Tool Tuesday; Hatchets

[johan_steele]

The hatchet is one of the most useful tools in or out of the tool box. I have several throughout the place, one near every woodpile a couple more around the place as well as several good full size axes. The three in the middle of the picture are carpenters hatchets of good use when working with wood. They are superb for trimming branches and a score of other uses that eventually lead to furniture or shelter. The small hatchet on the right is a small woodsman tool that is ideal for trekking through the woods. Now the one on the left is a bit of a mystery, I would be more likely to call it a hand axe. The blade is certainly strong enough for any use I can imagine and the handle long enough to use in combat or the woods.

I have a tendency to find myself with tools. Some are given me as payment, some fall out of wagons or find their way into my possession from lonely undefended campsites. All are well sharpened and hard used. What good is a dull blade? When an axe, hatchet or any other blade is needed it is more useful as a sharp implement. Whether working with wood or an errant skull that needs to be split sharp is better than dull.

My Mrs Mina favors a skillet or fry pan as a weapon of choice that she keeps close to hand. The woman even says she prefers a dull blade because it will hurt more. I have to admit that sometimes that woman scares me just a little bit. But as I have yet to wake up dead perhaps my worries are unfounded. At least when it comes time for me to introduce such a weapon to a fight I have had the courtesy to keep it clean and sharp so that it will be swift and merciful in final execution if need be. I suspect I would be quite put out if I were to appear before the good Lord to be judged with my broken body ripe with the scent of bacon grease. I do not believe it would do to be embarrassed by ones appearance before the good Lord.

 

[johan_steele]

A variety of other period hatchets and hatchet heads.

 

[UCVRelics]

A variety of other period hatchets and hatchet heads.

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Very Nice, I have dug many ax and hatchet heads in CW camps but just figured they were post war lost. Were and ax and hatchets issued by the US Army and marked?

 

[EJ Zander]

First two pics look like goosewing hewing axes to me.

 

[johan_steele]

First two pics look like goosewing hewing axes to me.

They're both hatchet sized, I do have a goose wing hewing axe though. I'll likely include pics in a later Tool Tuesday post.

 

[johan_steele]

Very Nice, I have dug many ax and hatchet heads in CW camps but just figured they were post war lost. Were and ax and hatchets issued by the US Army and marked?

The hatchets and axes purchased by the US army were of no particular specified pattern though certainly American style were the preference. Most European style axes and hatchets were not seen as "modern" or as good. Some of that was regional/from here bias and some of it was American made was generally of at least as good if not better quality than the European offerings. The 3rd & 5th picture in post #2 were likely the most common in the US at the time of the ACW with the other patterns being likely manufactured in Europe.