Often the old timers would profile them that way just for that reason. One side for cutting and the other for splitting.

It probably cuts better than a new axe too I bet.

Somebody else told me that too. Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for the comment and watching.

I agree. I've seen many birdseye and curly maple wood put in the pulpwood pile on logging jobs. Also sometimes small pieces cut off because the buyer wanted specific length logs.

Me too!

That sounds like you have a wonderful place there,

Yes. My favorite aspect of boiling sap.

@@Mindokwin When I was a teenager (in the mid 70's - I'm 63), a neighbor had a sugar shack a few minutes' drive from where we lived. It was at the bottom of a hill, the trees where up-hill. There where 45 gallon (45 imperial gallons, or 55 US gallons) barrels spread all over the place, all connnected to the main tank by hoses. We emptied the sap buckets in a 5 gallon bucket we carried and we'd empty it in the barrels when they where between ½ and ¾ full. The barrels had lids to prevent any undesirable foreign object to fall in them. Our friend cut dead and sick trees every year and let the wood dry for 2 years before using it to boil sap. Maple syrup tastes even better when you know you helped making it. Our friend stoped a few years ago - he's in his late 80's.

@@simonrancourt7834 Cool story Simon. It does taste better when you help make it, I agree. Making syrup was some of the most satisfying things I ever did.

All these are better for small wood rather than large pieces.

Very hard to plane smooth too without tearing.

Thank you for watching and for the story about your family connection to the Walters Axe company. I've admired the Walters axes for a long time as they had a lot of interesting designs. That is quite a good family legacy you have there.

That was a good buy, they are getting hard to find at a decent price. Thanks for watching and the good comment.

Thanks! Those Hytests are not common here, especially in a large size like that.

@@Mindokwin Yeah...I live down here in the states. I bought it 7-8 years ago from Australia for $70 delivered! It has the original Spotted Gum handle and 90% of the green paint still intact. I've never seen another in that condition...and I'd bet it would easily sell for $500 in today's crazy axe market. Thanks for featuring your axe in a video...I love seeing how they look in OG condition. If you care to see mine I can send you some pics...though I understand not wanting to have your email public.

@@Master...deBater Thanks for the offer, I've seen a few over the years so I'd rather not reveal my email here. I think there were a few imported back in the 1980s but they were small heads. You are right about the crazy market, I bought a Wetterlings Bushman when I heard Wetterlings were going out of business for $129. now they go for hundreds just a few years later.

Thanks!

That's good I bet he makes some unique pieces.

Keep looking, they are out there. A boys axe is about the most handy size for anything I do.

Wow that's a good deal. They are my favorites for camping too. I do have one with a 24" handle but the others are 18 and 20 inches. I think the older wedge pattern is a better design than the later style.

No that is the weight. 32 would be 3 1/2 pounds. Probably is a big 3 and small 2. 31 would be 3 1/4 pounds, 33 would be 3 3/4 pounds.

@@Mindokwin you are exactly right big 3 small 2, thanks for your wisdom sir

Thanks Randy for watching and the comment.

Yes, there are some nice logs still there, probably won't see wood like that again.

I bet it would have beautiful figure in the wood. Ironwood ibeautiful anyway but very hard to work.

Thanks!

I know there has been research where cuttings have been taken from birdseye maple trees and then grown out but they did not develop the birdseye grain. A cutting would be the exact same tree genetically. That suggests to me that environmental factors play a role. Although genetics also would be a factor so perhaps there needs to be the right combination of the two.

@@Mindokwin That's interesting. I wonder if black maple has a different birdseye ratio. Their branches also extend more horizontally

@@paulbriggs3072 I'm not sure. The horizontal branching is a minor indicator in my opinion. Many trees have it that aren't birdseye. The dents in the bark are the strongest indicator but even the dents sometimes don't show up as birdseye in the wood.

Some loggers here will give 50% of the value of veneer while 30% on logs. Veneer is worth quite a bit more than a 20% increase. I trust some loggers but not all.

I'm not sure. It could also be from a clamp when the axe head is ground and sharpened after forging. It is in the softer steel part of the axe. I have others with a C and a round dent right in the center on one side.

I actually found a used vintage handle that fit the Beatty. It had a worn head I removed. Those E&S were some of the best ever made

I agree, very interesting design and much harder to find than a Kelly Perfect.

I don't see too many Maine axes here. I really like the diamond shaped eye in older Maine double bit axes.

@@Mindokwin I have acquired 2 daimond eye Maine double bits both made by Emerson & Stevens which is who made that particular Witherell you have here as well. The date under poll and P under bit was E&S identifiers also like you mentioned John Witherell stopped producing in the late 20s but that axe is marked in the 50s E&S forged for a few different companies in their later years.

@@ryanb1314 I believe the Witherell was a separate company at first then was acquired by E&S at a later date. I was not sure when that occurred or if my axe is before or after. Thanks for the info, it is my nicest axe. Nice pickup on the diamond eye axes.

That is a different species, Big Leaf Maple i believe. That is beautiful too but looks different.

You may have an OVB or "Our Very Best" axe. There was a line of tools with this brand put out by a hardware wholesale firm. They put the brand on the premium best quality tools.

I'm keeping it for now.

OK respect that you know what you have

You found a good one it sounds like. Those AmericanAx axes were nice. I have a single bit that is one of my favorites. It looks beautiful too with interesting sculpted convex cheeks.

I don't know what the xxu is. I know the Craftsman logo was Sears and the stars were part of the logo. That's all I know. Good luck finding out what it means. Thanks for the kind words and watching the video.

@@Mindokwin thank ya

No I don't know who made it. I think early 20th century just because of the forging and weight number stamped in the center but just a guess. It's a nice one though, more beautiful than many.

@@Mindokwin thank you. Ill keep looking, if you dont have anything to do you could try reseaching it as well to help lol. The beveling is unique enough to spot

@@Mindokwin after some sanding i was able to find some fine etching letters just below the spine, i cant make out what it says but i think it says "something wood something CO" A quarter inch below that it says SUPERIOR CAST STEEL

@@CHAD-RYAN Interesting. More research is needed it looks like.

@@Mindokwin ive been searching non stop since i last messaged you. Theres a few superior cast steel axes, but i cant find anything on the words above. Robet Mann and william mann made some superior axes as well. Ive been looking through archives tho. Anyways ill let yoy mnow what i find. If i find anything else.

Thanks for the comment and for watching.

Michigan Upper peninsula. I've heard that there is more birdseye maple here than in other parts of sugar maple range. Some areas here do have several birdseye trees.

@@Mindokwin YES!! Love the content sir.. hocking college forest management student here. Graduate 2008/ High school 1995

Thanks for the comment, it sounds like you had a wonderful experience.sugaring. Since this video I have quit sugaring. It was a fine experience with no regrets, but it was time to do something else.

You might find birdseye or curly figure, but I don't think the type of soil would make figure in the tree on it's own. I do find birdseye sometimes on the edge of wet soil just before the soil is too wet to grow maple at all. But even then only a very few trees have it, not every tree in that situation. Some type of stress on the tree is involved but the total cause of figuring is unknown.

@@Mindokwin Thank you! I’m going to go look at my trees and see what they look like now with the info you shared. Much appreciated!

@@lynntunes Always a good time looking at trees. I hope you find some.

@@Mindokwin Hopefully your good examples will make it easier for me to tell. These trees MIGHT be stressed because they are fighting for sunlight? They seem to be winning out space over the fir trees though.

@@lynntunes Trees are in constant competition from other trees and plants and the forest is always changing, but sometimes too slow for us to notice.

It is a nice axe I bet but I do not know the brand.

No i don't know.

Thanks, Maybe I can do a few more videos, these are nine years old now lol.

Thanks,. Those Sager swampers are very hard to find. Nice score.

No thanks, keeping it for a while.

And the auctioneer rattles on& on !Do I hear $300.00. Ahhhhhh sold to that Saskatchewan Canadian guy wearing that flannel red bush shirt & the Hudson Bay Jacket!!! Ha. Ha.