American Felling Axe

This tool at Smith’s Tavern is the American version of the felling axe.  It has a long, slightly curved wooden handle with a heavy steel axe head with a poll - the extension of the head beyond the handle.  This axe was durable but not as sharp as its English cousin. A dull blade could chop while a broken one could not. It was used for chopping trees, scoring logs and splitting firewood.

 

This axe has the Hudson Bay pattern known by their roughly 2-pound weight, teardrop-shaped eye, flat poll and swept-back design.

Catalog Items:

Item T20

Location:	Panel 18
Length:	61 cm
Width:	17 cm
Weight:	1121 g

Reference:  https://www.dalzielbarn.com/pages/TheFarm/Tools.html and https://www.bnctools.com/blogs/news/development-of-the-american-axe-part-2-the-hudsons-bay-axe