Filing a Tasmanian Pattern Axe

A bit of axe maintenance on a rainy day, adjusting the cheek and edge angle on an old Hytest from the 22 degree flat I had set previously down to 19 at the heel and 21 in the centre of the bit. After filing, I usually stone or sand the bevels, add a small microbevel then finish with a strop.
22° is not a bad starting point when tuning a Tassie for chopping, then adjust up and down to suit your timber. I've found on axes with a higher centreline or thick cheeks in general, having a thinner heel in relation to the centre of the bit can increase penetration and decrease the stickiness you might find if you had a true flat, even grind from heel to toe. Experiment and find what works for your timber!
Cheers for watching, stay safe
Axe: Hytest Craftsman 1.8kg/4.5lb
Handle: Engineered For Axemen 750mm
Large File: PFERD "3rd cut" 300mm/12inch
Small File: Vintage Wiltshire "Dead Smooth" 200mm/8inch
Angle Gauge: Engineered For Axemen Working Axe Gauge
Engineered for Axemen engineeredforaxemen.com.au/
Axe Cordwood Challenge groups/axeco...
Worlds Greatest Tasmanian Patterns FB groups/26974...

[@MDR-hn2yz]

You know, with all the crap going on in the world, it’s very relaxing to enjoy the simple things. For example today was a beautiful summer day. Not too hot, with a nice breeze. I got my picket fence painted and now I’m relaxing looking at a fresh white coat of paint in my yard. Then I get to watch an axeman putting a keen edge on a nice axe. Great work as always. 👍

[@kurts64]

Sometimes it's all about the simple things! Good job on the fence, enjoy that warmer weather up there! Thanks as always for tuning in mate👍

[@Joey-L]

Watching this made me realize I need to slow down and enjoy the process a little more when I’m filing. Great video

[@kurts64]

Thanks Joey! I figure filing takes ages anyway, so just zone out especially on thick heads like this one. I have been known to get fed up and bust out the angle grinder occasionally 😆😆

[@emmanuel.belanger]

Me too… filing is a good way to just be in the motion

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Cutaways a brilliant. Gorgeous film, Kurt. Thank you for putting that together for us.

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate!

[@KillingerUSA]

most relaxing axe video ever! the video quality is next level! Amazing edit Kurt!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate! Gotta love a rainy day in the shed!

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Love that shots of the dogs with the sound of rain in the background.

[@kurts64]

Lazy little buggers haha

[@ed4043]

I'm so pleased I found this channel. You are doing a noble thing my friend. Men need this. Back when I was an apprentice..... 30 years ago. I found a brand new plumb in a hardware store in Cairns. God knows how long it had been sitting there. I recalled an old chippie I worked with once mentioning that plumbs were the best. So I spent my last dollars on it and went without smoko that day. I quickly broke the handle, and its been used hardly at all. Sitting there without a handle. Now I'm 47 and getting a bit fat and lazy. Being a very large/tall bloke, I'm thinking it might be a good way to get back in shape and improve my mental health. I live on a couple acres on the Fraser Coast. Plenty of wood around. So I'm trying to learn more. I would love to know what handle I should get. I've seen cattle dog, and engineered for axemen are possible to get. But thought i would just ask here instead. I really don't want to get the cyclone from bunnings and insult my axe. Lol.

[@kurts64]

Gday Ed, thanks for the great comment mate! Much appreciated. Cool that your plumb has a bit of a story behind it. If you've got a bit of timber up near near Fraser, then swingin that old girl around is a good way to take advantage of it. One thing with re-hafting the older tassie patterns, is that the heads often have a fair bit of flare at the front of the eye, so can require a pretty long-eyed handle to give you enough room to seat it comfy. Cattle Dog and Kruger are both suitable but it's worth taking the head into the store to line it up. Hultafors also make both a 750mm and 800mm that with a careful hang can suit a plumb. The Engineered For Axemen handles are great - well shaped, and have plenty of eye length for adjustment, if you want to invest the extra money in one. Good luck mate, let me know how you go!🪓👍

[@mrpoopypants9586]

@@kurts64 Thanks for this reply Kurt. I've got an old Kelly I bought new in the 70s and my teenage son is keen on it, so we're fixing her up a bit. I'll chase the new handle from EFA and I have to have one of those gauges! 🙂Cheers mate and thanks. PP

[@kurts64]

@@mrpoopypants9586 that's awesome mate, good luck!👍👍🪓

[@KevinsDisobedience]

I love that sound. Good idea to put tape on the tip. Never thought of that.

[@kurts64]

Comes in pretty handy, just that paper masking tape

[@ryanb1314]

I said the same thing. My wife said it sounds like nails on a chalk board. Pssshhh. What does she know?

[@jamesgroves5294]

Outstanding production!🙏🏿🇺🇸🪓

[@kurts64]

Thanks a lot James! Good to hear from ya mate!👍👍

[@aussieaxedude154]

Sweet vid as always dude relaxing to watch. awesome finish.

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate!👍👍

[@waynejorgensen4433]

Brilliant Kurt. You make it so easy and good for me to cm back for a refresher.

[@kurts64]

Thanks alot mate, that's great to know! Much appreciated 👍👍🪓

[@emmanuel.belanger]

You do have an artist touch for filming! I like it, I’m trying to put more cinematography in my vids too. For the rest, you definitely know your craft, there’s a lot to learn here.

[@kurts64]

Thanks a lot mate, much appreciated 👍👍🪓

[@brettbrown9814]

Fantastic video! Enjoyed snooping in your shed. Thanks for the tip on reducing degree angle on the heel from centre for better penetration.

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate! Glad you enjoyed it, no worries!

[@cmore7465]

As always camera work and cutaways at another level , always waiting for your next vid mate , never fail to bring calmness with your vids thanks Kurt S

[@kurts64]

Really appreciate that mate, thank you for watching!😁👍

[@thefellingfella9886]

She’s a beauty! Good video Sir!

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watching mate, cheers!👍

[@Southernlandbushcraft]

Lovely work mate, great filming to. Cheers for showing us

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, no worries! 👍👍

[@bentonleach6730]

The tape on the end of the file is such a simple easy way to avoid scratches. Why haven’t I thought of that. Great video.

[@kurts64]

It definitely comes in handy, thanks mate!👍

[@mickaeldeguil5924]

Merci pour le partage de votre savoir faire 👍

[@kurts64]

Pas de soucis mon pote, merci d'avoir regardé 👍👍🪓

[@MatthewAmsbaugh]

Beautiful video Kurt! I’m definitely jealous of that bevel gage! Excited to see that tassie in action!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate! We'll get er swingin again soon!👍

[@bundufundi]

Great job as usual, perfection at work there, mate! I have never seen such a big bevel gauge before, that thing is amazing!!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, yep that thing is a monster! 😁👍

[@taztaz6539]

Thank you very much for the demonstration of this process cos it's something that I get scared doing - I got told it can affect the temper of the axe head so now I know that I need not worry 😊 Thank you

[@kurts64]

No worries mate, thanks for watching! Careless use of an angle grinder can affect temper, but files you'll have no problems. Good luck!

[@940joey2]

Wow Kurt !! Wonderful video man I loved it, there’s something so relaxing and therapeutic watching an axe being sharpened !!! Really nice job on it to man, it came out beautifully !! Can’t wait to see you sink it in to some of that tough Aussie hard wood !! 👍

[@kurts64]

Gday Joey, I appreciate that mate, cheers!👍👍

[@Brian2bears]

Super production Mr. Kurt...many tools of the axeman...those big, wide files are getting hard to locate. Handles in process, axes all over the place, I admire your monster gage at the end, never seen one that large..and you know @6:29 I was eyeing that beautiful STIHL, MS261? The one question I do have, do you possess or use a file card, or just brush out the files when they load-up? Very well done sir....

[@kurts64]

Thanks Mr B! Yep on stuff like this the bigger files are the go. The big Pferd is worth hunting down in my opinion, have lasted a long while so far. 261 has been a good saw, this is my second one (the first had itself a mischief) been flawless 3 years now. I do use a file card when I remember but usually just end up brushing it off every few strokes. Thanks again!👍

[@willcarmack1242]

Great camera work

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate!👍👍

[@Codi_Clapper]

Thank you for sharing with us your filing experience😁. Really nice shots of a task that to many is not so nice haha. A great looking axe you have there too! My favorite part has to be the giga-angle gauge😆. That thing is massive!! Made me laugh, was not expecting that. Haha, cheers!

[@kurts64]

No worries mate, thanks! Haha when I got the gauge I opened the box like "Whaaaat?!" 😮😁

[@naturundhund]

Nice Axe ...greetings from Germany

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, cheers, and thanks for watching!👍👍🪓🇩🇪

[@naturundhund]

@@kurts64 Very gladly. Bottom up. Cheers

[@djhotshot67]

awsome video brother Kurt 👍 i just uploaded my first KZbin video 3 axes one small maple tree last week. watching your videos killengers and the vintage axe hoarder videos made me decide to turn the camera on 😁👍 thanks mate!

[@kurts64]

That's awesome mate, good on you I'll check it out!👍👍

[@MiloKolb]

Great camera angles

[@kurts64]

Cheers Milo!👍👍

[@ethicalaxe]

That angle gauge is so cool! This looks like it's going to be an absolute killer of an axe. Can't wait to see it barely scratch some insane Australian timber haha. Would destroy some of the silver maple I bucked awhile ago.

[@kurts64]

🤣🤣 Cheers mate!

[@chimmy4244]

Nice job! It's helpful to see other peoples techniques. I've always wondered though why on vintage axes where the people using them were competent axemen do we have to remove so much material to make them chop better? Good to see the pooches again glad they made their cameo appearance!

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, was just watching you swing that Maine pattern around! I've thought that too, I guess the vintage ones we get now are mostly from later periods, or just lucky enough to escape the file. I do have a few old hytests that I'd say we're definitely from the logging heydays, and they're so worn some are missing up to 2 inches off the bit (make wicked bullet shaped splitters). Haha yep the dogs got in on this one😁👍

[@peterfletcher8411]

Hey Kurt, Nice one mate. Good to see a new vid. Really enjoyed the ambience, the rain and diff angles of the workshop. It looks like you are 'eyeballing' your bevels? And then checking them in the gauge later....is that the case? I can really hear the files bite. I tried filing the bevel on one of my old Plumbs recently with a Nicholson file and it just skated off the metal like glass. Guessing the file was not up to it... I was looking at bevel gauge but it was only small...would this still work ok for axes?... or better suited to knives. Slightly off topic mate...I picked up a couple of old Sater banko(Made in Sweden) axes recently....planning on restoring. Do you know anything of this brand. I think brand would place them 1930 - 1966. Sorry to digress... Really love your work mate. Power to you bud.🙂

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed the vid! Yep generally just eye and feel. This particular gauge is pretty new to me, the size of it was surprising when I first got it. Most others available are around 4inch/100mm or even keyring sized and seem to work fine, a bit more portable than this one too. Plumb can be a bugger to file, the Pferd file shown in this can cut mine but still takes a while. Sater Banko made some great axes and were renowned for good steel performance. Hold their cost value well too if that matters to you, well worth the effort!

[@veshtitsacraftsandtunes4693]

How's the steel on the craftsman compared to the forester or other tassie models? Does it hold a good edge?

[@kurts64]

Gday cheers for watching, I've found the vintage hytest steel in general about perfect, some of the newer ( say 80s, 90s era) are a tiny bit softer but still very good. None are impervious to damage from gums but generally hold up very well.

[@veshtitsacraftsandtunes4693]

@@kurts64 I just read a very old hytest ad for the round poll axes which said they were made from "special alloy steel", probably from BHP... so it wasn't just a plain carbon steel even way back then!

[@kurts64]

@@veshtitsacraftsandtunes4693 yep, I have heard that about the fancy BHP steel, they were definitely aiming for quality gear

[@tristanburns82]

Hold olds the hytest with the rounded butt mate? I found a hytest and plumb head cleaning out my grandpa's shed after he past the hytest looks similar

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, I believe the hytest round poll started in 1949 and ran until the mid or late 50s, when they moved to the square poll design. Sorry for your loss. Your grandpa had some quality tools, keep em well! Thanks for watching mate👍👍🪓

[@tristanburns82]

@@kurts64 thanks mate. Great videos

[@tbone541]

What kind of file are you using?

[@kurts64]

The big one is a Pferd 300mm 3rd cut, the small is a vintage Wiltshire Dead Smooth. Cheers for watching 👍👍🪓

[@Jesusiskingamen7]

Aye brotha ain’t you from Australia?

[@kurts64]

Yeah mate, northern NSW 👍 Cheers for watching

[@GurpreetSingh-bn8mt]

How long does it take?

[@kurts64]

On most thick, vintage tassies you could easily spend a couple of hours getting down to these kind of angles, plus whatever time you spend on finishing with stones or sandpaper. If you did it all in one session, you've definitely earned yourself a cold one👍 Cheers for watching!

[@brettbrown9814]

First!

[@kurts64]

Good stuff mate!👍Cheers!

[@JKSawShop]

Now that is sharp.🤘🏼🪓

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate!👍🪓

[@cosmicbilly]

Hey brother great video! I have a question, say you have a bevel that's 20° How would you go about bringing it back up to 25°? I have an axe that is around 18° on the heel and toe, but would like to bring the edges back up to around 20° for extra strength. Is that something that's possible?

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate yeah that's possible. Rather than filing "cheek -down", you'd wanna file "edge-up". Get yourself some sort of visual indicator (an angle gauge, protractor, folded piece of paper etc) to show the difference between the grinds, and start fom the edge, like you would for a microbevel. You would be, by necessity, shortening the bit length, but if the 18 isn't working for you, you may as well. 👍👍

[@cosmicbilly]

@@kurts64 awesome dude! Thank you so much, that makes perfect sense! 18° actually works pretty damn well for me. Especially in dead woods. It's still able to pop chips rather good aswell. But I'm just worried about it getting damaged on a knot or limb or something. It's a smaller boys axe that i take with me camping(2.75lbs) Pine knots and limbs can be brutal sometimes, and I'd hate to roll or chip my edge. So i was thinking about playing it safe and going back to 20°

[@gumboot65]

Great narration 😆😆🪓 21° I would have thought it would have been Much shallower.

[@kurts64]

🤣🤣 A bloke of few words! Getting much shallower than about 18-20 on a most tassies is pretty hard, cause the cheeks are so full. Around 20° is pretty much the sweet spot I reckon. Cheers mate!😁🪓

[@gumboot65]

That is a huge chunk of knowledge that I did not have !!! I'm so paranoid of breaking one of these that I've been SLOWLY slimming them down. Most were fat as a hog. Which is probably because most all of them are set up for splitting. Oddly enough, I slimmed down my 4 1/2 stamped Challenger. Probably around 27° from probably 35° , and it actually splits better than it was when it was super fat. And it split pretty good before. Really great now. I've really studied your chopping vids for the hardness of what your chopping. It's Hard ! In the summertime, my wood is soft, in the Winter, it's close to as hard as your wood.

[@kurts64]

@@gumboot65 taking it slowly is not a bad way to go, you can't put metal back on. But that's one of the best things about tassie patterns, there's so much metal to work with you can pretty much tune it from crazy chopper to super splitter or anywhere in between. Appreciate you watching the vids and getting something out of them, thanks mate!👍👍🪓

[@KillingerUSA]

first!

[@kurts64]

Ahh so close!👍thanks mate