Trapper's Axe

[Duane]

Can any of you guy's reccomend aplace where i could get a trappers axe,and what about the Fort Meigs axe.

[Mark]

Russell's book,Firearms, Traps, and Tools, etc.is a good place to start. Having referenced that a 1.5 to 2 pound head with an 18-24inch handle (half-axe) would be a good representation. Remember they were using these to pound trap stakes and the other number jobs calling for an axe around a camp. Personally I think the Ft. Miegs is a little on the light side. Something with a little more heft and authority.

Mark Horvat

[sean]

Duane,

I can't find my digital version of the article, but way back when in one of the Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterlies, Charlie Hanson did an article on axes and tomahawks. While I do not really buy the clear division that Charlie always preached between Indian goods and white goods, he did discuss some of the types of 1/2 axes found in fur trade lists. His definition (can't recall off hand where he pulled it from) was that Kentucky pattern axes had ears on the lower side of the head along the eye and American pattern axes lacked those ears. Both were commonly found in trade lists back to the mid-20's and beyond. That article can still be picked up in their back issues or by interlibrary loan.

Based on that, I've taken modern commercial 2# limbing axes and taken them to the grinder for a bit of reshaping with lots of cooling in a bucket of water. Remove the curved handle, grind off all the modern markings. Reshape the lower side of the head into ears if you see fit, or just want a little lighter head, then drawfile the whole head smooth. Then fit a straight hickory or pecan handle with a wooden wedge only. I've made them from cut down sledge handles, double bit ax handles, and boards. If you want to age it a bit, rust it up well with LMF brown in a humidity box, rub it back with 0000 steel wool or scotch brite pads, then apply some 44/40 or super blue over that. This step isn't really needed though as new goods like this went west every year and your new ax can age naturally. The real thing would not have had an eye that was not quite so neatly shaped, but the outside looked very similar.

Sean

[Rod]

You can still find old original half axes for less than the price of a new one. I got mine from here:

www.oldetoolshop.com/

It's probably from the mid-1800s, forged iron with a steel blade lap welded in. Cost me all of $35 about 5 years ago.

This outfit also offers them:

www.avalonforge.com/MainTools.htm


Like Mark recommended, I also prefer a somewhat heavier axe than those popular "bag axe" types. I've found through experience that pounding a trap stake takes something with a little weight to it. The handle on mine is also long enough that I could use two hands on it, but short enough that it's easy to use just one.


Rod