What camp axes you running this year?

[OldBroad44]

Silky saws are a lifesaver. They pack better than a bowsaw and cut a gazillion times better. Almost like a human-powered chainsaw.

Which silky saw do you have?
What do you use it for?

 

[Nosferatu]

Which silky saw do you have?
What do you use it for?

I have the Gomboy 300mm. I bought it mostly for backcountry hunts when I'll be spending a night or two in the woods.

But I've also used it when I don't feel like dragging out the circular saw when I need to make a cut or 2 in some 2x4's, etc.

 

[gmerkt]

my late husband and I hardly EVER hired out any job. We just did it ourselves.

For years, I've been reluctant to hire out anything that I can do. But now that I'm an elder, I'm hiring out more and more. I have a metal roof, for example, which I used to go up on. No more, now I hire out cleaning the roof.

I will ADMIT that I was stupid there for sure. BUT I grabbed onto the branches - did not fall and STEADIED my regular house LADDER and NOT the other 2 ladders that we owned which I would NEVER EVER CLIMB UP ON.

I'm "not allowed" to go up on ladders these days. I sometimes cheat, and when Mrs. Merkt catches me, I tell her, "Anything up to one story high is still okay." She cluck clucks. The rain gutters on the second story, those I now hire out. I had a fall from a six foot step ladder several years ago, I landed on an old maple stump but got lucky and didn't get hurt.

Bow saws, once you get a chain saw, you'll never go back. I've got two Stihl chain saws, one 16" which I use a lot, also a 20", if I can't do it with the 20, the job needs hiring out. Also have a Craftsman electric 16 inch, I use it rarely but it has appropriate uses.

It was my former SEARS SAWS ALL

I've got a couple of these, both Sears. Reciprocating saw, I think they are properly called, Sawsall is a brand name. I have often referred to them as "demolition saws" because mostly they are used to tear stuff apart, rather than for better cuts in construction. But I like them. Also have a cordless DeWalt. But it goes through a battery like Grant went through Richmond. It's good for outside use, like cutting pipe or whatever, short jobs, not long ones that need lots of battery.

Okay, hatchets, I have a few.

Fourth piece down, that is a child's size hatchet, same size as the old Official Boy Scout hatchet.


The hatchets with blue heads, those are factory seconds from Vaughn brand.



Top piece, OD green, army surplus my dad bought in the 1950's, I still have a scar on my knee from when I was hacking a stump and missed. Of course I never told my mom, just kept on going.
Second from the bottom, the head on that one has a WW1 ordnance dept. inspector's acceptance stamp (initials).



Third piece from the bottom the head is marked, RYEX, for Railway Express Agency.



I've probably left out a few. Plus the several axes and mauls that I store in an out building. I kind of "collect" hatchets, among other tools. They are easier and less trouble than guns.

 

[gmerkt]

Up there in Haines, Alaska, there is the Hammer Museum. Which also has quite a few hatchets and axes on display. I'd never seen so many hammers together in one place.

 

[Nosferatu]

Up there in Haines, Alaska, there is the Hammer Museum. Which also has quite a few hatchets and axes on display. I'd never seen so many hammers together in one place.

Makes sense. About the only thing to do up there in Haines, AK is to get hammered. Nice to see they've embraced their history.

 

[P7M13]

For years, I've been reluctant to hire out anything that I can do. But now that I'm an elder, I'm hiring out more and more. I have a metal roof, for example, which I used to go up on. No more, now I hire out cleaning the roof.


I'm "not allowed" to go up on ladders these days. I sometimes cheat, and when Mrs. Merkt catches me, I tell her, "Anything up to one story high is still okay." She cluck clucks. The rain gutters on the second story, those I now hire out. I had a fall from a six foot step ladder several years ago, I landed on an old maple stump but got lucky and didn't get hurt.

Bow saws, once you get a chain saw, you'll never go back. I've got two Stihl chain saws, one 16" which I use a lot, also a 20", if I can't do it with the 20, the job needs hiring out. Also have a Craftsman electric 16 inch, I use it rarely but it has appropriate uses.


I've got a couple of these, both Sears. Reciprocating saw, I think they are properly called, Sawsall is a brand name. I have often referred to them as "demolition saws" because mostly they are used to tear stuff apart, rather than for better cuts in construction. But I like them. Also have a cordless DeWalt. But it goes through a battery like Grant went through Richmond. It's good for outside use, like cutting pipe or whatever, short jobs, not long ones that need lots of battery.

Okay, hatchets, I have a few.

Fourth piece down, that is a child's size hatchet, same size as the old Official Boy Scout hatchet.
View attachment 1308392

The hatchets with blue heads, those are factory seconds from Vaughn brand.
View attachment 1308393


Top piece, OD green, army surplus my dad bought in the 1950's, I still have a scar on my knee from when I was hacking a stump and missed. Of course I never told my mom, just kept on going.
Second from the bottom, the head on that one has a WW1 ordnance dept. inspector's acceptance stamp (initials).
View attachment 1308394


Third piece from the bottom the head is marked, RYEX, for Railway Express Agency.
View attachment 1308395


I've probably left out a few. Plus the several axes and mauls that I store in an out building. I kind of "collect" hatchets, among other tools. They are easier and less trouble than guns.

Dang -- a cornucopia of opportunity for Lizzie Borden!

Up there in Haines, Alaska, there is the Hammer Museum. Which also has quite a few hatchets and axes on display. I'd never seen so many hammers together in one place.

I wonder if Paul Pelosi ever visited that museum.

 

[nehalemguy]

026.......

 

[Yarome]

Long trusted council tools 24" wood-craft ax and an agawa boreal21 bowsaw on occassion.

 

[Treeline81]

Another vote for Silky saws. The long handled folders are great for 2-handed power cutting on downed logs as well as extra reach. The sheathed arborist saws, like the Zubat, also cut extremely well. For backcountry use, the larger saw teeth remove the most material. The smaller teeth saws are for finer landscape pruning.
As for a camp axe/hatchet, I've been hiking deeper lately so going light with either Fiskars 11in handle or a Robin Wood carving hatchet. I recommend either in their price range.

 

[Nosferatu]

026.......

View attachment 1308475

Nice! I use an MS261 as my main working saw. Best power to weight ratio out there!

 

[Member 52301]

For years, I've been reluctant to hire out anything that I can do. But now that I'm an elder, I'm hiring out more and more. I have a metal roof, for example, which I used to go up on. No more, now I hire out cleaning the roof.


I'm "not allowed" to go up on ladders these days. I sometimes cheat, and when Mrs. Merkt catches me, I tell her, "Anything up to one story high is still okay." She cluck clucks. The rain gutters on the second story, those I now hire out. I had a fall from a six foot step ladder several years ago, I landed on an old maple stump but got lucky and didn't get hurt.

Bow saws, once you get a chain saw, you'll never go back. I've got two Stihl chain saws, one 16" which I use a lot, also a 20", if I can't do it with the 20, the job needs hiring out. Also have a Craftsman electric 16 inch, I use it rarely but it has appropriate uses.


I've got a couple of these, both Sears. Reciprocating saw, I think they are properly called, Sawsall is a brand name. I have often referred to them as "demolition saws" because mostly they are used to tear stuff apart, rather than for better cuts in construction. But I like them. Also have a cordless DeWalt. But it goes through a battery like Grant went through Richmond. It's good for outside use, like cutting pipe or whatever, short jobs, not long ones that need lots of battery.

Okay, hatchets, I have a few.

Fourth piece down, that is a child's size hatchet, same size as the old Official Boy Scout hatchet.
View attachment 1308392

The hatchets with blue heads, those are factory seconds from Vaughn brand.
View attachment 1308393


Top piece, OD green, army surplus my dad bought in the 1950's, I still have a scar on my knee from when I was hacking a stump and missed. Of course I never told my mom, just kept on going.
Second from the bottom, the head on that one has a WW1 ordnance dept. inspector's acceptance stamp (initials).
View attachment 1308394


Third piece from the bottom the head is marked, RYEX, for Railway Express Agency.
View attachment 1308395


I've probably left out a few. Plus the several axes and mauls that I store in an out building. I kind of "collect" hatchets, among other tools. They are easier and less trouble than guns.

Hello,

Thank you for the post and pictures!

As I said in one of my posts, I did not use a regular 'chain saw' when I was younger, more agile and a much STRONGER lady and I would not use one now @ 72 years old.

My late husband did own and use a chain saw and my MT husband has used chain saws too.

My MT husband and I had some logging to do on my land here in town (Montana.) and my MT husband and I HIRED IT ALL OUT due to the size, some were 100 feet and more tall in height and condition of some of the trees.

IT was worth it and there was NO WAY that he or I could have tackled those trees especially some that looked good on the OUTSIDE but were rotten INSIDE and ready to FALL due to some strong winds coming out of Hellgate Canyon with a really BAD storm. Usually here in the valley, we do NOT have strong winds as I had back east.

Plus I wanted all of that work done for fire mitigation and he did too.

I did a LOT OF WORK on my own with things that I could tackle back there on this land. The things that he and I could NOT tackle due to the huge job and danger... we hired it out.

He personally KNEW the man who owned the company very well and trusted him. He had a good crew. He was ON SIGHT while the work was done as the owner of the company. Huge logging and well known company in this part of Montana. He was worth the money paid too.

Back east, many years ago, when I had some lilac bushes of mine grow to the second floor in height, I let them grow twice in all of those years to that 'height'.

After my late husband cut them back and down LOWER to a manageable height with his chain saw, he told me that he only wanted them SO HIGH so that 'I' could control them better even though I loved having them that tall. My late husband was right, I was WRONG, and once we did that, I had my lilacs, etc. to a beautiful and controllable HEIGHT so that I could enjoy them on the south side of my house with my large windows.

So AFTER he used the chain saw on them twice, I only let them grow 'so high' but NEVER to the second floor height again. I could use my own tools on those various lilac bushes, honeysuckle bushes, deciduous and evergreen bushes, etc. easily after I made that final decision as I got older back there.

I 'hear' you about ladders too!

Thanks again!

Take care.

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

I never heard about SILKY saws or if I did, I forgot about the name.

Someone mentioned FISKARS. My husband has one or two of them too.

Cate

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Same one I always use....I have a Hudson Bay pattern camp axe.
Its a beauty and cuts / chops nicely....it is an older one from the 1930's.
Andy

 

[gmerkt]

own and use a chain saw and my MT husband has used chain saws too.

We could start another separate thread re. chain saws. My first saw was a used Homelite that was given to me. It wasn't a great gift. I spent more time trying to get it to run than I did actual cutting. When I bought Stihl saws, I found out what real chainsaws were like.

Plus I wanted all of that work done for fire mitigation and he did too.

Yes, I've done the same. And, these days, to discourage vagrancy. In the news, they call them "campers" which is an aggregious misuse of that term. Camping is what honest people do for a vacation. Which is much different than vagrancy, trespassing and squatting.

I had some lilac bushes of mine grow to the second floor in height,

Yes, they can get pretty tall given enough light and the right soil. I'm still planting new ones here. This year, I waited until the Fall 50% off sale.

 

[Unicykle]

026.......

026.......

View attachment 1308475

I guess that is the modern day equivalent of an axe so here's mine.

 

[Knobgoblin]

I guess that is the modern day equivalent of an axe so here's mine.

View attachment 1309022

I like the smokey the bear cameo

 

[Unicykle]

I like the smokey the bear cameo

Funny you say that it's one of the worthless items that is my prized possessions. That was off of one of my dad's old old chainsaws and I have no idea what decade that's from but I make sure it's on whatever chainsaw I'm using

 

[The Heretic]

Funny you say that it's one of the worthless items that is my prized possessions. That was off of one of my dad's old old chainsaws and I have no idea what decade that's from but I make sure it's on whatever chainsaw I'm using

My dad had a McColloch too - I hated it and I think he did too - even when new it was a real bubblegum to start and keep running.

 

[oremike]

My saw is a Sthil 362 with a 28" bar. It's a wood cutting machine with a chisel tooth, skip tooth chain.

 

[Unicykle]

My dad had a McColloch too - I hated it and I think he did too - even when new it was a real bubblegum to start and keep running.

Which is why I move to husky most of the times I need a chainsaw I need it for less than five minutes. The stihl's ive had were great saws but after three or four months it usually takes me longer to start it them than I'm gonna use it for. my husky doesn't seem to matter how long you store it for it's always less than five pulls. Stihl guys don't get mad but as I get older and older pull starts and kickstarters are getting harder and harder