James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Best Wood Chopping Axe by Snow & Nealley | Tomahawk Hatchet Single Bit Tool 026S
1 min read
Snow and Nealley’s “Our Best” Single Bit Axe chops kindling, splits stove wood, shears branches from downed trees, and works equally well for any number of light chores around the woodlot or farm. This 3.5-pound axe isn’t out of reason for a group backpacking trip, either, provided people are willing to share the community load.
The quality of Snow and Nealley axes is a level above the usual hardware store chopping axe. That doesn’t put this axe at the top of my list. The head is a little light for the really heavy jobs, and the 30-inch handle doesn’t give the user a full-sized swing. What I appreciate more about Snow and Nealley’s “Our Best” axe is the refined shape. The fine-grained steel has a narrow profile that gives it a better cutting action than most modern axe brands.
When tackling tough jobs with a light axe, it’s very tempting to compensate by swinging harder instead of working smarter. If the axe is sharp and shaped correctly, you shouldn’t need all your strength to get good results. The Snow and Nealley gives you a good shot at doing things right and should encourage you to work accurately and safely instead of just trying to muscle through.
The drawbacks include a modern style of axe head without lugs — the lips that extend slightly down the handle in old axe designs. Lugs add some shock resistance and align the axe head to the handle better. A poor fit is only more obvious with the modern design. Handle quality of many mass-produced axes today is marginal — if you want a good handle that fits properly, you may have to do it yourself.
Snow and Nealley provides a leather edge sheath, something you should always use when carrying the axe to and from the work site.
James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
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Snow and Nealley’s “Our Best” Single Bit Axe chops kindling, splits stove wood, shears branches from downed trees, and works equally well for any number of light chores around the woodlot or farm. This 3.5-pound axe isn’t out of reason for a group backpacking trip, either, provided people are willing to share the community load.
