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Wood Carving

Jan 03
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toronto blacksmith axes

(More) Axes We Love

By Wood Carving, Hand Tools, Carpentry, Woodworking

toronoto blacksmith custom forged axes

Tools are what make any craft or trade physically possible. You cannot make a house, spoon, basket, or sweater without certain essential tools. And a quality tool makes the experience more efficient, enjoyable, accurate, and safer. As I’ve stated before, I have a particular fondness for using axes, for whatever reason. A few years ago, I wrote Axes We Love to highlight some of the high quality hand-forged axes being made out there in the world. In my second entry in the Axes We Love series, I want to highlight a few more of the talented blacksmiths who are hard at work producing custom forged axes and other tools we need to do our best work.

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Jan 06
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2014 in Review: A Chockablock Year

By Strawtron, Woodworking, Wood Carving, Natural Building Workshops, Cob Oven, Photos, Timber Framing

outdoor-pizza-ovenI can hardly recall such a dynamic, diverse year as 2014. 2014 marked a transition year for April and I, and I’m happy to say that it was a smooth one. It was our first year living in the Berea, Kentucky area, having left Dancing Rabbit in the fall of 2013. This move was not an insignificant event, as I spent seven full and formative years in the northeast Missouri ecovillage.

I like to think back on the year past and try to remember all that has happened — maintaining this blog is actually an important way for me to be able to do that. It’s as much about documenting what we’re up to as it is a way for me to preserve some of life’s countless details. Here I’ll share some of the notable events and experiences of 2014, the year of our transition into a new life outside of Berea, Kentucky.

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Mar 04
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Spoons of Winter

By Woodworking, Wood Carving
Carving Spoons

The recent carved spoons of winter 2013-14

This winter has been a cold one. With a chopping block and my shaving horse set up inside, it’s allowed me to do a good bit of woodworking and carving work despite the cold, and without taking up much space in our new transitional home. I’ve had more time to finally dive a little more deeply into carving spoons, and it’s been thoroughly enjoyable. Above are some recent examples my carved spoons.

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Feb 11
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Axes We Love

By Hand Tools, Carpentry, Woodworking, Wood Carving
John Neeman Tools Goosewing Broad Axe

The very artful John Neeman Goosewing Broad Axe

I’ll admit, I spend perhaps an inordinate amount of time looking at images of axes. There’s just something about them. I think it’s their timeless functionality and dashingly good looks. Over the hundreds of thousands of years they have been in use by humankind, any number of styles, shapes, and sizes have been made to perform a variety of splitting, chopping, carving, and shaping work. It’s the sheer variety and the craftsmanship that I’m most attracted to, I think. Of course I love using them, too, probably more than any other hand tool.

To celebrate the axe and the people who continue to make them, here is a selection of 26 modern day hand forged axes made by a variety of blacksmiths that are beautiful, functional, and swoon-worthy.

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