"I'm out in the woods! Yay! Nice sounds of the forest is all I hear", "Carl honks horn in the distance. "Darnit Carl! You had one job!" Lol.

Oiling an ax handle for long term service: new handle, oil everyday for a week, every week for a month, every month for a year, and then just once a year after that if you store the ax properly. A lot of work maybe at the beginning, but worth it in the long run.

I see I'm late to the show (6 years), but I love how you explain the reasoning behind choosing an axe over your hip knife--the wear and tear is better suited for an axe. I have been using my Ka-Bar Becker knife to process firewood. Using an axe might be a better option, considering the maintenance required to keep my Becker sharp compared to an axe. I love and appreciate your work--you don't get paid enough for the value you provide. Thank you. 50

My left ear knows everything about axes now 🙌😂

This video was Excellent. I've carried an axe for years and I take care of it. But, I just learned some new things to take care of my axes better. Very important knowledge. Thank You Brother!

Easily the most informative and practical video I’ve seen on caring for my axes. I’m rather new to this, so it is exactly what I needed. Thanks, Dan.

Personally speaking from experience, I've never injured myself with an axe, sharp or dull. Now i have given myself a bruise and I had one little cut from an old SOG tomahawk I used for throwing that nicked my finger when sharpening it one night. I've been using an axe pretty much regularly since I was about 16, I'm 31 now and honestly prefer a traditional tomahawk style axe over a standard axe with a carved and wedged handle. Its far easier to replace the handle over a regular axe and I can remove the head of my tomahawk and use it as a hand tool for a number of things like scraping hides. It also has a dedicated hammer poll for driving nails and stakes. The CRKT Woods Chogan tomahawk is a beautiful working tool.

on file maintenance: i find these are one of the most abused tools in the shop (and im guilty of it myself from time to time). ppl use them to take off grease, paint, gasket material, and any number of things they shouldnt. a file card is great for keeping a properly maintained/used file clean (so is the chalk method, which i prefer. ounce of prevention and all that...) but when you get that deep ground in garbage stuck in them, another old machinists trick i learned long ago is to take an old brass rifle casing and hammer the mouth down flat. then use this like a scraper following the teeth of the file. (once in each direction for a double cut) the teeth easily cut their way into the soft brass and form a perfect scraper to reach down into the bottom of the gullies and scrape out all of the nasty stuff. it is a relatively slow process, compared to brushing with a file card, but once in a while its necessary to get a bit more life out of an abused file. obviously, the larger the caliber of the case, the wider the scraper, and the faster the job becomes.

As someone who has missed the wood and chopped my shin, I always kneel when chopping with a short axe. I couldn't believe how much it hurt. I still have a nice dent in my shin.

3 years on, this is still a good video with a great Safety First intro. As a boy, in the 1970's I remember one of the first short stories I read was about a young man like I was at the time, gashing his leg with his shiny new axe and he and his mother had to take a frightening ride down the mountain to the closest medical treatment. Don't remember the name of the story all these decades later, but the learn the hard way lesson has been in my head all my life and the moment I saw this video it all came rushing back. Thank you for sharing videos like this! :)

Ive watched a lot of videos and tutorials on how to sharpen an axe.... I must say this video and your explanation was by far the most detailed well spoken instructional video on KZfaq! Keep them up I watch them all! Love the channel sir!

I love these old CB videos. Dan has so upped his game in the last five years. But these old videos are just as informative.

Thank you so so much for pointing out to kneel down with shorter axes in the beginning of the video. I have walked to multiple camp sights because i noticed someone was splitting with a 12 inch axe standing, attended to one incident where they split their shin. So many people forget this simple little tip that will save you a bloody painful mess.

For you leather goods the best Oil you can use is neatsfoot oil, when we got new leather on the farm we used to soak the item in it for a couple days, then lift it out and let it hang drip dry and air for a week or two, for Bridles knife sheaths etc that was easy to do a new saddle was too big to stick in a bucket so every hour or so we rubbed a good thick coat of oil on with a sea sponge for a couple weeks. Next important tip for lindseed and neatsfoot oil. NEVER leave rags soaked in it laying around either throw out of store on a metal shealf as both oils have a nusty habit of making piles of rags burst into flames more than one workshop or even house has burnt down due to oil rags combusting

Has anybody thought to themselves that this guy looks better now than he did 4 years ago haha. Like he looks older in this video than he does now in 2020

I always pick-up some great new ideas from you!!! Been putting together a sharpening kit and watching lots of 'sharpening videos' The arm tuck and wood anvil!!!

Dan, thx for the great videos. I really appreciate the topics, detail of videos and your enjoyable nature.

Great tutorial! I even managed (finally!!!) to sharpen my Tops Tracker thanks to this. Thank you! PS: I got here through the Townsends channell - and I'm really glad!

Useful video. My Wetterlings has a good chip in it. You have encouraged me to get onto it and fix it.

OH! Don't forget that includes the wedge end. Let some oil soak in there too and you won't see loose ax heads much.

Thank you for this thorough walk thru. This newbie appreciates it!!

Thank you so much for sharing your insights and experience in your care of an axe in this video. I’ll apply and practice what you have shared. Thank you so much again, blessings 😊

That's why chainsaws are so much safer, LOL. Great vid.

This is great thanks! Just what I need. I hit a nail with my Fiskar hatchet so need to remove the burr.The video I watched indicated a 22.5 degree angle for knife edge sharpening (roughly from folding a piece of paper to get 45 then again. But I like your idea of just eyeing it from a front view of the stone and edge.

Most informative video I've seen. Thank you, I love watching your tutorials.

I just got my first short ax. Glad I watched this vid. Thank you!!!

You don't lift a file when filing, it rinse itself on the way back, you just lighten your pressure on the way back.

Enjoyed your video and reminded me of things I used to know...and learned some new stuff too. Great job.

Great tips man. Thanks for sharing, Glad you went over a few options.

I cut a 2.5" chunk off of a stone that was about 8" long and 2.5" wide so it is square. 2 grits, works great for knife and axe.

Great video Dan, thanks for sharing it with us.

I learned how important axes are for this sort of stuff from the novel hatchet where the protagonist was left stranded in the wilderness with a hatchet and used it to survive

There use to be three file companies, Black Diamond, Mill Bastard, and Nicholson, the latter bought out the other two. That's why they're now called Nicholson Black Diamond or Nicholson Mill Bastard. To check sharpness, run it across your thumbnail, if it bites into the thumbnail, its sharp, if it slides, it's dull. Oiling handle, as much as it soaks in. What we used to do, is bore a hole in the butt of the ax pour in kerosene, plug the hole,( not to the bottom of the hole)and store it with the head down and let the kerosene soak through the Wood I've had my ax for 61 years( You young'ns need a lot of learning)🤠 PS, good video 😁

Great video that more folks should see. Possible caution: I've noticed that vegetable oil can aquire a gummy residue, especially in warm, wet conditions.

I've been watching your current videos , 02/11/2021 your information is exceptional thanks for being a great instructor .. Joe

Something that works like a file card and would take up less room in your pack would be a small length of 3/4" copper tubing flattened on one end. You could personalize it by carving a handle for it while sitting around the campfire.

I found some mudstone near my mom's place... perfectly flat almost, but i reprofiled it with a stainless plate. I wish i had taken more now, but i have a few nice pieces.. it's near 400 grit or something to estimate, but is still quite aggressive with a very thick mud slurry after a minute. So cool. Thanks for all your info, I've learned so much, even a few things tonight I've struggled with

PLEASE never use a stone on an axe or a knife in a circular motion! Think microscopically. Think about what the "scratches" look like magnified. Circular scratches go every direction. Use straight strokes all going the same directions. all going in the same direction cut far easier, especially with a knife.I have been useing and making knives and cutting tools for about fifty years. I worked as a machinest, so I do have a good back ground and experience in cutting tools!

Outstanding instructional video. Glad I recently discovered this channel.

thanks for the excellent instruction.

I have been looking for a good video on sharpening and you covered so much more. Thank you! You earned my sub first video out. ❤️

Perfect video!! I’m going to practice on a crazy harbour freight axe I got a couple years ago.

another great video! very informative, keep them coming brother.

My deaf left ear enjoyes this super much.... Fucking hell..

Thank you for this video, lots of great information!

I just learned so much. Thanks!

Man you are so good at what you are doing for us. Great content buddy, you've been inspiring me! Please keep pounding out that quality content. :D

Loving the videos and your relaxed style. Subbed

Thank you. I tend to take care of all my tools- I can't afford to throw my money away.

Gransfor bruks small forest axe

If you are trying to oil a new handle, or oil an older handle for the first time, you may have to sand off the varnish or wax the factory put on it before any oil will soak in.

I always have protection for my wood

Glad I found your channel, keep up the good work!

Always used linseed oil on all my wood handle tools (including 3 Hults Bruk axes/hatchets) with good results.

Just found this... This video and your more recent choosing an axe one are important works. They would be of real value to catch "air time" into the future as more people start to redefine the word need.

Really good explanation, thanks Dan

Nice tutorial. I've cut linseed with terps before. Especially on raw wood. Soaks in fast.

I have been messing with mineral oil + pine tar + beeswax melted and mixed. I think I like it. Out here in MT. Where I am at, we don't have birch trees. Thanks Dan!

Here is some advice from my end. Linseed oil for the handle......a dab of full synthetic motor oil for the head. Very few oils will outperform full synthetic motor oil. The only problem is smell and possible stains on cloth....but most all oils will stain. In all the time of growing up on a farm I never saw people stone axes. It was files all the way. Same in the jungle for machetes ... people carry files .....no stones. If I was carving or shaving/planing I might stone.

I always carry a Victorinox multitool and a dmt dual sided diamond stone fits in the same pouch with minor alterations.

That is the information I've been searching for about a month now :D

I've used railroad spikes to spit wood -- It works like a spiting wedge

Great lesson!

I never thought about interior of sheath being wet...thanks!

Awesome job!

Because of this bushcraft fade I have a feeling there's going to be a pile of mint condition gransfor small hatchets axes.

Fantastic video very helpful thank you for your advice and information that's a great little axe what's the weight of that axe

Great video Dan

Thank you for your instruction. I try to sharp my 5160 tomahawk with 1000/6000 water stone as you show in vid "first time in my life".My axe can slice a wood very thin like tissue paper.Really happy to play around with it (^_^).

Great content. If patients is a virtue, you are the captain.

Thanks for the information

Thanks man you're the best

What brand of axes do you like?

Thank you! xxx

good information bro ...thx🙏🏼 u dont apply oil on the top part ?

Great info 🤠

Have an old us military CB hatchet with a handle looks similar to what you have, it’s worth it weight in gold

Nice video as usual Dan, love my knife, but the axe is where it's at!!

I drunkenly put an axe unto my foot once... it's how I remember when I started my career cuz it was memorial day weekend one week after I started my job in 2011my second and third week of work were fucking miserable working with a 3in axe wound in my foot

This gives me a lot of hope towards my own KZfaq channel

Thanks for the info I just bought my first axe :) looking Fwd to using it and maintaining I love the skill set

Have you made a reconditioning video for a axe head from a yard sale and handle making?

You did 5 strokes first then 3. I counted 😂😂😂 but very informative! Thanks Dan!

Which is better a short actually axes or a Tom hock

Have problems with my axe. Have some rust areas since it was in storage for a while in high humidity and also some rough spots near the edge.

I have a regtangle shaped course/fine stone and I've been told it should be soaked with water or oil before each use. Any advise on that?

I love my little Fiskars X7 but I'm looking into getting a small first axe to supplement it with something slightly bigger. I'm looking at the husqvarna axes and the hultafors. Hultafors makes the husqvarnas and the husky is cheaper but the hultafors is a little more refined and better finished. Plus they're both hand forged Scandinavian axes (a.k.a. Top of the line axes) but MUCH cheaper than a gransfors bruks. I'll tell you though for its size that Fiskars is a little beast! Goes through wood like a beaver that got ahold of some Berwick meth! Lol

curious of the make and model of axe you have there

At 14:00 looking at the claw grip of your left hand i thought "yup, that's the automatic grip of a life long sharpener"

what is your preferred bushcraft ax or hatchet?

Your stone needs care too. Ive been taught to use oil on the stone. Keep mine wrapped in a oil cloth wrap.

Gransfors Bruks...Mine were crafted by Mattias Matheson. Best wedge's in the world.

what u think about fonced patina on blade in terms of maintainance and protection from rosting ? would u still need to take the above mabtioned oiling ?

Good job. Subbed.

Thank you

Niice!!! ^^

Great video! What type of axe is that?

Hello, I hope all is well I am new to watching these KZfaq videos and learning a lot from you I think that you do a great deal of awesome things and great information, two words, you're awesome, I would like to know how how to make a gauge for gauging your ex Edge every time I get on your page you have something new to talk about and I'm getting into restoring axes the smaller ones oh, and also where I can pick up sharpening stone puck. I hope that maybe you could teach me a lot more through your videos I hope that you see this have a blessed day and again thank you

Hello everybody. Can i use either olive oil or vaseline for the axe handle maintenance?

Where can you buy birch oil? I looked on Amazon, but only found tiny bottles of birch essential oils. Thanks. Great video.