Tool Talk

Woodworking Forum => Woodworking Forum => Topic started by: Branson on August 08, 2014, 07:57:52 AM

Title: Traditional Russian woodworking
Post by: Branson on August 08, 2014, 07:57:52 AM

In my search for Russian cooper material, I stumbled across some videos of Russian carpenters at work restoring and replicating old style log building.  I found their work with traditional Russian axes astonishing to say the least.  I'm starting to wonder , with the use of this ax, whether their coopers even had a specialty ax like the cooper's side ax or the French cochoir -- looks to me like the Russian ax will do all the things necessary in making barrels.  It's made to be used as a hammer, and it's made so it can be used as a sort of ambidextrous broad ax.  One of the videos shows a fellow smoothing split out planks where most would use an adz.

http://kizhi.karelia.ru/crafts/en/izgotovlenie-plah
http://kizhi.karelia.ru/crafts/en/izgotovlenie-tyosa
http://kizhi.karelia.ru/crafts/en/okorka-brevna
http://kizhi.karelia.ru/crafts/en/pricherchivanie-brevna
http://kizhi.karelia.ru/crafts/en/izgotovlenie-lemeha
http://kizhi.karelia.ru/crafts/en/izgotovlenie-lemeha (this one you can only access from
the one above)

Making, then using an axe:

http://kizhi.karelia.ru/crafts/en/izgotovlenie-prichelin

Title: Re: Traditional Russian woodworking
Post by: oldtools on August 08, 2014, 01:04:17 PM

Very cool videos...

Title: Re: Traditional Russian woodworking
Post by: bear_man on August 09, 2014, 02:24:12 AM

I agree with oldtools, although two of the videos were inaccessible AND the "in English" option didn't work.  Nevermind, though, I enjoyed what I got to see.  Thanks, Branson.