warm up to it. I can see possibilities ...

Doug,
You should check out"Colhane" YOUTUBE's channel.He teaches a survival school in Brazil.He did an excelent review of the Woodsman's Pal.....

Boatman
John