Is "The Best Possible Axe for General Work" a Wedge? Part 1 Restoration

I picked up a Maine Wedge type axe, to experiment with after reading a periodical from 1922 recommending the Aroostook Wedge, a perfectly wedge shaped axe. Thanks to John Stanley Tool on ebay for pictures of an original aroostook wedge. http://stores.ebay.com/John-Stanley-A...

The original Text: https://books.google.com/books?id=Bz9...

Support on   / skillcult   has been critical in keeping me experimenting and making content. If you want to help me help others, this is probably the best way to do it. Thank you Patrons for supporting the mission!

Buy less, but buy it through my links! Shopping through my affiliate links generates revenue for me, at no extra cost to you, click links here, or go to my Amazon Store page: http://skillcult.com/amazon-store/ But seriously, buy less, do more.

Standard gear I recommend. I either use or have used all of it.

Council Tool Boys Axe: https://amzn.to/3z0muqI
Bahco Farmer's File: https://amzn.to/3Hbdhij
King two sided sharpening stone: https://amzn.to/32EX1XC
Silky f180 saw: https://amzn.to/3yZzM71
ARS 10 foot long reach pruner: https://amzn.to/3esETmM
Victorinox grafting/floral knife: https://amzn.to/3Jki1E9
Wiebe 12” fleshing tool: https://amzn.to/3sB0qSl
Atlas Elbow Gloves: https://amzn.to/3FwB5g6

BOOKS:
The Axe Book, by Dudley Cook: https://amzn.to/32kx7sN
Bushcraft, by Mors Kochanski: https://amzn.to/32q2rpT

Subscribe to my channel for more insightful Self Reliance related content: http://www.youtube.com/skillcult/subs... Click the bell icon to be notified of new content. Subscribing doesn’t mean that much on it’s own.

Blog and website: www.skillcult.com/blog

Instagram and Facebook @SkillCult


This is one of many axes in the boy's axe size range that I plan to collect or shape for testing and comparison. I can consume other people's ideas, speculate, randomly test and dabble randomly with axe shapes, but I'd like to have options available for direct comparison doing field work to see what I end up grabbing consistently out of preference. I may also end up doing some objective testing, we'll see. There are only 2 months left in the axe cordwood challenge, but I'd like to put a few more options to work this season.

There is a class of axe known as Maine Wedge, or wedge pattern. One, the Aroostook Wedge, is almost a perfectly straight line from the poll to the edge of the bit. Some have a high centerline in cross section and some do not. This one does not. I filed both sides completely flat at about 13 degrees, then added a narrow, flat working bevel which ended up at around 30 degrees. I hafted it up on a 27 inch handle and it's ready to start testing. How, or if I modify it from here, I'm not sure.