Tool Talk
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: jimwrench on July 07, 2015, 05:42:56 PM
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Is this a broadax or a side ax ? How broad does a broadax have to be to be a broadax ?
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I have been lead to believe that a broad axe has a bevel on both sides of the blade. A side axe or shaping axe has only one side beveled, plus one entire side is flat and will lay flat on a table. Especially for shaping logs into beams.
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Per Sellens the term broad axe and side axe can be interchanged but a side axe is usually a single handed axe and a broad axe is used with 2 hands. Many different blade/head patterns and different axes are shown in his book "Dictionary Of American Hand Tools" under Axe pages 23 - 39.
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It is indeed a broad axe. They are fitted with a curved handle (to protect your hands ) and that handle can be fitted from either end of the unusual poll.
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Yes, side ax and broad ax are two names for the same thing -- an ax or hatchet ground on one side, like a chisel. I believe that side ax is a more British term while broad ax is preferred in American English. Salaman also illustrates a "wheelwright's ax which is sharpened in this manner. For some reason, American English uses side ax for the cooper's tool, but broad ax for the larger tool used for hewing beams.