Whenever I'm up late at night I invariably end up on this channel.

@wranglerstar

8 жыл бұрын

+keejinjohanson glad you like it

@redneckliving1237

8 жыл бұрын

+Theik111 at least we're not the only ones

@masondennis5770

8 жыл бұрын

+keejinjohanson same .... 2:00am , here i am again

@mynameisandrew9878

7 жыл бұрын

yeah me too even as I'm writing this it's pretty late

@mangounchained2715

7 жыл бұрын

same

Some folks calls it a Sling Blade, I call it a Kaiser Blade.......umhum In the South it was used by the Chain Gangs to clear banks along the State Roads in lots of the Southern States. It was used to Clear brush & saplings closer to the ground. These tools work best where there's no spring on impact and while swinging in a downward angle, leaving a sharp stob sticking out of the ground 2-6" if done right.. Just one long, even, graceful powerful stroke with a downward sweep will slice 2+" saplings in one swing and ofter with just one hand. In the 50s & 60, the Chain Gangs in the Deep south used them exclusively. When I was 7-10 years old, we would drive past these Chain Gangs all the time...Work Release was different then, they had to work really hard. I watched crews swinging these Kaiser or Sling Blades every Spring and Fall. It was like the movies we've all seen. Ive watched Men working with other Men they were chained next to. They were chained 6-10' apart and would sometimes fall into a rhythm with the other workers after a little while....just like in the movies. They would sometimes compete, seeing who had the best swing, strongest stroke, or who could cut down the most saplings with one swing of the blade. One sweeping swing can bring down large saplings one after the other, time after time like a machine once you find a good rhythm and learn this tool. The perfect site has straight consistent saplings 1-2" thick with a bit of space between them & has no tangling under growth to tangle your blade and slow you down. ....matted areas make for slow going and tiring work because you cant get a rhythm that makes it more like a dance & less like a job. I've used them quite a bit myself and they take much of the work out of this kind of job for sure. And yes, the hooked tip hits the dirt often but that's not where the work is being done, so it don't much matter. The hooked tip acts like your arm, gathering in thinner material to help pull/hold & steady it while the wider, heavier straight part of the blade delivers the shearing blow that does all of the heavy work. You hardly ever see a sharp tip on these blades when they are used day after day. All you gotta do is aim it, give it a push and hang on to it..as .it does most of the work when you learn to use it wisely, conserving your energy through the day. Once you really get the feel for it, you can work all day and not be nearly as tired as you might think. The State Road Departments would clear the banks of saplings every few years like clock work, while the new growth was prime size for these blades, the Gangs would walk through these places like hot knives in warm butter....leaving an area covered with nothing but sharp little stobs sticking up 2-6" depending on who is swinging the tool and what's being cut. Today, they have resorted to chemical sprays and we all know what that means for us. But, as long as 2 man crews can keep these areas cleared where it used to take thousands of Prisoners & Armed Guards State Wide, the State will continue to sanction these Chemical Management Programs that we are seeing today..... Sorry for the long post! I love to write and do get carried away telling stories sometimes.

@patriotr582

6 жыл бұрын

You beat me by over a year

@FourLetterGT

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the read Raylon, I enjoyed it!

@evan4856

6 жыл бұрын

I loved that movie by the way

@ottovonfalkenhausen3730

6 жыл бұрын

The Walking dictionary...

@MrRoy-rb1je

3 жыл бұрын

Cool Hand Luke movie has em....

Its actually meant to be used on Brush. Like bushes it was also frequently used in fields. It was a multipurpose tool. I actually have one I use it mostly to clear small brush in the woods.

Also known as a bill hook, I believe. A medieval peasants tool and weapon. Classed as a pole arm,evolved into the halberd. Quite a useful tool.

My dad had one of those, I have it now, and he called the brush hook a man killer, and we used it on the hardwood brush around our place here. We used it mostly on roots.

I worked with Dad doing some clearing with brush hook, Dad would swing it kinda like a golf club to cut the brush on the up swing. Dad helped me get the hang of using one and once you get the nack of using one you can clear ground rather fast. Dad got good using one clearing the homestead in Alaska when he was a young man.

@oldtimerlee8820

10 жыл бұрын

Kriss Femmpaws That's the way they are used around here. The up swing utilizes the hook more than the downward motion of ax cutting. Those used here have a longer handle to make cuts closer to the ground. Before modern powered tools and herbicides came into being, they were often used to keep brush cleared on power line right of ways. And, keeping the shoulders of rural roads cleared, as well. Another use, I remember was keeping fence lines and such cleared.

@Femmpaws

10 жыл бұрын

In Alaska one of the things you get to deal with is Devil Club... clearing it can be a big chore. I use to cut Grandma B's fence lines with a scythe in the summer and fall in the late 60s and early 70s. The brush hook was used for the saplings and black berries.

It's wonderful seeing such care and effort going into a tool. You're an inspiration.

Great video. I really dig the way you emphasize using the tools of our grandparents. As to the brush axe's use, it's a great general clearing tool for survey and forestry crew. I work in the engineering field and we use the brush axe to clear away small brush to take survey shots. The hook is great and tearing briars and brambles down to the ground so they won't snag you and chop down small trees as you've demonstrated. The brush axe is a multipurpose tool that is best suited for brush clearing and small saplings (

I DON'T COMMENT MUCH BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW. Your ministry and videos have help me get through stage 3B cancer. I can't thank you enough for taking the time with these vids and most of all your perspective on the scripture. I'm so blessed by the things God has convicted you to do and to keep up with. Thank you and God placed us together. All things happen for a reason. Semper Fi. USMC.

@wranglerstar

10 жыл бұрын

Semper Fi Mark and thank you .

@markrice7162

10 жыл бұрын

wranglerstar Thank for taking the time to reply. Very kind of you. God bless us all..

In the UK we call them Bill hooks, and almost every county has its' own variant, which are of different handle lengths and blade styles. For instance a Devon or Cornwall bill hook is a short one handed, single bladed tool, but a Yorkshire bill is a medium length, long handled tool with a flat machete blade on the back. They go back many hundreds of years, and were one of the most common tools for peasant farmers and foresters...and poachers. I have been using them for 27 years to brash thicker branches, and they are pretty much awesome on both hard and soft woods! I have one that is nearly 90 years old (but the blade is getting a bit thin now), but my main one is used virtually every day for forestry work. Keep up the good wortk with the channel by the way!

@arcticwolfac6844

7 жыл бұрын

Sammy Bee yeah, I was just thinking that! I just found one behind my garden shed in devon, not sure what type it is yet, it had a longer handle so probably a yorkshire.

@AG.Floats

4 жыл бұрын

A bill hook is a brush axe that was weaponized for war..

One of my favorite brush clearing tools. The curved head comes in handy a lot

Thanks for putting that little progress shot in, I love seeing the difference it makes.

I love your work , keep the videos coming ! I live in a very small farming community in east Tennessee n cant belive people have the gall to comment on some of your videos. We need to pray for these people and our country. Thank you again.

@wranglerstar

9 жыл бұрын

Jody Davidson Yes, prayer helps! Thank you. MrsW here.

A billhook and a Glock?? Lots of zombies then in that part of the woods I presume.;-)

I really enjoy seeing you restore the forest. Me and my old man are cleaning up our property which has been over grown with cedars. I look to your videos for incite and the proper way to do things thanks alot!

Absolutely awesome! Love the clean forest and thank you for all you great videos.

Beautiful job with the clearing, I wish I had a woodland to spend some time in. Whit

medieval english infantry used something like this called a "bill hook" Cold steel makes one.

I used to spend my summers, during my teen years, clearing brush in South Georgia. we used the bush axes with both edges sharpened. Definitely my go-to tool. Especially for cutting roots and getting after the palmetto brush where the snakes like to hide. When I started working on a bush hog crew cutting right of way for transmission lines, it became my go-to for not spending 10 hours bent over, swinging a chainsaw when we had to hand cut an area too soupy for the tractor.

I've never seen anything like it. I love seeing the work you're doing clearing out the forest and taking care of it. Looks great

can you make a video on how you suggest someone can start modern homesteading because when i am older i would love to live like you do but i dont know where to start

@theNewCodingFrontier

10 жыл бұрын

I also would love a series like this. I was born in california and I lived in Los Angeles but now I've managed to get out (currently in alaska). Nothing would bring more joy than to work my own land.

@TheDisorderly1

10 жыл бұрын

***** Some of his early videos talk about this very subject.

"some people call it a sling blade. i call it a kaiser blade" that thing reminded me of the movie slingblade lol

@jamesluck2969

6 жыл бұрын

old gregg, my elders have always called it a Kaiser blade

Used one of those starting younger than I can remember. Helps to keep hits closer to ground as that helps take the springiness out of the hits. Also one can attack from mid area with high swing going downward sharply. That is useful to do when dealing with long things for you can clear it back enough to get nice low hits. It is a great tool for undergrowth clearing and path making. The different parts of blade lends themselves to different tasks for sure. I spent hour upon hours just walking thru woods making paths with mine as a child. It gives you a great work out.

Awesome! I used brush hooks growing up to clear huckleberry and salal for dirt bike trails up here in the NW. I have been looking for an older one like that and recently picked up an old PEXTO Bell System brush axe that I am restoring. I will be putting it to work soon. I find that striking the brush lower toward the stem is much more effective and eliminates the flex and deflecting. Shin guards are a must!

Best weapon for the zombie apocalypse as well.

If your going to compare a brush axe to a weapon of war it is a lot closer to a bill than a kukri.

@christopherblaziek8303

5 жыл бұрын

A bill is a weaponized brushhook

@southsynthic7828

5 жыл бұрын

Christopher Blaziek Thank you for saying that!

Hey Cody just watched this video and seeing the bush ax brings back memories my dad use to have one a long time ago .when i seen it being used it was used on bushes similar to the one you trimmed but i think from what i seen back in the day it was used a lot closer to the ground hence the reason for the hook blade think golf . the bush is sturdier closer to the root area giving you a lot better bite as you swing .it is a dandy tool and very versatile . great video thanx for sharing

I just got one a few months ago. I had no idea what it's purpose was. So I used it to pull up old paving stones that grass has grown over. It worked lol. Now I know how to use it proper! Thanks

Viva La SFC

@connorsmith713

10 жыл бұрын

First rule of SFC, you don't talk about SFC.

@ThePilotPenguin1

9 жыл бұрын

in ireland we call a burke blade a slasher well at least we do we have one of them. we use ours for clearing thorns and grass when we go fencing around ditches

@MoejoTheGreat

8 жыл бұрын

+The Pilot Penguin Here in Florida we call it a ditch blade, because they are excellent for cleaning out brush clogged ditches & culverts.

@ThePilotPenguin1

8 жыл бұрын

makes sense

@jonaseaton6422

8 жыл бұрын

I realized that in this video you said this tool is not for women or children because you need a lot of upper body strength. are you implying that women cant have that upper body strength?

Most of them are too heavy, if you can even find one. They're like cutting brush with a sledge hammer. Mine was home made by some clever unknown farmer and it's great.

When I was young and worked for the Ca. Forest Dept. and at that time the Ecology Corp. I used a brush hook and in Ca. brush fires that thing cut like crazy. The one I had was about 3/8 in thick at the spine and was a flat grind all the way from the edge. It went through 1 to 1 1/2 in thick brush with one swing. It was better than the one he has. We made firebreaks at an impressive speed. That was at the front.

I love using my brush hook to clear mountain laurel. Cut at a steep angle and it just goes right through. Great channel!

9:00 Did you just pull a Bob Ross?! LOL!

And in a pinch, the peasant can use it to fight in the line against the enemies of the king.

@briangodfrey5079

5 жыл бұрын

Ever notice how the peasants use tools similar to what they used on the farm while the coddled, wine-drinking nobles sit way up on a horse all covered in armor? Put that noble warrior on the ground with the same armor and weapon as a peasant and he wouldn't stand a chance.

@TheAmazingKoalaDolphin

4 жыл бұрын

@@briangodfrey5079 you are no grasp of history if you think knights weren't highly trained professional warrior. they 100% would kill untrained malnourished peasants is almost any situations with any equipment.

@briangodfrey5079

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheAmazingKoalaDolphin You didn't read what I wrote. Put them on the ground with the peasant's farm tools - the ones those peasants used all day, every day - and they wouldn't stand a chance. Peasants were farm labor and farm labor before the machine age was very strong and very tough.

@TheAmazingKoalaDolphin

4 жыл бұрын

@@briangodfrey5079 you clearly have no concept of what kind of training knights went through and how long they trained for. peasant's where for the most part malnourished back then, you vastly overrate their strength not even counting the fact they have no combat training. It would be like putting a Special Forces member versus a random guy in the street. I'm sorry to break your little fantasy about "blue collar people are the best"

The burk blade you pointed out is known as a ditch bank blade in the South/East/Southeast of the country. I've been using them all my life, and they're fantastic for: - Clearing pine saplings and young stands of Chinese privet - Pulling kudzu, honeysuckle, trumpet vine and wisteria away from trees and fences while also cutting them - Dragging small logs out of the way, sort of like a pickaroon Different designs, I think, are meant more for different things. Double-edged varieties are meant more for lighter work, even though they're still super heavy. They just don't bite as well as a good axe or cane knife for taking out small trees.

When I working on a farm in the UK back in the day, we used something very similar to yours for clearing blackberry brambles, Rhododendron and the like. Great tool that was probably overtaken by a bush cutter sadly. Thanks for sharing, take care as always. Alwyn

Cody, I used several similar Brush-axe over my years in SAR. We mostly used them when we had to clear brush for evidence searches. Ours seemed to have a slightly more pronounced hook that allowed us to catch those springy scrubby vines. They worked especially well for clearing the thick blackberry vines that grow everywhere here in Western Washington. The preferred technique was to hold the blade low along one's side and use a stroke that was both upwards and forward. Imagine paddling a canoe backwards. This helped to keep the user clear of the dangerous end. Cheers.

Surveyors using them

Hmm, reminds me of all the happy hours I spent on behalf of my (UK) fishing club, working around the lakes with vintage Irish slasher and billhook! Fabulously effective tools when used for their intended purpose. Many thanks for the video - and memory prompt!

That's a sweet billhook. Me and my father use one-handed billhooks while out undertaking forestry work. It's just coupling swinging technique with strength, easy to remove all branches from thin trees(7 inches thick and lower) no matter the tree's species. Oak, beech, fir, you name it. It might also partially be a cultural thing I find a billhook handier than a hatchet or machete when in the brush, but it's basically been the Western/Northern European equivalent of machete in the diverse ways it was used in old times.

NOT A TOOL FOR WOMEN - WHAAAAT????? You're using it wrong, my friend! I'm a grandmother, a month shy of 69, 5'4" and 145 lbs, and I LOVE my two-handed billhook!!! For one thing, laddie, I chop right down at ground-level, swinging hard enough to cut through the trunks of bush honeysuckle, chokecherry, sumac, wild grapevines, and young black walnut and honey-locust that I tried to whack with a cheap Harbor Freight machete - and nearly destroyed in the process. I don't have time to chop them twice to clear my land. Mine has a regular-type wooden axe handle, and a heavy blade, with the sharp edge extending clear up and around the top of the hook. It's a LOT easier to use than whacking those same plants wtih an axe, or even with my Stihl chainsaw. I wouldn't hesitate to strap this on my back to take on a hike. It will split smaller firewood, cut brush, and chop weeds. I LOVE IT!!!!!!

You and that word "Proper". I think it's your shtick, or the Wrangler star catch phrase. You need Wranglerstar T-Shirts to sell. "This is a proper T-shirt" or " Wranglerstar only does it properly". I see internet marketing in your future.

@aerosaaber

10 жыл бұрын

I consider this comment to be proper.

@DEWW

10 жыл бұрын

Since I've been addicted to wranglerstar I now all day say," is this proper". LOL.

Very cool! Wow what an obscure tool! Thanks for another awesome video!

I live in Tenn. and these were everywhere when I was growing up. My father worked for a state park and used one of those to clean up brush and overgrown areas that had been previously cleared and grown back in. We used them on our farm to clean up overgrowth. very neat.

i always thought they were for knocking the brash off felled trees

@moc1384

6 жыл бұрын

Derek Waddell that is what we use it for and cleaning the woods like the end shot

Women have upper body strength aswell

@bigangryscotsman0153

6 жыл бұрын

Hate Life yes. But men scientifically have more.

@tommytruth7595

6 жыл бұрын

Only those women with male hormones.

@robinlillian9471

5 жыл бұрын

StupidAngryScotsman: By your logic, horses and bulls should be in charge. They are far stronger than any man. You Incels insult women and then wonder why you can't get a girlfriend.

@robinlillian9471

5 жыл бұрын

Tommy Truth: You stupid ignoramuses don't even know that all men and women have both estrogen AND testosterone--just at different levels. Only a weakling is afraid of a strong woman.

@jjmcwill1881

2 жыл бұрын

So do children I suppose. It's A matter of scale.

I just picked one of these up at a flea market for six dollars. I cleaned up the blade and put a new edge on it, along with refinishing the handle. I have been using it a lot and love it. I tried to get mine shiny like yours but instead it came out looking more like a rust blued gun barrel finish, which is fine by me. Keep up the great videos!!!

@samuelwilliamson3694

9 жыл бұрын

Samuel Williamson Oh and I forgot to mention that mine says True Temper on the blade and then under that it has an unreadable word and then Works. Could be we have the same tool!

I have one of these & never knew what it did. Thanks! I will give it a new life.

Considering the weight of the tool, and the length of the handle, the penetration is rather poor. It seems to me the edge geometry has to be optimized. This thing deserve a real grind to realize it's potential. Right now, it seems to only have a steep bevel, which "artificailly" slows down the blade, dissipating many joules in prying the wood fibers appart for no use. Basicaly, it seems they just took a rather thick sheet of steel, cut the blade from it, welded the eye, and applied some sort of mock bevel as on a machete. But what works with a machete because it is thin doesn't work with a blade about three times as thick. Regarding the "centuries of refinement as a tool", I have all reasons to believe you're wrong. I'm a billhook collector and edged tool enthusiast, from France, and I'm interested by anything that's got an edge from all over the world, as far back in history as archeology can find. I know there is no similar tool in France or Italy, and I don't recall anything like a brush axe in Britain or Germany either. To me, it looks like a typical 19th century american product, designed to be easily made industrially. Regarding the brush axe variation that got the axe eye at its heel instead of in the middle, I know some japanese tools that look quite similar though, but it can't seem to recall the name right now. The classical american brush axe head looks astonishingly similar to some types of medieval polearms, like a perfect mix of a bill and a bardiche.

@aryafeydakin

9 жыл бұрын

MadNumForce This design certainly is all about making a shaft-hole billhook (serpe à douille) easily hafted on a standard felling axe handle. The best way to put the eye adapted for an axe handle is to weld it on the back of the blade, etheir on the heel (simple douille extérieure), or in the middle plus another riveted eye strap on the heel (double douille extérieure).

@briangodfrey5079

5 жыл бұрын

Blah, blah. Learn to use it, then advise. I've not cleared as much brush as a prison road crew in the 45 years I've been using brush hooks, but maybe almost. :-) Look how the brush bounces and absorbs much of the blow. This guy would have much better results hitting the brush lower and chopping downward at a steeper angle. That reduces the spring and a sharp hook will slice rather than chop so it goes through a lot more wood. Also, the filework it takes to make a new brushhook usable will get your arms in shape to use it. Then just watch it cut! Much faster than an ax for up to 3"-4" diameter because the blade is so thin. Thicker than that and you do need the chip-out of an ax. And it should only take one swing - at the right angle - to lop off a 2" piece of green brush without excessively tiring yourself out. Depending on the species and time of year, even a little guy like me could whack a 3" piece in one swing - but you gotta do it right and if you need to do that all day, get a chainsaw. These are also better than an ax for limbing trees you've taken down if you'd rather not use your chainsaw. You're usually swinging at an awkward angle and that 12" blade doesn't usually miss the branches like a little ax blade can and the narrow, sharp blade doesn't glance off so easily. So you can swing real hard. Work from the bottom to the top of the tree, then roll it for the ones underneath. Stand on one side of the tree and whack on the other if you can to help keep the blade away from your legs. Sometimes you can zip right up the side of the tree and take off quite a few small branches in one swing. (Small to medium size trees, obviously, like you might be cutting for firewood.) Finally, pay attention to what is behind the wood you are chopping. That point can really dig in deep and takes some effort to pull it out if you stick it deep into another piece of wood. Saw the end of the video. Those chops are going halfway through - you can see the heart. You are right about needing more practice. Two accurate chops and maybe a little push would save you quite a bit of work.

@briangodfrey5079

5 жыл бұрын

@@aryafeydakin It's also about leverage and durability. With the ax eye on the heel of the blade, there is a lot of leverage trying to bend it backwards, break the weld, or break off the end of the ax handle. Putting the eye in the middle of the blade reduces that leverage by half, and the strap at the heel of the blade further reduces the tendency to wrench the blade backwards. It is a very rugged design, even if not a thing of beauty.

Starving kids in Africa could have eaten those trees

@jameslandon4126

8 жыл бұрын

This channel is above those childish, trendy comments.

@bigangryscotsman0153

6 жыл бұрын

Exile N Subjugate. Well guess what persona. They didn’t.

Just purchased a Collins Brush hook off ebay after seeing this. This should really help with clearing the brambles, locust, misc. and will help keep my forest axe out of the dirt. Thanks for the heads up Wranglerstar.

What an awesome tool and a great video. Really enjoyed it.

I think I'd be a lot more interested in this channel if I didn't wince at a lot of the things you said, then come down to the comments section and see you kind of... You don't take criticism well. At all. It's incredibly offputting to see a grown, capable man practically have a meltdown at the slightest slight. It also unfortunately makes me far, far less likely to take anything you say credibly if I know that you're probably not going to take advice that isn't your own. Still, interesting tools, unique channel.

@jdsingh1670

9 жыл бұрын

Agreed

@seigeengine

9 жыл бұрын

Ross James I mostly wince at the religious anti-science drivel. He didn't say anything wince-worthy in this video though.

@ConstanceCornelia

9 жыл бұрын

Ross James I agree, but I have not seen any meltdown clips yet though. Can you tell me one?

@benkai343434

8 жыл бұрын

+Ross James (MrNumbers) You could stand to grow a thicker skin and stop projecting so much. If you don't like this channel or this guy's opinions, nothing's stopping you from going somewhere else. The truly childish person here is the one that's trying to chastise another person for holding a different set of beliefs to them; ie, you.

@rossjames8839

8 жыл бұрын

Kriplovski Everything you just said applies equally to yourself. You do realize that? You don't criticize my statement, just my right to have it. Which is weird.

are people really upset about the women comment? I always assumed it's common sense that the majority of women and children are weaker than men. it's natural.

@robinlillian9471

5 жыл бұрын

I'm female and I cut down small weed trees all the time with a hand saw. Stuff grows like crazy in the fertile soil of my one acre backyard. You do what you have to in life, and it makes you stronger. Horses and cows are far stronger than any human man, but who's in charge? It's brains and determination that count.

@zfolwick

5 жыл бұрын

My wife uses our brush axe... it was either a stupid comment, or my wife is a rare exception (or both).

We have a couple brush hooks / brush axes here from my father and grandfather. I don’t use them much, but in Pennsylvania we have a lot of grapevines and honeysuckle vines where they come in handy. I find swinging on an upward angle puts tension on the vine from the roots and eliminates the springiness problem you spoke about.

Thanks for the video. I have my grandfather's bank blade & have used it for 25ish years. Even in hard Texas stuff, it's my goto for clearing fencelines or back-grown areas around stock ponds, Sumac falls like tin-soldiers to it. As you demonstrated, it can fall smaller trees, up to 6" in a pinch. As you use your new one, you'll notice it definitely has a sweet spot on big stuff. Have fun!

Not a tool for women?!? I used on to clear out a patch of brush along a fence line 8' x 80' up to 3" thick!

@williamstrickland4208

8 жыл бұрын

Women have there places in this world

@tereseduffy6591

8 жыл бұрын

EVERY place!

@tereseduffy6591

8 жыл бұрын

?

@dolmandabean

8 жыл бұрын

+Terese Duffy cody is quite old fashioned in his thinking on gender roles, i wouldnt think much of it, if i were you..

@tereseduffy6591

8 жыл бұрын

dolmandabean, I don't. I like Wanglerstar and enjoy watching his video, support his KZread channel by watching the full ads and clicking on their links. I have purchased several items on his online page, their book and calendar, and other items that he has reviewed and recommended. If he would have said that the tool required a moderate amount to strength and endurance to use and may be difficult for some people to handle I would not have thought twice about it. I will continue to support him and his family as they become and teach others to be more self reliant.

Those offended by what Cody said about the needed upper body strength required for using this tool offend me. Get over yourselves. That's what this country is in the toilet. Everyone is SOOOOO offended by everyone and everything.

@bigangryscotsman0153

6 жыл бұрын

Peter Kolovos. Agreed my fine sir. Society is but a dead thing nowadays that no one can accept anymore. An opinion is like killing someone.

Nice piece, I spent a month or so working with a similar tool (bilhook- but with a similar head) a couple of years ago, hard work, loved it, in fact the best month I've spent in my job.Keep up the good work.

When that bark stripped off I thought the axe broke. Thabk you for the great videos!

4:48 SJW Feminists are triggered. Haha.

@tommytruth7595

6 жыл бұрын

Too f.ing bad.

Dude you make a lot of assumptions about women. Some of them might be strong enough to deal with that tool.

@wranglerstar

8 жыл бұрын

+Kenneth Correa Yes some might. Generally men are stronger than women. No offense meant.

@benkai343434

8 жыл бұрын

+Kenneth Correa realistically that's less than about 5% of all women if you factor in every possible variable. His comment was very much on point, taking that into consideration.

@MrKenny1914

8 жыл бұрын

+Wranglerstar Thanks for the answer back I appreciate it. Have a lovely day. :)

@nerfzinet

8 жыл бұрын

+Rich206L In fact, if you assume an equal state of fitness, pretty much 100% of women are outmatched by men. Sure, a strong woman could outperform a weak man, but if you take a woman and a man and put them through the same training schedule for a year the man will come out on top every time. I don't mean to say that that makes men better than women, I love women and I know plenty of women who'd whoop my ass in a lifting contest. Women can do anything they set their mind to, except compete against men in physical tasks where they're on equal ground in terms of training. One interesting exception to that rule is rock climbing. I've never seen a competition where men compete against women but they're really not far off. There are some amazing female climbers.

@nelsonblaney1837

8 жыл бұрын

women shoot babies out wholes the size of peanises that must take streangth

I have a very similar one that I haven't had a chance to use yet. It works better than I would expect! I will probably use it to clear shooting lanes where I hunt. Thanks for posting!

Good advice on the shin guard. I had a friend hit me across my right shin while we were clearing brush for a new barbed wire fence 40 years ago. You can't get much done while getting stitches.

I felt that what you said toward the middle about this not being a women's tool was kind of sexist, there are plenty of strong women who could use this tool

@wranglerstar

9 жыл бұрын

Grant Campbell Yes the facts are now sexist,

@fukyocheapassguitars

9 жыл бұрын

Grant Campbell He also mentioned it not being a tool for children either, you gonna complain about that as well? If you're gonna get all butt hurt over "discrimination" at least include the children, They're people to.

@CanItAlready

9 жыл бұрын

wranglerstar Not so much.

@UggNINE

9 жыл бұрын

wranglerstar SEXISM - prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.

@packleader90x97

9 жыл бұрын

Go cry about it

I appreciate the video you've done. Loved the informative style you offer in a longer form than a shorter 3 minute blitz. Concerning the comments at @5:02 I'd add that a person, even young adult city kid, could use this even if they are weak by just going slow and easy with it to the point you hold the tool over head or out to the side and bring towards the wood just an inch at a time. Building the ability to stabilize and control the tool before attempting a hog wild swing. Week or two of these breaking a sweat sessions would get the fairer of our people up to snuff. Good stuff.

I was taught, with an axe, when clearing overgrown lots to swing as close to the ground as possible and as parallel to the ground as possible. It's awkward and hard on the back, but this eliminates possible movement of the item, and it usually just popped off. I think I would've liked to use this for underbrush or bush/shrub type undergrowth. Then my dad got a brush hog, and we just had to cut down 2-3 in. items before mowing. Just my experiences, thanks for the great videos Cody!

I was able to find a brush hook at a local flea market today in very good condition. We were in the market for one in this style after an Amazon delivery fail earlier this week. The person we bought it from said it was previously used by a fire crew. I couldn't see any makers mark on it out in the sun, but when I got home and inside I found the faded mark. Turns out it was exactly the one you have here, a True Temper Kelly Works. What an exciting find!

use to use this for clearing underbrush, and green briers. Here on the east coast they can get very thick and are difficult to remove. Brush hook was perfect because you can reach in, cut the base in a pull motion. And as you have discovered, take down smaller trees too. Thanks as always!

I've used a similar tool. You can also "hook" the fallen residue using the hook portion as a rake. It's also good for really tall weeds. Great Videos!

@patrickboyle6727

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely right about the raking it's very handy for dat

I have a great old barn find one that I refurbished while still in highschool about 15 years ago. I've used it a bit, but rally didn't know much about the tool in general. Thanks for the great information!

the curve of the blade acts on the thinner springy stuff because as it bites in the material slides down the blade. The first cutting action is the wedge, then the material sliding the length of the blade and retained against the blade by the inward arching curve is cut by shear.... two cutting actions from one stroke. The English developed these for coppicing small wood and maintaining hedgerows..... they call it the Bill or Bill hook. The short version the U.S. Army fielded at one time as the fascine knife. Fascines are bundles of sticks used where sandbags are used today.

Hey wranglerstar, my grandfather raised me in his brush clearing business, i leaned how to clear brush and i have one of those "brush hooks" that has the blade edge all the way around, its about 50ish years old and its awesome with the dual blade edge, now the other day i was at lowes and i saw that true temper still makes them snd they run about 45-60 bucks, the one you have in the video is beautiful! But if you want the one that shows as a "bank blade" they are easily obtained at co-ops and even big box stores. Keep making great content!!!

As a young surveyor I used a brush axe to clear sight lines and find survey pins in hedge rows. It has to be ultra sharp to work effectively. A dull one just slides along the saplings. Many surveyors and foresters have dull ones in their tool box and never use them except to give to newbies to tire them out.

Keep up the good work Cody, i admire the fact your willing to admit that it may take a couple of goes to get it right.

I was going to ask about the jacket! And you seem to do a great job of making order out of chaos! Keep up the great work!

For a couple of summers during college, I used a Swedish Brush Axe for trail maintenance. Just a wonderful tool against thorn bushes and 1-1/2" trees.

I found one of these in my late uncle's basement. Excited to try it now that I know more. Thanks for another great video!

Great for cleaning brush from fence lines. Worked on a pipeline maintenance crew years back. Called them Kiaser Hooks. Once you learned how to swing it, this thing was magic. No gas, no oil.

I had a job as on a survey crew about 40 years ago. If I remember right, they told me the best way to cut the small diameter brush was to hit it at a very steep angle. It was very effective, and I remember cutting through brush so thick you couldn't see through it. I even saw them cut down large trees with them.

I know this is old but seems like the perfect tool for cutting out a trail in the northeastern woodlands with all the vines and bryers we deal with. I just ordered the modern council tool version and I'm excited to put it to use.

I really appreciate these videos

I've used a brush axe in Arkansas as a kid. It was good to clear out areas of overhanging vines such as Honeysuckle vines. The curved blade allowed the user to swing and drag the vines toward themselves to clear them out.

Great video keep up the great work!!!! Love learning more and more fun 👍🏻

The first time I seen something like this I was in Maine hunting and the guides all had them in the trucks great for chopping over head limbs across the road and they used them daily.

That’s awesome, we have them here in England and they are great for clearing brash, the smaller billhooks (pretty much the same tool as you’re using except the handle is a lot smaller) are used for laying hedges. They’re a great woodsman’s tool, widely loved in the UK.

I just bought one of those cruisers for my grandfather for Christmas. He definitely needed a new one.

i had one of those awhile back when i didn't appreciate a good axe . i used it on my ranch in socal foothills as a teenager. it worked wonders on shrubs like sage and golden rod. i used it as a thick brush cutter in place of my weed wacker. i set it down one day and went to lunch and havent seen it since

I did a summer with our provincial forestry service, used a Sandvik clearing axe like bottom right of the book he was showing. We used it primarily to remove fast growing softwood poplar trees from the around the planted pine trees. The poplar grow fast and shade the pines, and cutting them allowed the pine forest to grow in. One chop could drop a 5 inch diameter tree. That's quite a bit of power to give a 17 year old. What fun.

I've had a Burke blade for years, my dad always called a corn knife. Always used it for brush piles while cutting and maintaing trails.

I was searching for a thing like this, machete, slasher or a similar tool to chop whippy broom and brush. Came across this video and am impressed. Never seen one before. Now want one...

AT 6:11 on the tape we never cut that high we used it to cut down & up with part of the roots all at the same time. I have the one sharpened on both sides & the pull side works in the clumps & the flat side works on the tree. I loved mine when younger now it just stays in shop. Good video

My grandfather had one that was supposed to have a shaft in it for swinging like an axe. He never put a long handle and just used the tang thing that wrapped around whatever handle would’ve been chosen. He used it so much that now it looks like a question mark. I love how fool wear and tear can tell a story.

Using that brush axe looks like fun. Excellent video!

@SLOCLMBR

6 жыл бұрын

TheGearTester as a land surveyor in NC, I swing a very similar axe (he referred to it in his manual as a bark blade, also known as a ditch bank) the idea is to cut in a steep angle across the grain, they’re extremely dangerous when swung horizontally like a traditional axe. Usually used on lighter brush and vines, briar patches can be decimated in minutes

My wonderful DAD called (the one with centered handle and two sharp edges) a "Ditch Blade" and I used one extensively during a summer job in the '60s (Sabine River Authority/Orange TX Canal Division.) The hook on the tip was ESPECIALLY effective up high to cut and clear the VINES along the rice canal levies that our crew was responsible for clearing lines of sight. And of course it slices through brush and small saplings at a much more effective rate than an axe.

i have one of these in the shed you have motivated me to bust it out and give it a try

I had a forged hook many years ago. It was fantastic. I worked forestry at the time, and also Clearing right of ways. I've never found one that worked as well.

Your channel reminds me of some kind of show my dad would watch on Sunday's when I was a kid.

I used a similar tool in the early 80's when I worked on a survey crew for the Corp of Engineers. We called it a Joe-blade or a K-blade. I got to be pretty handy with the thing over the course of one summer and could drop a 1.5 inch oak consistently with one swat. Technique was everything in using that tool to cut line for the survey crews.

I had the other style you showed in the book with the double edge blade. I prefered it over a machete when dealing with brush but it wasn't very good with dealing with larger brush because it wasn't as heavy of a blade as the one you have there in this video. The blade was thin and all the weight was from the handle of the axe and almost none was balanced towards the blade. However, this made it wonderful for working over head on low hanging limbs that a machete would work on but reach was a bit limited. It also worked well for removing small stumps or stops that were to big to pull by hand and that you didn't want left above ground. I used it similar to a shovel and using the tip of the blade sliced right through the root bundle. The thing was easy to sharpen and it stayed sharp quite well even for such a thin blade. It was so thin though you could flex it with your bare hand. It wasn't a very heavy duty tool, but it was also a very modern tool bought with in the past 30 years. I eventually had to retire it from service because I over struck a small tree and fractured the handle. But the tool had already been used for over 20 years by then. I'd say 20 years is a good long time for a handle to hold up.