Axes, Shovels, Hoes, and Picks: The Pioneer’s Kit Revisited

The Pioneer’s Kit

JC Dodge recently started posting on sharp tools. Specifically edged tools; Like knives of the fighting and field variety. Personally, I prefer the field knife for 99/100 tasks. Fighting knives are fun to talk about, and very dangerous for 100 reasons, but if you beat it against a tree for 20 minutes, it’s probably gonna break.
Fighting knives are, however, useful for many reasons. They are quiet, light, and concealable. And using two at a time makes sense in a fight to the death. I don’t keep fighting knives on my field kit. I just keep them in my backpack, car, or my pocket.
Anyone who has worked with their hands knows that the right tool has no replacement. If you need a flat head, and all you have is a Phillip’s head, you have a problem. We have all been there. Modern manufacturing has produced “multi-tools”; like the Gerber, Swiss Army, or the Leatherman. The products are great, and personally I own half a dozen of them. I keep them everywhere, just in case I forget one. And I am a firm believer that the ones who are marketed towards gun-smithing, woodworking, general purpose, or even the “EOD” models have their place without a doubt. The EOD models have wire cutters and wire strippers, which can be more useful than you think. Especially if you are interested in radios or sabotage. The gun-smithing models come in several flavors. I know there are M-16 and M-249 variants.
I bet there is an AK variant… If not, that sounds like a business opportunity to me.
Another tool you may own one, or two of, is the E-Tool and a handy pick or a half-pick. You may even own a short crow bar. Crowbars make great digging tools in the right soil. All three are wildly useful, and half the weight of their full size counterparts. But there is another variety of tools that also peaks my interest, raises a brow, and tweaks an ear like a good roman legionnaire. That is the full sized tools like a kick shovel; or a full size shovel. Possibly even the longer “Diggers” length shovels.
Using full size tools compared to the pack sized tools is night and day in terms of efficiency and comfort.
This post is named after a common tool kit found on most Humvee’s, or any other military vehicles. And you better believe those things get used. So much so, in fact, that there is know reason to attach them to the special mounting bracket underneath the truck that takes too long to retrieve. Usually the primary units just keep them handy in the back of the truck or the bed of the truck. Frankly, the undermounted bracket is stupid in my honest opinion. For a dozen reasons.
Ever tried to retrieve an bottom mounted bracket from a half suck truck? Yeah, whoever thought of that isn’t half as smart as everyone standing in the room told them they were. GE loves to weld extra mounts to everything, and then charge the taxpayer, so to that I say; “Cool, thanks guys” and “That was fun”. The damn bracket is heavier than the tools mounted to it. Does that sound like a good use of weight?
On to what I think you should do. Assuming you don’t have a work truck full of tools, racks full of tools, or a trash can full of the tools you need ready to use. It doesn’t hurt to have these tools handy. Imagine not having a garden hoe when everyone is starving to death and planting those emergency seeds they bought. Or a weeding tool? Do you have a gardener’s pick? That’s the fastest way to remove weeds in my experience.
I have a ruck sack loaded out like a carpenter tool bag on steroids. It has hammers, nails, screws, spools of straight line(Mason’s Line), measuring tapes(for building a zero range?), machetes, and saws of all shapes and sizes within reason. Some of the products I purchased are lightweight, foldable, or compact. Others are verifiable full size straight from the local hardware store. And there are ways to cheat the system. You can by a wood handle shovel, and wait for it to break or rot, or, you could by a fiberglass shovel and wait for it to get sun baked (Damaged by the UV light) and wait for it to be broken and splintered. There are wraps available that are quite impressive, for use as a quick fix, but if you pre-wrap your tools, they last longer.
You should build a pioneers kit for your vehicle, get some quality home garden tools, and you should build a pioneers pack. All told, the total price would be $500-1000 if you own nothing mentioned. depending on how many and what you buy.
Beats buying another Rifle or Pistol IMHO.
Personally, I think the Ace Hardware brand lawn, garden, and digging tools are quality tools.
Buy American if you can. I promise you will use these tools eventually. And sharpen your shovel, it helps make digging easier.

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About the Author: Johnny Paratrooper

Born and Raised in Baltimore City, Maryland. History Degree. 8 Years Airborne Infantry and Scouts Platoon. Iraq Veteran. 4-5 Years as a doorman, bar back, and bouncer in Baltimore. Worked in Construction, Heavy Equipment Demolition, Corporate Security, Sales, Forest Service contractor, and the Hospitality Industry. Raised Catholic. Hobbies are race cars and sport bikes. Side projects are HAM radio credentials and long range shooting. MY EMAIL IS JOHNNYPARATROOPER@TUTANOTA.COM. Founder of Green Dragon Academy https://www.patreon.com/GreenDragonAcademy

55 Comments

  1. That dude March 31, 2021 at 08:17

    Ace does have good garden tools.

    • Johnny Paratrooper March 31, 2021 at 08:50

      Yeah man, their stuff rocks. I like their fiberglass tools with all the reinforced parts and pins. Great products.

  2. American Yeoman March 31, 2021 at 09:25

    I always start my search for tools at Pawn Shops, Garage sales and Flea Markets. Always looking for high quality, older, American made tools- even when I’m not looking for them- I’m looking for them. Shovels. I have at least a half a dozen, no, I don’t need anymore….but, if I see one with a decent handle, quality, in good shape, for $5- Yea, it’s going home with me, same for picks, axes, hoes, rakes, pitch forks…..
    For used tool heads that need a new handle, I go here- American made since 1923. A company that has always treated me right. Just great products.
    https://www.tennesseehickory.com/
    For new tools, I buy mostly Council Tool. American made and very high quality- used by the U.S. Forest Service for example. Their offerings are somewhat limited but if they have what you are looking for, you won’t find better for the money.

    • Johnny Paratrooper March 31, 2021 at 09:59

      You can never have enough tools. The pawn shops in my area won’t buy hand tools. And the flea markets are just full of 1980’s garbage and cat ladies. There are mud sales, but that’s only like 20% off.

    • wwes March 31, 2021 at 10:05

      Thanks for that link for the handles, that is a great resource.
      And Council Tool makes some really good stuff, when I buy new splitting mauls they are the only ones I buy.

  3. Sleeper March 31, 2021 at 09:44

    Not sexy, but definitely necessity! Thanks for this.

    • Johnny Paratrooper March 31, 2021 at 10:05

      Yeah buddy. The Pioneer Pack I put together has everything I need to build a house in the woods. It also has an accessory 60mm Ammo can full of extra stuff like 200 glow sticks and noise makers, but I don’t “need” it.

  4. LD March 31, 2021 at 10:39

    Don’t forget handy man jack or called high lift jack

    • Johnny Paratrooper March 31, 2021 at 10:43

      Yes. Also a very useful piece of gear. And a nice piece of lumber incase you are sitting on some mud.

    • SemperFi, 0321 March 31, 2021 at 16:30

      FYI, the Handyman jack goes back to conestoga wagons as far as age is concerned, and also one of the most dangerous tools you can have. They’ve crippled a lot of people who weren’t paying attention, or didn’t know how to use one. (see vids)
      I’ve carried one in my 4wd vehicles for decades and it was just 2 yrs ago almost shattered my jaw while changing tires on my jeep. The handle slipped out of my hand as I was lowering vehicle and it hit my right ear at about 500 mph, I jumped back clasping my ear and thinking I’d lost it. Another inch closer would have shattered my jaw into minuscule pieces. The jack handle continued to bounce up and down as the vehicle settled to the ground.
      They’re also notorious for kicking out from under the vehicles and hitting you like a double whammy from a mule, breaking bones.
      https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=handyman+jack+use

  5. Buckshot March 31, 2021 at 10:57

    A couple coats of linseed oil to start and another once a year will keep wooden handles in good shape for a lifetime.

    • Johnny Paratrooper March 31, 2021 at 15:57

      Most of mine are painted in a nice coat of oil based(acrylic) after a good sanding. A lot of them are bright pink. Who steals pink tools! Nobody.

  6. Historian March 31, 2021 at 11:09

    Very good article!
    I always check the local yard sales for tools, and do run across some great deals there and at the local outdoor flea markets. I’ve gotten sledge hammer heads and ax heads for $1 or $2; the local hardware store, (NOT a big box) sells nice hickory handles for $8 or $9. While I can make them, usually I buy in bulk online for tool handles, especially sledge and splitting maul handles; don’t miss often, but when I do miss long on a full power swing, it usually means a new handle, and making one is 4 hours I could have spent doing something more productive. I have a collection of sledge hammers running from 6 to 16 pounds, with shorter and longer handles in the 8 to 12 pound range, including an old 12 pound railroad sledge with a small face and long skinny-nosed head which is very good for driving a wedge *inside* that stubborn chunk of knotty oak the splitting machine choked on.
    As an aside, people who have never encountered rocks or gravel in the crotches of old trees from residential areas will argue that a chain saw is faster than trying to split a stubborn chunk there, but after the first couple of times I ruined a good $30 chain doing that, I went back to ‘sledge and wedge’. Kids apparently put the most amazing things in tree crotches. Plastic dolls, golf balls and baseballs won’t ruin your chain but a rock darn sure does. There is a reason that trees grow that twisty grain, and it isn’t always just the branches…. Same thing with milling logs. A nail or a chunk of rock will ruin a $30 saw blade; dull teeth can be sharpened, but a blade that is missing teeth is expensive scrap.
    Probably my best catch was finding 7 Disston hand saws, including a nice short cabinet crosscut and a nice long ripping saw at a yard sale. They were marked $3 each; I offered the guy $10 for all seven. It was late in the day and he hesitated, and I started to move back toward my truck and he said yes. Some of them were rusty but some naval jelly, some polishing and a a trip to the saw filing clamp later they’ll look and cut almost like new. There are lots of times that a simple sharp hand saw does the job better and faster than having to go and get a power tool, and a hand saw is light and cheap compared to the latest battery powered tool. It takes practice to get good, but it is worth learning how. Also have a collection of larger hand saws
    With regard to every day tools, I keep a full sized single bit ‘beater’ ax with a file, a 30″ bow saw and spare blade, a full sized short handled shovel, a 50 meter coil of climbing rope, straps and a comealong in every vehicle I run, along with a set of mechanic’s tools and corks/plugs. In my truck I usually keep a logging/tow chain, too, along with speed links. Do not have a pick or a digging/pry bar, but may have to see about that. Hmmm….
    With regard to all who seek the Light,
    Historian.

    • Johnny Paratrooper March 31, 2021 at 12:13

      Thanks Brother. One time I fell a tree with a chainsaw and it was full of .70 caliber lead balls and miniballs. Judging by a rough guess of the tree rings, my crew and I estimated the age of the tree was nearly 150 years old at the Civil War. It must have been used to test a new batch of black powder marching into Gettysburg, or near about that time. This was right off of a major river that was used to water horses and soldiers before marching into PA. I cut two nice chunks of it to make a coffee table out of but someone stole them out of my truck. I was pretty annoyed about that one because those would have been great conversation pieces. Another item I have found in trees is glass bottles. That will screw up a good saw or chain REAL quick.

      • Historian March 31, 2021 at 18:45

        JP:
        Have not (yet) found a bottle in a tree, but I have found bullets in trees. You can date them by counting the rings from the outside back to where the tree started to heal the wound; none of mine have been anywhere close to that old.
        Carbide chains mentioned elsewhere do not help on rocks, but I do like the idea of a quiet saw. My problem with battery powered tools is that a) the battery usually dies when I need it most and b) rechargeable batteries have a finite lifespan and are expensive. That is why I have a collection of 4′ to 8′ long (medium length) hand saws. I’ve taken down trees too big to cut with my biggest chain saw with a 6 pound double bitted ax and the 2 man Disston my grandfather bought in the 1920s. If you keep it *sharp* and rust free, with a little kerosene for lube it’ll cut some big timber. Practice with these and you’ll stay in shape for sure!
        With regard to all who seek the light,
        Historian

      • Otto March 31, 2021 at 19:46

        Probably earlier than the civil war if .70 cal. Muskets used .69 ball, most bullets in the civil war were .58 minie ball. Lots of great early American history back east

  7. anonymous March 31, 2021 at 13:39

    A Grape Hoe gets things done quicker than the standard garden variety. A Sling Blade likewise is quicker clearing land. Both of these tools will provide plenty of exercise as well.

    • Johnny Paratrooper March 31, 2021 at 15:55

      Thanks. I will look into these tools. I’m a rake, spade, and flat point guy most days.

    • Otto March 31, 2021 at 19:37

      Some folks call it a Sling Blade I call it a Kaiser Blade. Mmm hmmm

  8. SOG March 31, 2021 at 13:51

    what is that carry/storage rig in the photo? any links to it?

    • Johnny Paratrooper March 31, 2021 at 15:17

      It’s the standard issue piece of .mil shit. I posted a link to one on Ebay for $300 bucks after shipping. It weights more than the tools themselves. Honestly, a standard issue duffel bag works better and keeps your tools from bouncing around in the back of the truck. We used to remove these and store the rack at the motor pool. There is no reason to use this piece of junk. The other Vets on this site would probably agree with me. It’s unwieldy. The only purpose it serves is if you own a military truck and want a period correct piece of kit to complete the set.
      https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pioneer-Military-Tool-Kit-Shovel-Axe-Pick-Ax-w-Truck-Humvee-Mounting-Bracket/333914232798?hash=item4dbed6d7de:g:ATQAAOSwqOZgRmyA

      • President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neanderthal B Woodman Domestic Violent Extremist SuperStraight March 31, 2021 at 16:38

        JP,
        The only good thing those Pioneer Kit racks were good for was for vehicle inspection and layout.
        BTDT.

  9. JPT March 31, 2021 at 16:20

    one thing peeps might want to invest in for their chain saws is either bullet chain or raptor chain. we used it on our stihl 460 chainsaws in the FD. saws were normally used for cutting holes in roofs for ventilation. as such, we ripped thru nails, flashing, etc. that stuff normally tears up carbide tipped chains, but the bullet or raptor chain held up better. we bought it in spools, and made our own loops. i recommend even if guys cant spend a lot of money on that type of chain, at least buy good carbide tipped chain and learn how to make your own loops and get the stuff to do it.

    • mike March 31, 2021 at 17:31

      Some might want to consider a battery powered chainsaw as a tactical tool. They are not as well made as a gasoline powered farm/professional model, but they do work and the are very portable and inexpensive. Most importantly, they are extremely quiet compared to a gasoline saw and definitely do not have that unmistakable “chainsaw” noise signature that can be heard for miles. The quieter battery saws allow for such things as felling trees across roadways or dropping wooden utility poles in close proximity to occupied dwellings without alerting local civilians or enemy .

      • Historian March 31, 2021 at 18:48

        Mike:
        As noted elsewhere, I agree with having quiet saws, but am dubious about battery powered chain saws. Admittedly I have not used them; how big a bar can you get and how long does a battery pack run the saw when cutting, for example, 12″ white oak or locust logs?
        With regard to all who seek the Light,
        Historian

        • SemperFi, 0321 March 31, 2021 at 20:23

          Been using a small Stihl cordless electric last summer, it was bought for the lady ranch manager to use in case of a tree across the road driving in and out. They are nice but are still small toy like saws, nothing I would use for serious work like firewooding or homebuilding (I run a Stihl 026 and 044). The batteries are right at $100 ea too, and you need at least 2 of them.
          20 yrs ago I bought a Husqvarna electric plug in saw for indoor log home construction, the noise and fumes from a gas saw were overwhelming indoors. These new little saws don’t keep up with that Husky, chain’s even smaller.
          Not a bad saw for carrying in a vehicle for light duty use, but don’t expect one to keep up with a small gas saw.

        • mike March 31, 2021 at 21:45

          I have the Ryobi one. About $125 iirc. Definitely a smaller “homeowner” size, but it is light enough to carry as pioneer infantry kit and will have enough battery power to take down 6 or 7 utility poles or similar sized trees in guessing on a single battery. I have taken a few medium and small trees down with it and it has been good. It lacks the battery endurance to process the whole tree into woodstove length logs without a recharge, but the tactical missions I suggest don’t require that. A second battery as an investment would be a good idea. I have laid up about 3/4 of a cord of firewood with it this winter and really cant complain about it. Bigger jobs would obviously call for a proper gas saw. If you have a solar charging station and you take care of it, you might be able to keep one of these operational long after your supply of gasoline is gone in an extreme SHTF situation.
          I think the battery powered reciprocating “sawzall” tools could also have utility in partisan sapper applications for the same reasons.

        • KC March 31, 2021 at 21:50

          I have a DeWalt 60v. I’ve only used it once thus far. That was to split a very large beef down the center. It did that on one battery with a little left over, which I thought was pretty good. I bought it for notching posts on pole barns and will probably use it some for limbing firewood and trimming trees on job sights. It would definitely work well enough for a lot of “night work”. I already have a lot of the batteries. Otherwise, I’m not sure it would be worth it for general use.

        • Historian April 1, 2021 at 21:18

          SO I got curious and went looking at cordless chain saws. Stihl runs around $600 for a saw, charger and one battery. Husqvarna runs around $300 with one battery, presumably with a charger. You can get cheaper, but I learned a long time ago that for serious tools put to serious use, buy good ones and those are two names I’d place some weight on.
          I can get a good 36″ bow saw for under $40 and spare Swedish blades were under $20 last time I ordered some. For the same weight as the chain saw and a spare battery, I can carry an ax and a 36″ bow saw with a spare blade or two and a couple oak wedges, and quietly fell a 16″ oak in 20 minutes, and I’m old. A couple husky youngsters in good shape could do it in half that time.
          For that matter, I have an electric 120v AC powered Craftsman chain saw that does a decent job, and my Honda genny is very quiet. I’d not want to carry it for any great distance, but in the context of cutting wood in a grid-down situation, probably an option, or run it off an inverter from one of my deep cycle batteries.

          • SemperFi, 0321 April 2, 2021 at 01:26

            I collect a few old logging saws and hand sharpened some for the USFS trail crews too (at $10/ft). I came across a 4′ perforated lance tooth at a ranch that was damaged on the back end, cut it down to about 30″ and installed another D handle (they’re hardened so it took a cutting wheel and a torch). Then fitted a thin masonite/hard wood case and slid that into a short rifle scabbard (they’ll cut thru a gunny sack, firehose or gun scabbard in a second). Strapped it to my dirt bike and cleared many miles of trails here. Now it sits in the back of my jeep in case of trees down across the road. Already been used for that many times too.
            Hand saws are an art in themselves and it’s the basic tool when all else fails.

      • Doc March 31, 2021 at 22:51

        Get the 12 volt battery charger for the chain saw batteries so you can recharge from a solar panel. If gasoline is hard to come by, being able to run a quiet chain saw is worth it’s weight in gold.

  10. Steady Steve March 31, 2021 at 17:59

    Garrett Wade has some impressive tools. Like all steel shovels, no handle to break. And some nice Swedish made axes.

    • Historian March 31, 2021 at 21:30

      There is no doubt that Granfors Bruks makes a really nice ax. And they charge a really nice price!
      I have a pre-WW2 True Temper heavy single bit that is one of my favorites. It is forged from wrought iron with a steel edge welded in. I paid $3 for it at a local flea market, put a new handle on it, and have used it for felling and limbing for the last 10 years. It was worn on the top edge where some idiot repeatedly chopped rocks and dirt with it and was poorly sharpened, really too blunt to cut. I re-profiled the edge which took about 1/3 lb off it, and is getting worn enough from dealing with the oak and locust around here that I will probably re-steel it soon and forge out the mushroomed back side where some idiot hammered on it, and put it back to use with a new edge, as good as when it came out of West Virginia near a hundred years ago. I have a good selection of spring steel I’ll use for that.
      With regard to all who seek the Light,
      Historian.

      • wwes April 1, 2021 at 07:57

        Those old True Temper axes were some good tools. When I was in high school one of the older vocational teachers had a box with half a dozen single and double bit axe heads that he was throwing in the dumpster. They made their way home with me and after they got new handles and a good sharpening they still get used.

        • Johnny Paratrooper April 1, 2021 at 10:51

          On the western frontier a sharp felling axe, a file, and a good field knife were worth more than gold because of how far you had to travel to replace them.

          • wwes April 1, 2021 at 10:53

            I’d say a GOOD stone too- I know a rock will work in a pinch, but a file and a good stone can work magic on an axe or a knife.

          • SemperFi, 0321 April 1, 2021 at 13:22

            A file will put an edge on a field axe you just used for chopping roots, but then there’s woodworking sharp, i.e. Scary sharp.
            All my woodworking tools ( chisels, handplanes, drawknives, broadaxes, etc) are shaving sharp and stay that way for a reason, they’re for building things with and not grubbing tools for the dirt. Some folks get too abusive with their tools and then when an axe is needed it’s too dull to cut wood with. Get a Pulaski (USFS firefighting tool) or grub axe for that kind of stuff and keep it in tip top shape too.
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulaski_(tool)
            https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=scary+sharp+axe

          • Johnny Paratrooper April 1, 2021 at 16:00

            Those are good tools. It’s also referred to a “ground axe” because it’s meant to be smashed into he dirt over and over again. There is another one with a “Parrot Head” sometimes called a “Parrot Axe”. It’s a fairly common tool but the name escapes me.
            Those tool linked below is also impressive. Although, I prefer a longer handle.
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLeod_(tool)

  11. Whackadoodle March 31, 2021 at 19:43

    I mean, I’ve got a fully equipped blacksmith shop, and I’ve been making tools for decades…so I guess my community and I will be alright.

    • NC Scout March 31, 2021 at 19:45

      Heck yes they will. Having a blacksmith is a literal goldmine in a survival community.

  12. a March 31, 2021 at 20:12

    That tool carrier looks a lot like the ones that were attached to the back of front brush guards that we had on our pick-ups in the 70’s. Some had a spot for the farm jack as well. A set of KC off road driving lights and fog lights along with a winch, 4-6 inch lift kit and your were good to go. Most of those rigs never saw more than a series of Pennsylvania pot holes for their off road experience. As for tools, if any more follow me home, I might be looking for one as well.

  13. HP March 31, 2021 at 20:14

    Timely article- got your seeds started?
    I’m a big believer in having the right tool for the job. If you need to borrow it- you should own it. Like other commenters have noted, most of my garden tools were acquired second hand- online, garage sale, salvage, etc. You can probably get a good set for free just helping your grandma or neighbor clean out the shed. Don’t buy the shit they sell in the big boxes.

  14. Anonymous March 31, 2021 at 20:35

    2.5

  15. Come and make it blog March 31, 2021 at 22:19

    A draw knife should be included as essential kit in these things….

    • wwes April 1, 2021 at 07:58

      That’s one of the good things about a large, sharp knife- they make an effective draw knife in a pinch.

  16. wolf6 March 31, 2021 at 23:49

    Knipex large bolt cutters for locks and rebar and Gerber concentina or dannert wire cutters will cut any type of wire.

  17. anonymous April 1, 2021 at 06:50

    You can also make smaller backpackable tool kits. A Swiss military take-down mattock (handle length about 20″) paired with a Cold Steel Spetsnatz shovel can be carried handles inside a folding chair bag. About 6 lbs. in weight. This unit can be slung across back for hands free carry. Not a full blown Pioneer kit though.
    The comments above about deck screws and other fasteners – make sure the head takes standard tools, not specialized torx – square – hex requiring driving tools you may not have on hand.

    • Johnny Paratrooper April 1, 2021 at 10:53

      Yes, very good point, Phillips heads or flat tips. A #2 or #3 bit is a must.

  18. (((Doc B))) April 1, 2021 at 16:40

    After many years on the fireline every summer I am sold on True-temper FSS tools. FSS (forest service standard) tools are made to last and don’t break as much under real use. The steel is harder and holds an edge longer on the fire line. Get a Pulaski tool, a real shovel, and a McClaud tool. And files.

    • Rucksack Rob April 1, 2021 at 22:22

      Hey Doc,
      I agree with you 100% about True Temper pioneer tools, great quality and well made in the USA, reasonably priced and available at most hardware stores. And FYI… FSS does not mean Forest Service Standard or Forest Service Supply (as others have stated) it stands for Federal Supply System (I still have a FSS catalog for Gov’t agencies, it’s around 3-4 inches thick and has everything from band aids to GP Medium tents, tools, tires, food prep stuff and tons more.) I did 2 seasons with the USFS in the El Dorado about 35 years ago with a couple more in CDF. No biggie, just thought I’d pass that along. Take care

      • SemperFi, 0321 April 2, 2021 at 01:06

        I’ve got a nice old Pacific coast double bit felling axe (the nice thin long ones) and it’s got a deep factory stamp of FS (Forest Service?), then in the center of the eye is CCC, the other side has a Plumb and 4 (4 lb).
        Don’t know if it came from the local CCC camp or went back into USFS use, but it ended up in NW Wyoming where no one ever uses that type of axe head. Traded a guy a single bit for it as he was using it to split kindling with a short handle in it.

  19. Crazy Stevo April 3, 2021 at 03:31

    I know I’m late but I read this years ago and did this myself. I got a used golf bag and store my tools in it. Easy to care and also keeps everything organized. https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/tools/garden-tool-organizer-zm0z15onzkin

    • Doc April 3, 2021 at 11:24

      Years ago I read about building a box out of scrap lumber, filling it with sand and just a bit of motor oil to very lightly dampen it. Every time you put a shovel, hoe, rake or axe into the sand it scours the working end. The sand holds them in the vertical position. Residual dirt and rust are removed and the little bit of oil keeps them rust free. Since the working end is buried in the sand, I have had to mark the handles so I am sure of what’s what. I finally moved to a nice piece of land in the mountains and did it and am very happy with the results. I’m probably going to have to build a second one as the number of tools seems to keep growing.

  20. Anonymous April 6, 2021 at 21:34

    5

  21. Gryphon April 12, 2021 at 19:55

    Fiberglass or Carbon-Fiber Handles are Good for all Pioneer Tools, but always have some Wood Spares, and the Wedges for them.
    Learn (by doing) How to Replace an Axe or Sledge Handle – (Tip- Drill down into the Tool after the Handle has been Cut Off. Then use a Hammer and Taper Punch to Drive Out the Scraps) A Coarse-Tooth Rasp is good for Fitting a new Handle to the Head.
    Another Important and often Overlooked ‘Pioneer Tool’ is a Saw- Faster and Quieter than an Axe, and Works on Limbs, where an Axe will just Bounce. The Thin-Blade ‘Bow Saw’ is small, lightweight, Blades are cheap and Easily Replaced (often with No Tools) and will handle 90% of Sawing Tasks. After that, there is the old-style Timber Saw, One or Two-Man. These come in sizes from 4-Foot, 1-Man, to Lengths approaching 20 Feet. Before the Invention of the Engine-Driven Chain Saw, every Species of Tree, including Redwoods, have been ‘Taken’ wit this type of Saw.

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