How to Grow Axe Heads onto a Handle

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Would hickory not be better? Most axe handles are made out of hickory.

Though there are many species that could be sitable,Sour Wood is a good choice,or Honey Sucle vine, and mabe crepe myrtle or other rhododendron like trees, Hickory, I would like to experiment with.

And the trees have to be left undisturbed a period of years so that they can grow and mature into the finished product.

[tsitenha]

I think one of the major stumbling blocks we have on this thread is the time factor, we are too wrapped up by today's standards of compressed time perception. We don't want it now, we want yesterday.
Peoples that live in a wilderness or agrarian setting, would measure time in a scale that would include seasons, work tithes, generations, years even centuries to conclude project.
Look at the cathedrals in Europe they were developed over many years or generations as expenses/skilled labor, seasonal tasks would allow.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

I think one of the major stumbling blocks we have on this thread is the time factor, we are too wrapped up by today's standards of compressed time perception. We don't want it now, we want yesterday.
Peoples that live in a wilderness or agrarian setting, would measure time in a scale that would include seasons, work tithes, generations, years even centuries to conclude project.
Look at the cathedrals in Europe they were developed over many years or generations as expenses/skilled labor, seasonal tasks would allow.

Perfcectly said,tsitenha. Thank you, an integeral notion to co-exist with nature and to plan for a way of life that Gives to your decendants long after you are no longer able to.

[Ole WV Coot]

Just wondering if you've tried a vine on top of a live 1" tree, with the head wrapped with a living vine. Between the tree growth and the vine shouldn't take but a season or two to do almost the same thing. Maybe just good for one good THUNK but who knows?

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Just wondering if you've tried a vine on top of a live 1" tree, with the head wrapped with a living vine. Between the tree growth and the vine shouldn't take but a season or two to do almost the same thing. Maybe just good for one good THUNK but who knows?

Exelent suggestion! Thats what I need opinions for, I am going to try that, that could be just the right thing. the actual process hasnt been used for so long nobody exactly remembers the "Perfect" way to make one. Thanks for that Old Coot

[yukon55]

sitll its a ROCK haha jk, it looks cool

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

I just recently went to the Florida Keys, down there grows a tree called the Strangler Fig.That tree is a perfect candidate for encapsulating foriegn objects.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

I just recently went to the Florida Keys, down there grows a tree called the Strangler Fig.That tree is a perfect candidate for encapsulating foriegn objects.

This is a 1000 Plus year old Strangler Fig tree On Lignumvitae key,

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[Gray Wolf]

This is a 1000 Plus year old Strangler Fig tree On Lignumvitae key

Where do you get these numbers??? I've been to Lignumvitae Key, which is now called Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Park. Only 50 people are allowed on the Key at the same time, 25 on the trail and 25 in the clearing.

[klkak]

Where do you get these numbers??? I've been to Lignumvitae Key, which is now called Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Park. Only 50 people are allowed on the Key at the same time, 25 on the trail and 25 in the clearing.

Yahoo and Google have nothing on the age of the tree's on Lignumvitae and nothing on the maximum age of the Florida strangler fig. I even went to Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Park web-site. Nothing!

I tried to call the park but they are closed today. I'll try again tomorrow!

[klkak]

tsitenha, runkis and anyone else,

No body doubts that you can make an axe handle in this fashion. But this web site by its title is about wilderness survival. Going by the spirit of this section of the forum, yes it is a good post. An interesting piece of history. However we do not live in the stone age any more and it is highly unlikely that we ever will again.

If you want to suggest passing something down through the generations. Try this.

"I have a steel axe head outside that belonged to my Great grandfather who was a logger and then to his son my Grandfather who was also a logger. Now I own it. I have replace the handle probably a dozen times. Twice with handles I made myself. A few years from now I will give this axe to my grandson and I will teach him how to use it and care for it as I was taught, including how to make an axe handle. If my grandson honors this tradition, this axe will be passed on to his son or grandson".

Back in the stone age growing an axe handle may have been a good idea and a tradition passed down through the generations. Today steel rules! Teach your sons the old ways, to remember and honor them. But also teach them the new ways. Buy a high quality steel axe. Teach your sons how to care for it so that it can be passed down. And when a better way comes the cycle starts all over.

Its good to remember the passed so we don't end up repeating it. But by our nature we forge ahead into the future.

[crashdive123]

This is a 1000 Plus year old Strangler Fig tree On Lignumvitae key,

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Looks like a Banyan Tree to me.

[tsitenha]

Never said to bypass the steel ax, how did you know my grandfather and father were loggers (in winter)? By the way 2 man cross cut saws in my grandfather's youth and chain saws in my fathers. any axes used for work would be nubbings now
As in many post FVR amongst others reminds us to look beyond and relinquish the "need" to rely on "steel" for an example. Knowing other ways may just come in handy, knapping and such.
I know that we are not your of tea with our posts.... ignore us if you must.

I do pass on knowledge of steel as well as stone and wood if it comes to that.

[Gray Wolf]

Here are pictures of the Florida Strangler Fig. They get their name from growing around other trees, and wind up strangling them.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

tsitenha, runkis and anyone else,

No body doubts that you can make an axe handle in this fashion. But this web site by its title is about wilderness survival. Going by the spirit of this section of the forum, yes it is a good post. An interesting piece of history. However we do not live in the stone age any more and it is highly unlikely that we ever will again.

If you want to suggest passing something down through the generations. Try this.

"I have a steel axe head outside that belonged to my Great grandfather who was a logger and then to his son my Grandfather who was also a logger. Now I own it. I have replace the handle probably a dozen times. Twice with handles I made myself. A few years from now I will give this axe to my grandson and I will teach him how to use it and care for it as I was taught, including how to make an axe handle. If my grandson honors this tradition, this axe will be passed on to his son or grandson".

Back in the stone age growing an axe handle may have been a good idea and a tradition passed down through the generations. Today steel rules! Teach your sons the old ways, to remember and honor them. But also teach them the new ways. Buy a high quality steel axe. Teach your sons how to care for it so that it can be passed down. And when a better way comes the cycle starts all over.

Its good to remember the passed so we don't end up repeating it. But by our nature we forge ahead into the future.

I am telling you about wilderness survival, you think you know alot , but you dont post anything except insults, I think for this web site you could conduct
yourself a little better , and also post something educational for a change.

The practices i am trying to describe are the methods of survival of those who came before us , some of us survivalists are primmitive techies, for some reason you speak out against it , your just misinformed. my methods are genuine practice.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Here are pictures of the Florida Strangler Fig. They get their name from growing around other trees, and wind up strangling them.

Exelent pics, thanks for posting those.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Yahoo and Google have nothing on the age of the tree's on Lignumvitae and nothing on the maximum age of the Florida strangler fig. I even went to Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Park web-site. Nothing!

I tried to call the park but they are closed today. I'll try again tomorrow!

Well I went to lignumvitae Key personaly and took the photo that i posted. the age of the tree isnt publicized but they do offer information on the 1919 building of a house. And thank you for trying to call, the people there are very helpful and courtious.

[Gray Wolf]

Well I went to lignumvitae Key personaly and took the photo that i posted. the age of the tree isnt publicized but they do offer information on the 1919 building of a house.

So again, how do you come up with these dates you state???
How did you come up with that tree being 911 years older than that house??

As I posted earlier,

I've been to Lignumvitae Key, which is now called Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Park. Only 50 people are allowed on the Key at the same time, 25 on the trail and 25 in the clearing.

The State Park workers don't date anything before the 1919 house, from when the Matheson family of Miami owned the island. They're are a couple of other buildings on the island also. The records of the island ownership itself only dates to 1843.

Also, sorry but the picture you posted doesn't look like the Florida Strangler Fig. That why I posted the pictures of 3 different Florida Strangler Figs.

[klkak]

I am telling you about wilderness survival, you think you know alto , but you dint post anything except insults, I think for this web site you could conduct
yourself a little better , and also post something educational for a change.

The practices i am trying to describe are the methods of survival of those who came before us , some of us survivalists are primitive teaches, for some reason you speak out against it , your just misinformed. my methods are genuine practice.

You are not talking about wilderness survival. You are talking about an antiquated practice. In your own words;

The practices i am trying to describe are the methods of survival of those who came before us.

If you were in a true life or death "survival situation", growing an axe handle is not an option.

There are folks on here that are into running around with stone tipped spears and stone Axe's. Or black powder guns and tomahawks. If thats you, then good for you. Some of that technology is very useful for survival. Growing an axe handle isn't one of them.

I have made post other than insults. Some of them are even educational. But unlike a good deal of other folks. I am reading the multitude of information that is already here. In that way I don't post something that has already been discussed. If and when I decide to make another educational contribution. It will be something new to the forum I hope, as well as throughly tested. Maybe even documented with video, photograph's or wittiness's.

Now to me being misinformed;
I lived the first 8 years of my life in miserable conditions on a stinking reservation. My Fathers brothers, taught me to make bows, arrows and knapping. When my Father died we moved off the Res. It was now up to me to provide for my Mother, sisters and brothers. We subsisted on what Mom grew in the garden and the meat that I provided. Mostly squirrels and jack rabbits at first. I killed my first deer at age 9 with a single shot .22lr. I started trapping that same year. I became very good at both hunting and trapping.

Misinformed, not hardly. I choose the new ways because they are for the most part better (thats why the old ways are not in common practice any more). I know what it is to be stranded in a hostile environment with almost nothing. I know what it is to be unsure if I would be alive or dead in the next 10 minutes let alone any hope at the time of being rescued. I have lived it and I have the memories and the nightmares as souvenirs. When I post something here it is tested, it is simple and it is productive. It has to be. If I put information on here and someone used it and lost their life because it wasn't relevant teaching. Or gave up their desire to learn about things wild because of the difficulty. I would never forgive myself.

Now wake up and realize that I'm not the only one who feels and has voiced that some of the stuff you put on here is, for lack of better words "way out there"! And quit being so tender skinned.

[Gray Wolf]

The practices i am trying to describe are the methods of survival of those who came before us , some of us survivalists are primmitive techies, my methods are genuine practice.

This is not a flame!
I also don't understand where you got the method you're describing. Every place I looked described the same way Mac's book did. They describe making a split into a growing tree limb, then forcing the flint head into it. The tree healing itself would fill the split tightly around the stone. Please point me to any place that describes your way of using a tree for this purpose, I always want to learn, real ways, not what might have been. Again, this is not a flame, I just can't find doing it the way you say anywhere. Please don't say it's something that was never reported or described or written about, that it's just some secret way handed down...