Splitting an Ash Log to Make Planks for an Anglo-Saxon Shield - Part I | Early Medieval Woodworking

[@gesithasgewissa]

Hi all! You can check the subtitles and description for much more detail. Thanks for watching!

[@christophschedl7590]

FAKE! There was no digital camera in 661 ad. They had only VHS. 😁

[@erho2967]

Not to be a jerk but VHS wasn’t invented until 662, so this should be Beta

[@gesithasgewissa]

Haha! Ah you got me...it ought to be in black and white too really!

[@nigelwylie01]

😂👍

[@tylerthegrimm]

​@erho2967 yall are both wrong, they had blu-ray in 61. They invented vhs in the 40s. They didn't invent shields until 74 however, and swords weren't until 96.

[@MrAlbertamike]

Everyone knows it predates VHS it was Beta max. Hello!

[@fallonfireblade4404]

This is so cool. I actually already knew about the technique with the wooden wedges to split the log apart with the grain from watching the 5 part documentary series where they were building Guedelon castle (I think it was called "Secrets of the Castle"?). Guedelon was a 14th century castle though, so it's cool to know that this method endured for at least 700 years!

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you. That's a great series! Cleaving and hewing was the predominant method of processing timber in Northern Europe from the Iron Age up into the 14th century.

[@gaiustacitus4242]

Wedges have been used to split logs for thousands of years before recorded human history. Features and wedges have been used to split stone since the early days of metal working.

[@Egeslean]

@@gaiustacitus4242 "Features and wedges" Okay, so I know what wedges are, but what do you mean by 'features'? Is that a specific item/tool or do you mean using the naturally occurring features of the tree/stone when trying to split it? Or am I way off?

[@gaiustacitus4242]

@@Egeslean Sorry. I didn't notice the autocorrect change a typo in feathers into "features". Feathers are devices typically used by stone cutters, but they can also be used to widen a split in wood to free stuck axes or wedges.

[@Patenhtc]

Instant subscribe. Looking forward ti the further progress of the shield. Very well made video

[@gesithasgewissa]

Welcome friend! Thank you for joining, I'm happy you liked the video.

[@speedysavant]

Thank you for posting this. A friend and I are going to be getting some pine logs for building shields starting this weekend, this is great inspiriation.

[@gesithasgewissa]

That's great to hear! I hope your shield building goes well, my boards are still seasoning but there will be more videos in the future. Thanks for watching!

[@speedysavant]

@@gesithasgewissa And thanks for posting!

[@SCARRIOR]

Just letting you know mate, you probably already do lol, that take no notice of the rude comments, and I commend your spirit and patience with answering them.

[@gesithasgewissa]

I appreciate the support! ☺

[@elizabethglew6930]

Just discovered your channel and I'm loving it! As a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist, but that didn't work out, so I soak up all the good stuff I can watch others doing. I hope you have lots more to come!

[@gesithasgewissa]

That's great to hear Elizabeth. I was always fascinated by history when I was younger as well. Thank you for watching and I appreciate your comment! There's definitely more to come.

[@jito7377]

Once made a little pair of wedges, when I had only a knife to split wood. The material I choose was rather poor hazel and worked as well as one would imagen. I already suspected oak was a good option. You did confirm that and then some. Wedges are hella powerful. I wonder, why people always forget them.

[@gesithasgewissa]

They are a simple but powerful technology, and helped to build some of the world's greatest ancient structures. Thanks for watching!

[@vsGoliath96]

Never doubt the true power of the might Inclined Plane!

[@CallumDoyleDarling]

Gosh your timber is beautiful up there, we've only got mostly gnarled eucalypt to bushcrasft with down here in Aus.

[@gesithasgewissa]

It is, I have to remember to count myself lucky!

[@Taargkrizzt]

Thats an instant subscription. Guess sometimes the youtube algorithm actually works. Hope we get to see the process to a finished shield o/

[@gesithasgewissa]

Welcome! You certainly will, I'll be sharing the whole process, made as authentically as possible.

[@christophergoodwin-qo7tg]

Hardwood makes excellent wedges, wedges made from deer antler are may favorite as i have plenty of antler

[@gesithasgewissa]

Antler wedges! I hadn't thought of that, but it's such a cool idea, thank you

[@christophergoodwin-qo7tg]

cattle horns and bones work great to, leg femur bones make great chisels, for Dug out conoes

[@dawnbaker9274]

Very interesting and informative. Thank you.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you Dawn!

[@hardstylelife5749]

Most unexpected and very interesting, looking forward to seeing the next. Ps: the atmosphere itself is very well taught, nicely done

[@gesithasgewissa]

I'm glad you liked the atmosphere. Thanks for watching!

[@bobcostas9716]

Two things quick; you'll want to round over the edges on your maul to save you hands over the course of a day, and if you split out your gluts they last pretty well. Meaning if you use the run out of the grain you can make durable wedges that come to a natural point. A little chamfer for durability and you're away. Ash makes the best tool handles, IMHO.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thanks for the advice!

[@fabiennemenrempon5927]

Strong man😊❤❤❤

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thanks for watching!

[@nemonemo6285]

Very relaxing to watch!! And interesting!!

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@toucann8]

Great start! I can't wait to see how it turns out!

[@gesithasgewissa]

I can't wait either! Thanks for watching.

[@donglefuirongl7994]

you get a way better spilit if you set your first wedge/axe on the very outer part of the wood, all in all perfect work!

[@gesithasgewissa]

With larger diameter logs - I have split up to one metre diameter - I have found that starting at one edge tends to result in the split wandering on the other side of the log. Though, with logs bigger than this I would be using many more wedges to split it simultaneously along the entire face and also on the top at the outer part of the wood, as you say. Thanks for watching!

[@bjornstacy9590]

Need to make you a handcart so you can carry all the wood at one time. Thanks for the video though, and reading the comments now I know why my splits go all wonky on me starting at the edge of the wood instead of the center

[@gesithasgewissa]

Great idea! That thought has crossed my mind too. Perhaps I'll make one in the future.

[@marchello5927]

The log could be rolled. So man invented the wheel. Good luck!

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thanks for watching!

[@armorclasshero2103]

Would they have worked on top a stump like we do these days, or no?

[@gesithasgewissa]

It's unlikely as roughly axe-cut logs have rounded ends rather than flat sawn-cut logs. They are difficult to stand upright!

[@janespensandvik3131]

Oddly fascinated to watch 👍👍

[@gesithasgewissa]

I'm glad you found it interesting! Thanks for watching.

[@90fleckenfurz]

Hello, beautiful content, I subscribed about a minute into the first video. Why don't you split the logs standing up or propped against something so they don't move about? I guess there is a reason, I just can't think of one.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Logs cut with an axe don't have flat faces, so don't stand up very well. I flattened the faces of this log with the hewing axe a little to make it easier to split, but it's not completely flat. Also, I am used to splitting much longer logs, up to 5 metres, which necessarily need to lie on the ground. Thanks for watching!

[@chrisyu98]

1:15 ya know there's just somethin' about hefting a nice club that makes you want to find an excuse..... King: OK woodsman, I need a thousand shields for my conquest plans.......

[@gesithasgewissa]

Haha! You describe the feeling exactly!

[@ThomasDoubting5]

Funny looking planks 😂

[@gesithasgewissa]

Watch the second part to see the finished planks 😊

[@polisagora2811]

This site started to build a hut but the video ended bafore they finished it. Did they finish the shelter in another video ? Shouldnt it be here ?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Hi, I am still building the pit house, so keep an eye out for more videos coming soon!

[@BakerVS]

Tell us more about the axe. Is it flat on one side for working timber, and is the handle skewed a bit to one side?

[@gesithasgewissa]

It is indeed a flat sided hewing axe, with a skewed handle. The earliest evidence for broad bladed axes comes from tool marks on watermill timbers found at Ebbsfleet, Kent, dated to 692 A.D.

[@oxyfee6486]

Love it! Subscribed!!!!!!👍🇨🇦

[@gesithasgewissa]

Welcome! Thank you

[@Tom_Quixote]

There's something manly about using an axe to build a club.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Some might call it going backwards...but sometimes a club is the tool for the job 😉

[@bubskees0607]

this is awesome. what is that ax called in saxon?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you, and good question! Archaeologically it is known as a T-shaped axe, although this is a modern term. I'm not sure there are recorded Old English terms for types of axes. I would guess that they might have distinguished it by shape, and might have called it a broad-axe, as we do today. Alternatively, they might have distinguished it by its use specifically as a carpenter's axe. The Old English word for woodworker was 'treowyrta' or treewright so it could perhaps have been called a 'treowyrtan æcs' or treewright's axe.

[@travismcgrath2403]

slightly jealous of all the hardwoods you all have available outside of the Boreal Forest.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Yes! Very grateful to have such an abundant supply. Thanks for watching

[@rochrich1223]

Nifty knife scabbard. Did Saxons commonly keep a paring knife next to their seax?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Almost all Anglo-Saxon freefolk carried a knife of some sort, with the seax being a warrior's side weapon.

[@rochrich1223]

With the shield, bow and the knife being as long as a modern fighting knife, I mistook it as a seax. Google says a Saxon's seax is approx 28" 70cm. So are you going to trade a sheep for one or does your leader gift you one when you take up military service?

[@Traderjoe]

I was splitting logs before the winter and they were horrendously difficult to split, wood full of knots and twists. Steel wedges were broken and I lost a lot of blood. Not fun.

[@gesithasgewissa]

Ouch! That sounds tough. What species of wood were you splitting? Ash splits pretty nicely as long as it's straight. Wooden wedges aren't quite as effective as metal, but they're certainly more pleasant to use.

[@johnwoody9505]

Always split ash as soon after it has been felled. As it dries it becomes tougher and more brittle and tends to not rive easily.

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@johnwoody9505 Agreed. Especially for carving, it's much nicer to work with when green!

[@allanwagner4570]

Ok ok I’m interested in the foot ware ?? Did you make them ?? They look very comfortable

[@gesithasgewissa]

Hi. I did make them yes, they are known as turnshoes. This specific style is based on a pair from the Sutton Hoo burial site. You can find lots of good tutorials for making turnshoes online. Thank you Allan!

[@hetrodoxly1203]

@@gesithasgewissa Hi, great video, are your 'turnshoes' slippy? I've had leather sole shoes and found it hard to stay on my feet on muddy surfaces.

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@hetrodoxly1203 Thanks, and yes!! They are very slippy. It takes a while to get used to them but I suppose you get more careful where to place your feet. The Romans used hobnails but, as far as I know, this wasn't continued in Britain after the Roman departure.

[@JoeSchmedlap-lm2wx]

Yeah, and I think it was really 662!

[@gesithasgewissa]

😆😆

[@LitoGeorge]

2 questions: where did you buy your clothes from and how do you round the bottom of that ash log? TX

[@gesithasgewissa]

Hi, I made all of my clothes, shoes and belt by hand. They are based on various archaeological finds; the shoes from Sutton Hoo and the trousers from Thorsberg for example. As for the ash log, I assume you mean the face at the bottom? I squared off the end faces with an axe so that it would be easier to start the split. The log was light enough to roll over so I could get at the bottom. Even huge logs can be rolled over using long wooden shafts as levers. Thank you for watching!

[@LitoGeorge]

@@gesithasgewissa Good Morning and thanks for your info. Could you explain what you mean by Sutton Hoo and Thorsberg please? As for the ash log, I am talking about the rounded face, think of it as a half moon shape on the end facing the camera. Looks to be drawknifed almost, but perhaps its your axe work. I am curious why you made it like that, rather than just a typically hewn face. Thanks, LG.

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@LitoGeorge Sutton Hoo is an Anglo-Saxon burial site in East England, with many rich burials. The shoes are a reconstruction of a pair that was buried in one of the mounds there. Thorsberg is an Iron Age bog deposit in Germany with preserved clothing finds; the trousers are a reconstruction of one of these pairs. The log was chopped with an axe, rather than sawn, which typically produces a rounded end. I squared off the face a little with the axe but I didn't need to hew the face back perfectly flat as the planks will be shorter than the length of the log anyway. I hope that answers your question!

[@LitoGeorge]

@@gesithasgewissa yes, it answers my questions very well thank you. Your clothes look professionally made, so you've done a very good job. Be well, and enjoy your doings.

[@florianxyz2081]

what is the name of this axe type?

[@gesithasgewissa]

It is an Anglo-Saxon T-shaped hewing axe

[@ViroVV]

YEEEEAAAH That's NOT what that thumbnail looks like

[@gesithasgewissa]

Oh? What does it look like? The thumbnail is a shot taken directly from the video. Thanks for watching!

[@LitoGeorge]

You must be blind

[@hillbill79]

Hi. Could you tell me what axe it is you are using please?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Hi, thanks for watching! It's an Anglo-Saxon T-shaped axe I had commissioned by blacksmith Hector Cole, based on 6th-7th century finds. It has a wrought iron body and steel bit, and is sided for hewing.

[@Ben-xg2mc]

Wunderbar! 😉

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thank you! ☺

[@kevinemery1177]

Splitting an ash log gangster

[@gesithasgewissa]

Haha! Thanks 😄

[@davidreed2135]

Hello,just found your channel,great work,are your wedges oak also ?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Hi David, thanks for watching! The wedges you saw me make were of oak yes, I also used a couple made of apple wood, which was left over from my water flask project, to test how well apple wood works. They are quite green at the moment but should toughen up as they season.

[@davidreed2135]

@@gesithasgewissa thank you,i just liberated some oak from my brothers wood pile,i split logs for benches or firewood.I usally use steel wedges,but that is hard on the ears and i already have 1 chunk of wedge in my leg.My father in law has a twisted ash log i have been splitting,i think that will make a good mallet.Keep up the good work

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@davidreed2135 the best thing about log mauls is that they are easy to replace when they are eventually and inevitably pounded into splinters! 😄

[@bilimsanatduzen2074]

JUST WOOD CUTTİNG FOR NOW

[@gesithasgewissa]

I do love wood cutting!

[@terryteed1903]

Id give my left Bollock for a patch of Hazel like you have. I see miles amd miles of it by the roadside and none of it managed. A complete waste of a time old resource. All replaced with crappy plastic.

[@gesithasgewissa]

It is indeed a shame that so many hedgerows are poorly managed here in Britain!

[@Pluschap]

There may be a rational answer for this, so forgive me for asking, why you don't stand the log on end to split it, and let gravity help swing the maul, while the whole planet keeps the billet from running away from you?

[@gesithasgewissa]

Your question is beautifully put 😆 mainly because I'm used to cleaving much longer logs, up to 5 metres which can hardly be placed on their ends, so this was done out of habit. But on a difficult or twisted log, you often need to put wedges into the side of the log too, so having it on its side helps to follow the split and make sure it stays true.

[@Pluschap]

Not to be too pedantic, the verb "to cleave" conjugates thus: I cleave I clove I have cloven Hence, we speak of something being "cloven", not "cleaved", as in "cloven hoof".

[@gesithasgewissa]

cleaved is also used as the past tense of cleave, and, along with cleft, is more common than clove. If we're being pedantic, you can check a dictionary 😝

[@williamrobinson4265]

YUP

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thanks for watching!

[@xapile]

c'est du frène , ça se fend bien ,

[@gesithasgewissa]

It does split well indeed! The finished shield will be faced in leather or hide front and back, oriented with the planks running horizontally when held; all this to strengthen the shield against blows that might cause it to split.

[@АлександрА-в3д4ъ]

Я трёхметровые брёвна такими клиньями колол, а это можно было простым топором

[@gesithasgewissa]

Yes, cleaving works with longer logs too. That's great. What tree species were you splitting? I worked for a while on a project to reconstruct a Saxon longship, and we cleaved oak trees which were 5 metres long for planking. The split was started the same way, with the axe, but we needed a lot more wedges! Hope you enjoyed the video.

[@АлександрА-в3д4ъ]

@@gesithasgewissa дуб мне жалко рубить, колол берёзу и сосну

[@Mauricio.j.Ilario]

In 😊Vertical is more easy

[@gesithasgewissa]

Thanks for sharing!

[@SwordGuardian]

I just watched a dude take 11 minutes to split a log...

[@gesithasgewissa]

Well...thanks for watching all the way through at least!

[@SwordGuardian]

@@gesithasgewissa I didn't say I wasn't entertained, in fact, I'm intrigued, so I'll keep watching. It's just really simple how things play out.

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@SwordGuardian Ah I see, I misunderstood. I'm glad you're intrigued. Hope you enjoy the next videos coming, where it starts to look more like a shield haha!

[@SwordGuardian]

@@gesithasgewissa tbese videos are teaching me new techniques for woodworking already. At first I wondered why the wedges were coffin shaped, but then I reallys a flat back would flatten and becone too wide, but the coffein shape will hold. I never thought of that, but it makes sense. Every day we learn something new.(Or something old, in this case.)

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@SwordGuardian Indeed. That's the reason I love experimental archaeology!

[@МишельДжоловани]

ХРЭНОВЫЙ ДРОВОСЭК

[@gesithasgewissa]

That's me!

[@littlehills739]

little misleading thumb nail...

[@gesithasgewissa]

How so? The thumbnail is a shot taken directly from the video. Thanks for watching

[@littlehills739]

@@gesithasgewissa true 95% splinting was done with the axe tho, was here for the wedges :)

[@gesithasgewissa]

@@littlehills739 That's a fair point. Hopefully, at some point, I'll be making another video on splitting larger, longer logs. I'll need to use the wedges more to split the tree along its length. Thanks for the feedback 😊

[@tommooe4524]

Why, you can buy one at Walmart

[@nos9784]

Walmart sells authentic anglo-saxon shields? Impressive. I'd be impressed if they even sold anything made from ash. Maybe the handle on something...

[@gesithasgewissa]

This way is much more fun!

[@tommooe4524]

@@nos9784 it was a joke…..sorry for confusion

[@nos9784]

@@tommooe4524 so was mine. I just thought your joke was a bit dismissive of the work and fulfilment people find in making stuff themselves, so I got a little snarky. Peace ;) ,and have a nice day :) Also, this reminds me that I should put more emoticons on my jokes.