Brotherhood of the Broadaxe

[@bugnfront]

I am a olde man now. I still have me broadaxe which I used to build log homes. Hand forged. Fin style homes. Cut off the outer layers to expose the hearts of the log. Olde school but effective against beetles and rott. Third generation home builders. My joints are wore out. Many a surgury. I still live in the high country n breathing is good. I loved the art. All the homes we built are still occupied and beautiful. I mayed funiture after I could no longer push or peel log. My draw knives are still sharp. Once n a while the peeling "songs" the knives would make and there is no other satisfaction. I no longer have that "pinsSol" smell my wife fell in love with. My hands don't work as well. I rock in a old chair I made a long time ago. Had to double up on the cushon! All you hear off in the distance nowdays are those chain saws....but once in a while..... a familiar ring...a song that needs no words, tells that story, of a broadaxe well in tune, and some olde soul of times past....takes the time...to "tie one on"! and navigate a stream of flow, a balanced step and a jam undone, and new bendels in the river in of life....flow...flow...flow!

[@codeblue2532]

al bugnfront : your nostalgia made me weep. I hope you can teach youngsters about hand tools or write a book about your life. I responded to your reverence and appreciation of your craft. I hear Post & Beam Construction is coming back....maybe a re~discovery of the Adze, Broad Axe, Spokeshave, and DrawKnife. I get additional information from Dave, the ToolArchivist @Main Street Antiques in Kalama, Washington.

[@catchaser52]

God Bless You.

[@CarabnrFilms]

Love that story Al. Sound like a life well lived, I hope my Broad axe and draw knives stay sharp and in use till I'm an old timer.

[@chrisoxley7148]

Thanks AL.... truly beautiful....

[@NotSafeForWork420]

Add yerself a third cushion Al, you’ve earned it!

[@papabones-G48]

Holy smoke, I'm 57 and I thought us IRONWORKERS worked hard building bridges, skyscrapers and such! Damn these were real men and women!! Little wimps and mammas boys now days should be required to watch this in school! Most of the younger generation doesn't know what work is what alone knows how to do it! Thanks for posting it was awesome!

[@joebrown1382]

Fifty % of the internet is trash but programs like this is why I love it. Videos like this should be shown in schools to show some of the people that built America.

[@claywilson6149]

I agree. I owe my education to the internet and platforms like youtube. I struggled with a form of Dyslexia where reading becomes a blur after a few minutes and suffered as a child. Kids seem to watch trash when given the opportunity of vast communication and data freedom. I try to express the value having the knowledge of the world in the palm of your hands ..and the importance and responsibility that that bring's . Yet they continue to twitter like twits and facebook themselve's stupid. I'm 45 and am already facing the generational rift and have to consider that I don't know our kids or the world they are inheriting . Like myself and my parents before me .

[@lakelure4me]

No one cares anymore.They think it all just shows up in their fridges and chest of drawers magically.So very sad.

[@lotsoffish]

@Marrowbones I don't know what school you went to but that's not what I was taught.

[@JustinTopp]

lotsoffish I wasn’t taught that either

[@JustinTopp]

I’m only 14 yet I love these videos and love traditional crafts. I like blacksmithing, wood working, knife making, and other more traditional skills. If it’s at all possible I prefer to make or repair tools or fix problems myself instead of just hiring somebody or buying something new. I also collect old axes and tools. They just don’t make quality items like they used to.

[@BuckinBillyRaySmith]

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL MOVIE THANK YOU TO ALL INVOLVE , TO BRING US THIS

[@AndreRMeyer]

+B'BRS it'd been interesting to put a 'leaf spring thing' hung ax, to the test in this environment. And or listen around what the tie hacks had to say on the matter.

[@alexbeedie6940]

Fancy seeing you here

[@marvinmarvin6672]

*pushes glasses up between nose* Correction its a documentary

[@claywilson6149]

jeez man..learn't something new again. Would never have seen this if it wasn't for youtube bringing this valuable history to my home. Thank you PBS and the internet.

[@douglashanlon1975]

gotta be the first pbs video ive seen in a long time that didn't have some liberal bullshit added here and there

[@forrestmichnevich7371]

Great story telling! I found a tie hacks axe in the high mountains of the Wyoming range. Sitting right underneath the last giant stump at the very end of a long forgotten trail ...a prized possession for my mind! The trees are just now becoming old growth after nearly 100 years of no logging...even with modern equipment it would be an undertaking to do what they did, where they did. Amazing.

[@mayforddavis9291]

Wonderful look at the past; and so much history of what it took to make America great! These folks came to build; not destroy. These are the "little things" that contributed to the building of America.

[@doughroasterbushcraftandsu3947]

Mayford Davis Not sure the Cheyenne,Apache,Sioux,Cherokee etc would agree with that comment!!

[@christopherstewart6468]

@@doughroasterbushcraftandsu3947 ahhh... when those tribes were prevalent ( and fighting each other) on this continent, it was not America yet. It took these types to make it America--- and pretty dawn great, all things considered.

[@russelmurray9268]

They went to make money and destroyed the forest those men made pennies while the men they worked for made millions

[@russelmurray9268]

Not to mention the destruction of native Americans literally killing them to harvest their way of living we call it progress but it's destruction

[@russelmurray9268]

They didn't war with each other like white people those tribes actually had alignment with each other on a different level to protect themselves from whitey

[@stechapo4009]

"... there was no doctor, you either got well or died!!' Brilliant. Thanks for the fascinating documentary.

[@edwinmarcais6040]

That was your medical care insurance get better or not. No Obamacare or Medicaid you work or starve

[@stansbruv3169]

It’s hard to believe the difficulty and amount of work that these puny humans could do. Those ties are stacked so deep and so high! Just remarkable. Thank you PBS Wyoming.

[@Paxyart]

love this videos - the historical consept - my dad came to US of America in 1923 - he was 21 years old - and he came right from a drama - when the tall-ship went down , round terra del fuego patagonia ... they was headded for Antofagasta in Chile - but around the cape horn the sailship went down - a gaocho rode to a little village and telegraph to Buenos aires - so a british navy boat came and get them up to New York - where my dad worked in the harbor on tug boats ... he was in beautiful America for 12 years - and had work all the time...he passed away in 1990 ... greetings from Norway - sorry for my lousey english :

[@claywilson6149]

Nice. Thanks for the history. Crazy perspective from almost a hundred years later and from a new millennia.

[@D45VR]

wow, your dad's story should be put into a book or short story. thank you for sharing and you should try to visit the USA.

[@2fas4me2]

Your English is fine! We love you for loving us! Thank you to your father for his hard work. He is what makes America great!!

[@heatherwhite8691]

Great story

[@jamesskedjnr8374]

Cool story sir god bless

[@peggyjones3282]

I love listening to the old men speak. Their voices remind me of my grandpa and how he would talk.

[@markfriedersdorf4750]

all the young pups nowadays,need to watch this.

[@dustinjohnson3463]

Most could watch this history for weeks and never pay attention to learn a dam thing . Hard work built good men and women who valued a hard earned dollar

[@randlerichardson5826]

I agree I thank when young’uns nowadays should have to do a years work at logging myself I cut timber for 30 years

[@HomeWrecknKneeKnockr]

@@randlerichardson5826 what type & brand of axes do you like? I've been getting into collecting & restoring vintage axes from the 1800's on up recently..

[@rotax636nut5]

Brilliant, I can't get enough of this, what an incredible time in that day

[@guyua86]

Wow I am starting to fall in love with Wyoming history. Thank you

[@peatier7626]

this is one of the most inspirational videos about the past on youtube, as to how the west was built and overcoming obstacles with engineering, and what technology at the time to achieve it.

[@gehlen52]

Good food makes just about any difficulty more endurable.

[@randyowens2717]

Yes!

[@Harley04]

True, I am always amazed how humans have survived for so long

[@sethb9545]

Thanks for showing this forgotten skills of day's gone by !!!

[@kenwhitney9146]

This was a tremendous program. I had so much to do but sat mesmerized by this story. It reminded me of my days framing houses with the last of the American framing crews who had a love and pride for all we built. What an experience that must have been to work those ties! Thanks so much for your post. I love your videos, I wish the internet looked a lot more like this!

[@TheChap1012]

What a wonderful video of American history and construction materials used for the railroad. A Buddy of mine was born in Riverton.

[@peterhill1944]

Wonderful program, especially the vintage images. I'm 82 and wonder where you would find men today that could do that kind of difficult and dangerous work.

[@melanieohara6941]

I was born and raised around tye hacks, sawyers, and skidders from Sweden, Norway, and Czechoslavakia in the Snowy Range Mountains west of Laramie, just after World War II. How great to see this video-brings back so many memories.🙋🏼‍♀️🏔🌠

[@dougstamper7868]

Ma was born in SW Virginia in 1925, and grew up on a small farm w/11 brothers and sisters, and she told me she would get an apple and an orange at Christmas and was thrilled.

[@lloydcrawford7836]

My dad got an orange born 1911 Wayne co Ky W A

[@steel5886]

Great people of American history .. Thank You All ,and your families .

[@melanieohara6941]

Jesus, what strong backs these guys had! Amazing film-thank you!🙋🏼‍♀️

[@georgemurray752]

Happened upon this when researching firewood. One of the most fascinating documentaries I've ever watched. Kept my interest from beginning to end. There is a tremendous amount of wisdom that could be learned from their communal lifestyle.

[@fasx56]

Thank you for this very informative Documentary on how the railroad ties were made before modern equipment made it much easier. One has to see real time demonstration to appreciate how hard men had to work to make these ties, back breaking work to say the least. A valuable part of Railroad History that few people knew about, thank you Wyoming Public Television.

[@patriciajrs46]

I love this. I miss my Wyoming. I used to live in Riverton, some, among several other Wyoming towns.

[@riverraisin1]

That was a good company those men worked for. Most companies, then and now, look at workers as disposable. This company seemed to care about their workers, even when they were too old to work.

[@obfuscated3090]

"Amazingly, in thirty years of tie drives no one was killed". It took some skill to manage that. A LOT of skill.

[@undergroundminer3262]

Have you ever been to Wyoming? You can die of exposure through most of the year

[@jeffreymccarty1388]

The water in Wyoming will kill you if you look at it

[@jacobcarolan1172]

If kids were still taught how to do this they wouldn’t cry every time there is a minor inconvenience in their lives. I grew up spending most of my recreational time in the woods doing stuff like this. Crazy the mentality you pick up when you know you don’t need other people to survive.

[@dustinhargrove2129]

Me too!

[@curtis8954]

Jacob carolan I agree. unfortunately. when we retire, these kids will take over. get ready for laziness, incompetence, rude, don't care attitudes etc..... I AM SCARED lol

[@anonymouscoward7559]

You say this but the hard working young men are the ones you never hear from it's just the loud and the weak that make all the noise.

[@edwinmarcais6040]

I would like to see these whiney kids today do this for a month what would they do with out there cell phone

[@douglasthompson9482]

An amazing story....true men and American heroes.

[@repetemyname842]

This dude that chopped the notch and sawed the tree down, you wouldnt want to tangle with that old man, he would tear you up. Incredible work for a guy his age and you can bet back in the day, he and his crew could definitely work you into the ground.

[@loadright]

My grandfather and my father worked in the woods in California, Oregon, and Washington. When I was 15 I won a physical fitness contest over 3000 other kids. Of course I didn't tell them that my dad who was a woodsman and 55 years old two days earlier had out ran me, oh did i forget to mention He was running backwards and he gave me a head start . Ya he was pretty tough alright. Thanks for the story. good job.

[@trainwellness3471]

Amazing. Makes one appreciate what those men built that laid the groundwork for modern life. Thank you.

[@mrpoolaty9194]

Love these style of documentaries!!

[@jerryyager2601]

Hey Wyoming PBS, thanks for the great content. I'm Texan, but this is my favorite channel, and my favorite state. Can't wait to return! On another note, I bet there were a lot of Scandinavian's missing toes in those crosstie camps.

[@vincethompson3475]

Yep, one of the narrators mentioned "3 toe Ollie".

[@goatamongsheep4296]

An amazing story. Thank you to all involved.

[@dalekundtz760]

Thanks for educating today's generation about how things worked in yesteryear. Life was simple, but family meant everything.

[@johnquinlanshortvideos3149]

Fascinating documentary. Thank you for this! It is a wonderful tribute to some hardworking people.

[@mikegan73]

That's some size of an axe. What strong hard working people they were, and the hardships they had to endure, bless'em all.

[@edwinmarcais6040]

No welfare or social programs work get paid or die nothing free.no govt taking care of you.

[@diannaharrison5931]

I grew up in the '50's but one of my fondest memories is going to the butcher shop. There was thick saw dust on the floor, meat, weiners, sausages all hanging from the ceiling. And oh the aroma!! My goodness, it set your mouth to watering. The Butcher always gave my sister and I a weiner from what was hanging from the ceiling. It was so good!!!! Loved it!!

[@shanegunter1078]

Oh heck NO. I would seriously hurt myself something bad like. Those men were certainly in good shape, even these men in this video telling their life story about working way back then are even still in better shape than most of men in their 20's, 30's, and 40's. Much respect for these fellows..

[@hamishhunt9844]

Absolutely fantastic! So much respect for those wonderful men! Thank you PBS

[@mikedaniel5067]

Grew up on a ranch in the Dubois area, Ken Miller was one of my HS classmates

[@donniegray553]

I enjoyed watching this video. It's part of America's legacy and the REAL history of what made us great. the hard working people. Seeing ONE log completely finished is one thing, but to do all of that "from daylight to dark" -- those had to have been strong men. With high endurance. So amazing when you think about it.

[@SwampDonkey530]

I love this, it gives life to everything my dad spoke about. . .👊

[@Mrlrobertson]

This was worth watching. Thank You.

[@FabFunty]

Awesome piece of history 👍🏼 Ax chopping, metallic sawing and lively fiddle music.

[@davidgrady1064]

The lady who keeps naming all the extreme hardships of this.time for common people followed by..."it was nice,"... Some may grow weary of these generations lording it over us how much better, but harder it was then, but I am just glad that some truly appreciate how much better they had it in spite of, or possibly because of the fairly straightforward nature of the hardships they faced

[@Mercmad]

In Australia they were known as Sleeper cutters, because the ties were called sleepers, like a long row of sleeping people I suppose. They were also cut by hand but the trees are hardwood. it took a real hard person to take on the job, especially in summer when it could reach 40 C out west. Today they have wood chopping competitions and one of the sports is cutting sleepers from a bare log. The sleepers are all concrete today as our climate and insect life is too hard on the wooden ones :-)

[@sydneyshinshi]

Have a watch of this from the 9min 15 sec mark on sleeper cutter in the bush Western Australia. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ-3ip1_a5uMsNk

[@bluskies1000]

Composites are competing with concrete ties in the USA, though wood ties are still found on many roads.

[@payntpot7623]

@Garret Phegley Not quite the same as the Aussie Eucalypt. hardwoods. I split and burn both in my fire each winter and the Aussie stuff is twice as hard and splintery than the American woods. It burns much longer but needs a good base or it will go out. What an interesting programme. There are always different perspectives to a single situation.

[@johnmoyer5515]

The ties in pennsylvania sure weren't pine they wouldn't last

[@alvaroakatico9188]

Mr Cabot Thank you for the link. Wow, just wow. That’s what you call hard work in making an honest living.

[@JS-oy6nn]

The guy who is wearing the Red petticoat junction cracks me up being so serious😂🤣

[@apuuvah]

Logging camps ("savotta") in the winter and homestead farming in the summer was how most Finns earned their meager livelyhood up to the 50's. First came the civil war 1918 and then Soviet Union attacked in The Winter War 1939 and right after that in 1941 came The Continuation War. These wars were part of WW2, obviously. Then these same veterans had to support their family, rebuild much of Finland and pay the war settlements for Soviet Union, which required Finland to build up the industry. Some territory was lost as well. So, there were men who were veterans of ALL three wars. Last of them died somewhere at the dawn of the new century, I think. What some people had to go through during the 20th century is unbelievable.

[@riverraisin1]

Those same Finns immigrated to the US and lived the same exact existence - Working in the woods in winter and homestead farming in summer.

[@ClotEastwood]

Fantastic . .. thank you for the upload

[@m1g0t0]

My grandmother, a WAVES, was a Norwegian too that came to Montana. My parents met and fell in love at Yellowstone.

[@starmanskye]

Fascinating, very well-done slice-of-life history of the great western RR tie-industry and its frontier resource-mining culture economy in the middle-to-late-stage of the booming industrial revolution. In 30 years, the western mountain states probably produced upwards of 15 million RR ties, a large part of making the US railroad industry and America's manufacturing prosperity. Next to the incredible engineering feat of the high-canyon flumes, what stands out is that in 30 years no one was killed on one of these massive tie drives. Too, its really something, that skilled broadaxe tie-makers could earn 3 or 4 times what a ranch-hand, cowboy, truck-driver, farmer, carpenter/construction-worker, clerk, accountant, cook or tradesman of the day did. Maybe even more than a lawyer, statesman pol or Doctor. This docu is a real fine tribute to the hard-working decent men and women of that era, when striking a fine-line balance between idealism and pragmatic realism wasn't such a big deal, as it was still considered a natural part of the working-class can-do heritage, in the time-honored tradition of the expansive-and-generous American spirit.

[@maryadkins1661]

My mother was born on a ranch in Saratoga on the South Platte. I remember her talking about my grandfather floating ties down the Platte to build their home.

[@MOAONAABE]

when i was away in service my dad signed me up for the post office test. I was a postman till i retired ten years ago. that was a blessing. these guys are killing themselves.

[@patriciajrs46]

Have you ever watched that post office show about the dead letter office? I think the post office and its history are important in their own right. Thank you for being a postal worker.

[@louieargana3124]

One of the best video I've ever seen! Very interesting..

[@johnflo-grif2639]

A great Documentary- the events portrayed are dramatic enough!

[@danielginther4879]

Excellent history lesson.

[@greentree6373]

Great documentary!!! It’s crazy how hard and dangerous these guys worked back then, I’m so grateful we have machines and technology now. Much respect to the guys still living and the ones that have pasted on. Most ppl don’t know what hard work is now days, they just work the system and collect checks. Tree work isn’t for everyone, but the few that have it in them can make a great living and provide a good life for their families. 🌲

[@randlerichardson5826]

I’ll finish watching tomorrow great video I enjoy watching these now

[@macnudd]

Thank you for this video. It was a good use of my time.

[@joshuasmith4828]

I love these shows to that's what my kids get to watch when I watch TV and they like it as well thank you so much now we have places to hike to and the kids know what we're looking at.

[@danor6812]

I love it when she said, they call it cross country skiing. We called going to school... LOL

[@jfarinacci0329]

really good history. thank you.

[@edmccaffrey1]

Great to see this historical story. Grew up in the high country Colorado Rockies. Learned the art of living yearound at high elevations. Broadaxe working on new fallen pine trees make a real man out of you by the second week. Problem is most fellers dont last passed the first 6 day work week. A new fallen pine tree is full of pine sap, called a "sappy" tree. Hard to chop, and heavy as as all hell to lift or carry. Amazing life if you got what it takes, they stopped making these kinds of men about a generation back.

[@lsudx479]

There's nothing like a good PBS documentary.

[@rubenbarbo3342]

Badass Men. Bless their memory and spirt.

[@ronaldgnelson2381]

MY FATHER FROM SWEDEN WORKED FOR A WHILE IN A LOGING CAMP. HJELMER A NILSSON. HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE HARDSHIPS. WOW!

[@DanielMorrison7]

I appreciate your documentary, thank you

[@ingebrecht]

My great grandfather and great grandmother came from Norway. 1886. They got some farmland and were fruitful and multiplied. She had 19 children. No cable

[@markobrien690]

What kind of person would rate this a thumb down? This is a privilege to see.

[@davegutenech7188]

Great video. A look at the past.

[@TheD3m0n93]

"We didn't go do the doctor, you either got well or died." I feel you lady.

[@8aleph]

My Dad hand hewed Crossties in the 1920's and early 30's in southern Arkansas.

[@zachmeyer2718]

8aleph very cool, did you inherit any of the tools? If so you better cherish them. My great grandfather did the same in southern Missouri.

[@michaelsukut6101]

Great slice of history.

[@rosewhite---]

i'm feeling exhausted just watching him take such big chunks out of the wood!

[@mountainhobo]

Those were the beautiful people, not the Hollywood muck.

[@scarharting5577]

You meant Republican/Russian muck, right?

[@garychandler4296]

Who will be the first to die when the SHTF!

[@bryanbeall3051]

We should completely ignore Hollywood

[@johnheigis83]

I remember my grandfather talking with his brother about doing this, when they were young, in Wyoming, with "Sweeds!"

[@curtis8954]

ty this was a great documentary. I enjoy history.

[@Sel-Shackfield]

It seems to me that generations of men are produced, to perform certain remarkable tasks and achievements, to benefit succeeding generations, who in their time, couldn't perform the same endeavor.

[@wyomingadventures]

We have old tie flumes in our mountains the Big Horn mountains I know of a couple places where they did this. One above Sheridan also. These people had to be hard workers. Love this history of Wyoming

[@carljamison6374]

My great grandfather road the logs down the Wisconsin river in the 1800's , My grandfather was a lumberjack and timber cruiser and woods boss in Northern Wis. back in the teens , cutting off the big pine . I cut some of the last virgin hardwood timber in the Upper peninsula of Michigan . Working in the woods was one of the joys of my life even though I lost 2 good friends who were killed by large trees . Not a job for Millennials .

[@dogwedl1167]

[@darylholly1971]

Very well narrated.

[@garlandremingtoniii1338]

Absolutely wonderful. That’s the thing about KZbin. So much of it is trash. Then you have gems scattered about. This is one of those gems 💎 among gems 💎

[@estherprine832]

Growing up in Oregon we had chain saws it still was very labor intensive

[@cliffmounts7878]

Love the people that came before me.God Bless them

[@ScottRauber]

Thank you, a huge thank you!!

[@jlhysell5592]

what a bond these people must have had

[@tabranch3165]

Great movie 🌲

[@roccity8187]

3toed Oly! My 3x great grandfather immigrated in the mid 1850s from Vik, song OG Norway to South Dakota. Oly Eide was his name and logging has been in our family for a few generations now. I grew up in Oregon.

[@codeblue2532]

Randall AnBjornsen :: I hope you had occasion to visit the AMBOY LOGGING MUSEUM.........and meet Dave Johnson, logger~historian

[@GrumblingGrognard]

One thing for sure; none of these guys had a membership to their local gym. :)

[@DiamorphineDeath]

And your point is what? They probably would have been able to have a happier later life if they had, it any of them actually lived past 45. A gym is just barbells, dumbbells, and machines....in the same way logs are weight...it’s the same thing. It seems like these comments always come from nerds who have zero muscle in the first place and have to counter-signal weightlifting as if it’s somehow inferior or tbeees a pathological component to those that partake in it.

[@douglashanlon1975]

@@DiamorphineDeath huh?.....please where the heck did that come from?

[@irondiver292]

DiamorphineDeath the strength garnered as a result of this type of work is entirely different from gym strength. If you are unaware of this, you’ve never done it...

[@longshipventures]

Oh yeah- these lads would all have been tough as shoeleather!

[@MB-jn3xz]

The natural gym of life , These guys were fitter, better conditioned and tougher than all these modern day blown up gym goers

[@finleyfarms626]

I love your show.

[@johnallen2771]

I moved around a lot and worked many jobs. Almost took a job as a choker one time but it didn't pan out. I live near the Oregon border in California and we still see logging trucks once in a while but nothing like they used to see. We had a 21 mile long flume that floated the logs to town from the mountains. It was about 70 feet high and made out of logs like a train trestle. It eventually burned down. Men used to ride logs the whole way in.

[@greatgreengoblinbear3800]

When America was still America if I had a time machine this is when I would go

[@ottomeyer6928]

me too

[@joshweickum]

Keep up the good work Wyoming PBS!

[@kaycox5555]

Fascinating! And we think we have a hard lifestyle now....

[@jamesfohare]

Thanks for the video it was great much enjoyed.