Tree Felling and Regenerating Ancient Hazel Coppice with an Axe | Early Medieval Woodland Management
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- Coppicing is a traditional woodland management technique dating back to the Stone Age. The Anglo-Saxons maintained some woodlands as coppice, cutting close to the stump and allowing the shoots to regenerate until the next coppice cycle several years later. This is a renewable source of timber material.
Later Medieval texts describe coppicing, as part of larger woodland management and forestry, allowing commoners to harvest coppiced timber while maintaining large oak standards.
Managing woodlands in Britain as coppice allows light to the forest floor, which benefits forest flora and fauna and imitates natural cycles of succession, upon which some species depend. This means that coppicing is beneficial for woodland biodiversity. Coppicing also extends the life of the tree; a hazel tree, left to it's own devices, would grow to maturity and die in around 150 years. However, there are coppice stools in Britain which date back around 2000 years. The process of coppicing reinvigorates the tree, and these coppice stools, if regularly maintained, can practically live forever.
These old hazel coppice stools are ancient, possibly hundreds of years old already. But they are overstood, meaning they have not been cut for many years, and the stems are beginning to rot out. From counting the growth rings, many of the stems are 70 years old or more. Hazel is usually cut on a 7-10 year rotation, meaning these stems are some 60 years overstood. Carefully cutting the stems back to the base will reinvigorate the hazel, and hopefully regenerate the coppice stool.
When felling trees with an axe, a gob cut is made at the front of the tree, in the felling direction. This has a flat base and is cut at roughly 45 degrees to the trunk and usually no more than a third of the way in.
A second felling cut is made at the back of the tree, an inch or two above the gob cut, to create a hinge upon which the tree falls.
Once felled, upper branches of the tree are cleared and piled up as brash, to be used as firewood or in brash hedging. All usable straight lengths are saved as timber and stored off the ground, and all straight hazel rods are saved for use in wattles or as poles. The rest of the tree, too knotty or curved to be useful in building, is stacked as firewood.
The height at which the stems are felled are dictated by the ease at which they can be cut with an axe, dependent on the angle of the trunk, slope of the ground and any obstacles such as neighbouring stems. This usually means the felling cut is much higher than is ideal for a coppiced stool. So, once felled, the cut stems are cut back with the axe as close as possible to the ground, and cut at an angle to allow rainwater runoff.
New buds will shoot from the base of the stools as the hazel regrows. Modern coppice stools are cut very low, often at ground level. However coppicing with an axe necessarily requires the stools to be cut one or two feet above the ground. According to Oliver Rackham, this may actually be beneficial as the tree stores much of it's nutrients at or just above ground level.
Any remaining young stems can be left standing, or can be laid down and staked into the ground in a process known as layering or pleaching. Where the young stem is in contact with the ground, it can grow roots and form a sucker. Therefore new hazel stools can be created, benefiting from vigorous growth as they are still attached to the mother plant. Once established, the pleach can be cut and the new hazel plant managed as a separate coppice stool. This is a useful alternative to planting young hazel whips when expanding coppice woodland.
Once the stools are dressed at an angle, they can be left to regrow on their own. However, browsing deer will inevitably eat the young shoots as they emerge, damaging or even killing off the tree. Therefore, it is vital to protect the coppice stools from browsing deer. This can be done by erecting a wattle or brash fence around the stool to keep the deer out. The coppiced hazel rods and brash can be used to construct this fence. But woven blackthorn was also traditionally used, as its long sharp thorns act as an extra deterrent against deer, and the coppiced hazel can be saved for other uses.
With their angles cut, and woven blackthorn brash fences, these freshly coppiced hazel stools will hopefully thrive and regenerate, growing vigorously and sending up new hazel stems which can then be re cut with the next coppice cycle, in 7-10 years.
With thanks to:
Hector Cole, Blacksmith, for forging the Saxon T-shaped Axe.
Grzegorz Kulig, Silversmith, for making the pattern-welded knife.
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Hi all! You can check the subtitles and description for much more detail. Thanks for watching! If you like what I do and want to support me further, consider becoming a patron: www.patreon.com/gesithasgewissa/
The immense skill with the Saxon Axe is far too impressive for the average Bushcrafter.
Some say talent, I say practice. What a brilliant progression in the field of Wild Craft!
Wow, thank you for the kind words! I am by no means a master with the axe, but it is a very satisfying skill to learn and improve at.
I will never get tired of these videos, so authentic and no speaking
I'm glad you enjoy them!
Youve done this tree the Kindest favour. It now has a chance to completely rejuvinate. Love the Deer fence woven round, fantastic work.
Yes, I am hoping it grows back stronger than ever! The deer fence was great fun to build.
@@gesithasgewissaWorking with blackthorn is definitely not my idea of fun! I did wonder at first why you were wearing the heavy gauntlets but then everything became clear 😅. I've just binge watched all your videos and can't wait for more.
@@MCPhssthpok Yeah blackthorn is a real pain...literally! But it's just as frustrating for the deer, so it's an excellent deterrent 😄
Extremely underrated channel
Thank you!
Well done that man! A lot of work with an axe, but it shows commitment. And layering too. Great to see. I've never seen hazel so thick! 70 years means it's missed ten coppice cycles. Incredible thought.
Thank you! Hard work but well worth it. This is the oldest hazel I've seen too, it is indeed incredible.
I don't think the tree was particularly upset about missing its haircuts.
@@GoingtoHecq if you coppice hazel regularly it can live for a couple of thousand years. If you don't, it won't.
@@GoingtoHecq As hazel gets older, it starts to rot out, coppicing regenerates the tree, meaning it will live for as long as you keep coppicing it. In the long run, it's a mutually beneficial relationship!
@@gesithasgewissaHard work? Anglo-Saxon day at the gym. In this case arms and shoulders day. Well done!
I'd be interested to see a short follow-up video in a few years to show the regrowth.
Yeah, I'll definitely make sure to record the regrowth!
Just back from work, changed clothes, made a cup of tea, & sat down to watch another of your great videos. I'm getting addicted!
😂
Haha! Glad they're so engaging!
I can't believe how clean you were able to leave those coppice cuts with an axe. Very impressive
Yeah, axes are seriously versatile! Thank you
A mighty fine piece of woodsmanship, and that comes from someone who prides himself on precision with an ax. Those bucking notches were fantastic, easily a match for me on my best day. And that ax is a fine tool, use it well.
Thank you so much!
A steady hand gives steady results, nice job!
Thank you!
I love your channel, I can only applaude your knowledge and respect for nature!
Thanks, much appreciated!
That’s one seriously sharp axe. Love the videos
I try my best to keep it sharp 😄
it is just so relaxing watching these video's everything is so calm, no speaking, and yet we learn so much
I'm glad to find them relaxing and interesting!
I really love your fatigueless axemanship. A light Axe (1000g?) with a long handle (1m?) and a narrow edge. Great job!
Thank you Theud. The axehead is 800g and I think the handle is about 80cm. Quite the compliment, coming from you!
Another great video. But could you add a reminder about checking the subtitles on the beginning of the video? Some casual viewers may lose some great information value.
Thank you! I have a pop up reminder in the top-right of the video, but I don't like to include a full reminder on the screen as it detracts from the immersion.
So much wood processing I see on YT is done with heavy splitting axes, I've never actually stopped to consider the advantage of a thinner, lighter axe for this kind of work. That tool was flying along! Though it also looked mega sharp, which always helps I guess :D Fantastic video, as always. I look forward to the next one!
I do love using light axes, Early Medieval axe finds are almost always less then 1kg in weight. It's a lovely little axe, I try to take good care of it and keep it nice and sharp haha!
Each video feels like a glimpse back in time, really beautiful to watch!
I'm glad it feels that way, that's what I'm aiming for! Thanks for watching
Excellent work - I have trouble with deer on my coppicing and although I cover the stumps (stools) with brash I will definitely be trying your "fence" technique. Another fascinating video - thank you!
That's great to hear! This is the first time I have tried it myself, but I have friends who have used and vouch for the woven blackthorn fence!
As a forester in Western North America the practice of coppicing fascinates me. The natives here practiced it with both felling and fire using the Black Oak (Quecus Kelloggii)
Native American forest management sounds really interesting, I will have to research that!
@@gesithasgewissaOh man, the natives were so incredibly in tune with the land. Many of their techniques have been lost to time (and colonization) but the ones that have survived are incredibly fascinating. Definitely will be something you'll have a great time researching!
Do you know if Hazelnut (Corylus americana) responds the same? As handy as European hazel is for around the homestead, I'm curious if the American cousins would tolerate coppicing or splitting. Never heard of anyone trying it, so maybe I need to stick a tree in the ground to find out!
@@threeriversforge1997 Well they will both resprout as well as spread asexually through rhizomes too so I think you could make it work.
@@Smitty_McSmitty I think I will, thanks for sharing!
Very good! New wood for the new big longhouse! ❤
Haha, man I wish! Maybe at some point I will have a longhouse!
Great job ..... Lot of work . Lot of effort. But worth every ounce .
Thank you, it's well worth it indeed!
the sound of chopping in the videos is mesmerizing
It is a beautiful sound!
City boy...I grew up in the country. Music to my ears
very cool video. would love to see a follow up in a few months time and see how the regrowth goes
Yes, I need to do an update, the regrowth is great. That'll be coming soon
If you get a chance, larger overstood hazel coppice lumber is AMAZING for spoon making. It cuts buttery smooth and leaves a very nice finish.
Yes! I am saving any smallish logs for carving bowls and spoons. I'm really excited for it!
Thanks mate, that was beautiful to see done in the field. In our area stand some truly enormous hazel as well, some good ten meters tall at times, some bend, others forming tall arches. Very nice to see such a similar environment where you work. Cheers
Your hazels sound beautiful, I'd love to see those! Many of ours form long arches or green tunnels along the hedgerow.
Some lovely axework here, I'd like to get a felling axe to complement the blunter tools I've got which are good for splitting/riving wood into usable pieces.
Btw I think you'd normally layer hazel with chunkier stems than that (maybe ~3cm or so?) - your general approach is correct (burying/pegging). I'm not an expert but I occasionally volunteer with a group called Leeds coppice workers and that's one of the main jobs they get volunteers to do. Maybe tricky in this instance because of how long it has been left you might not have had stems of that sort of size. Often you have to cut the stem a little on the outside of the base to get it to lie down rather than break.
Thank you, and yes, usually you lay something a bit thicker - a five or six year shoot, but there weren't really any suitable as the stool was so shaded.
beautifully done. i especially love the brushwood enclosure to ensure deer dont brows the tops off too early. i wish this video was much longer, without edits to really get a feel for the effort involved. ive loved your videos from the beginning and look forward with baited breath. Hail Og Sael. Hail ravnen.
Thank you Sean. I love the enclosures too, they're really fun to make. I have to try and get a balance between including as much as possible and appealing to a wide audience, but I could potentially make separate long-form videos in the future!
@@gesithasgewissa i would love that. I like hearing the gentle building sounds whilst I'm pottering about in the house... seems somehow fitting.
Thanks for the great video and all your work doing it. My love is the ways and history of everyday life. I love your channel showing us a small piece of everyday life as it was then. Many Thanks
Thank you David, every day history is so fascinating!
Cool! My country has a long tradition of coppicing and pollarding, which continues to be practiced in the modern day. Mostly willow, but sometimes you'll see evidence of past hazel, oak and chestnut coppicing as well.
I'm surprised you seem to be planning to use the hazel logs as building material. From what I know about material use in prehistoric and early medieval Netherlands, hazel and willow were generally considered too soft, only being used as poles, firewood or in wattle or brushwood walls. People preferred hardwood. Of course, when all you have is hazel you're gonna use hazel, and maybe there wasn't as strict of a "hierarchy" of building materials in medieval England.
That's great to hear. Oak was always the preferred timber for building throughout history, but other trees were used. I'll be mostly using this hazel for interior carpentry, such as furniture, not as supporting timbers for a house. Although, it's true, all I have here is hazel!
Excellent work well done. Clean cuts and well protected. Cheers J
Thank you J!
Wonderful to see what, why and how this was done, and the resulting usable products and husbandry - thanks!
It is a wonderful process!
Very interesting! There’s not much tradition of copicing where I live so it’s interesting to learn about.
Thanks Matt, I'm glad you found it interesting!
Woodcutting level 10!
Haha!
Did you add in audio in post production or is the forest you're working in really that lively with birds and other animals? If so that's awesome! I live in a village miles and miles away from any truly car-free/civilisation free areas so don't often hear any nature as lviely as this. Sorry if this is an incredibly stupid question, I'm just surprised at how lively it sounds where you are.
I've never added extra birdsong in any of my videos, they are all recorded by me on location. I do feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such beautiful birdsong and other nature! It may be because the surrounding land is covered in blackthorn copse and very old, untrimmed hedgerows. So it is an absolute haven for birds.
Poetry in motion to watch a very skilled person w a very sharp fast axe doing amazing work. Makes sense as you watch it but wouldn’t have had a clue had I not watched it! Lol ironic that man is dressed in medieval gear, coppicing in traditional methods and then recording, editing and posting on yt, must have a computer and electricity somewhere 😜👍
Thank you for the kind words, they really mean a lot! And yes, very ironic, give me a few years and I'll be running electricity off a medieval water wheel...but I'm not quite there yet 😉
I am impressed how you are working in and with nature to take advantage of it and protect nature at the same time! Keep on going my friend...
Thank you for the kind words!
Wonderful work. We don't have Hazel like that over on this size of the pond, but I have been wondering about Witchazel and the Hazelnut tree. They might work the same, but I won't know until I try. Love seeing the traditional ways kept alive. We've suffered greatly as a result of people turning their backs on the history, culture, and tradition, and I hope videos like this will encourage people to start thinking about what they've been denied. How much generational knowledge has been lost? How many jobs run out of town on a rail? Those traditional trades, like managing the woodland, once produced good for local customers and kept local craftsmen in work. Now, things are mass produced on the other side of the world because we've made our own territory so incredibly hostile to the Traditional Trades like this.
Very well said, let's try and keep our heritage alive! I imagine both witchhazel and American hazel would coppice, as they are both deciduous.
Your axe work is perfect. I have used an axe at times but my blows are all over the place. Great work! Keep it up.
Thank you. Lots of practice helps!
We were just discussing the use of a wooden chopping block on Twitter the other day and came to the conclusion that they were not a medieval thing, at least we found no evidence for them.
Relying mostly on coppice, twigs, smaller wood, etc. explains a lot.
That's an interesting thought! Given that large timber saws weren't common, if used at all, in Early Medieval Britain, most firewood would have been cut with an axe; meaning its ends would be roughly cut and pointed or rounded. Not ideal for standing up on a chopping block! My guess is that the chopping block would have come into use once large timber saws were regularly used to process firewood, much later in the Medieval period. I split my axe cut firewood from the side, with the timber nestled in the crook of a stout forked trunk laying on the ground, to keep it from moving. Thanks for sharing!
Nice, I think a video explaing your choosen tools would be great
Great suggestion! I'll think about how I could make that sort of video.
I do hope one day you'll end up with your own little village like the Townsends folks :D
That would be great, haha!
The precision you have with that axe is impressive. I need to practice!
Thank you! I get a lot of practice haha
Great series and thanks for the historical setting.
Thank you for watching!
я только вчера думал когда же выйдет новое видео и опа прихожу домой и вижу новое видео спосибо тебе за это видео
Glad you didn't have to wait too long!
Really good video - must admit i had low expectations from the description, but you did some excellent work with tha axe, and will have rejuventated that hazel nicely. Thanks for showing, and explaining, how it's done and why!
Thank you very much, I'm glad you appreciated the axe-work and the information in the description!
Nice woodsmanship. A good sharp axe too. I had no idea that they had video cameras back in 662. Subscribed.
Welcome! Yeah they were pretty advanced ya know 😉
Impressive, looks sawn.
Thank you! Axes are pretty versatile ☺
Nice bit of work done a fair bit of collide restoration work myself and know the effort you put into this blog
Thank you!
once again,well done !!!,i almost gave up on youtube,just what i needed to see
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Þæt is gód wudu-hirde. (That's a good forest-keeper.) It's a very enjoyable video, thank you!
Wudu-hirde...I like that a lot! Old English is beautiful.
Wow! I learned so much in just one video!!
That's great to hear, I'm glad you found it interesting!
That hazel was huge!
It was. The biggest I've seen!
When we are making coppice baskets, a couple of layers of the larger logs are placed round the base. The idea behind this is to stop rabbits and smaller animals getting through.
Ah, that's a good idea. Thanks for the advice!
ура новое видео!
Indeed! ☺
Wow 👌❤️
Thank you!
Fantastic video. I can't wait to see what this project becomes in the coming years.
Thank you, I can't wait to show you all!
@@gesithasgewissa Any plans to bring on more team members? I imagine a single man doing it all would have been unusual in the period.
@@C-Hirsuta Perhaps...we shall see! ☺
So this is how my ancestors lived, wow
Lots of work but lots of beautiful nature too!
Great vid. Every time you mention Blackthorn I want a pint of cider.
Haha! A pint of cider after is work would not go amiss!
@@gesithasgewissa wessex is the home of cider.
From an experimental archeology point of view it is interesting to know how much time this took. But also to know how many blows with the axe were needed. Maybe you kept track, but otherwise you might find an app to do that for you? Best of succes in your work!
If only I had pockets in my Anglo-Saxon trousers for an Iphone 😆 I spent about 3 days on the felling and processing of the three hazel stools I coppiced. Thanks for watching ☺
I like your videos and I hope you keep making them...to that point...please be careful when cutting down "leaners", they have the potential to split and "Barber Chair". This is one of the leading causes of serious injury and death among tree fellers. You also did some sketchy stuff walking around and under a tree that was "hung up". These are known as "Widow Makers" because they have a nasty habit of suddenly dropping of the tree feller. Be careful, because you are a valuable person and asset.
Thanks for the concern ☺
How often do you sharpen your axe? Perhaps a video about sharpening tools is needed?
About twice a day, when using it all day in forestry work. I'll try and include some sharpening in the next video!
These stems are huge! I always thought about hazel as a big bush, not a real tree like here. I wonder, to which part of your project the big timber will go? A furniture or another building? Don't tell me, I want to see it.
They are the some the biggest and oldest hazels I've ever seen! I won't spoil the surprise haha.
Stack firewood vertically in cones. The bark on the wood on the outer side will shed water and keep the wood on the inside dry. Native American technique
Hey, that's a great idea. Thanks for the advice!
Man I love these videos
Thanks Evan 😄
Agreed - I could watch these videos for hours. However, I recognize the difficulties in producing these videos and am grateful for every minute. Thank you for the intellectual entertainment.
Great Video!
Thank you Lukas!
Thanks!
Thank you very much Mark!
I really like that Sutton Hoo T-axe. May I ask how you got yours? I do a lot of green woodworking and it seems it would make a nice addition to my set of tools!
I really enjoy your material, I always learn a lot just watching you work! Cheers!
It is a lovely axe! I commissioned it. It was forged in Medieval wrought iron by Hector Cole, and is based on examples from the 5th-8th century.
Really great stuff
Thank you!
You should check out the 1000 year old lime tree at westonburt arboretum. They copse it to keep it healthy
Amazing! I'll have a look
I wish coppicing would be more common today. I'm planting a mixed forest about one acre and much of it will be coppiced.
I'm so impressed you did this with an axe, knowing how much work it would be with a chainsaw 😮 can I ask how long it took you to process that tree?
That's cool, best wishes for your forest project! It's hard work, but good fun. Not including time spent filming (which is significant!), I spent 4 days on 3 coppice stools, including all the processing and making the blackthorn fences,. That's pretty slow but these were very awkward stools and I had to make multiple cuts on each trunk to bring them down safely.
@@gesithasgewissa thank you! That's actually faster than I would have guessed 💪 Funny how it seems like an hours work on video!
Ah moving heavy logs about reminds me of the good old days with my double hernia 🤣🤣🤣
Ouch! Sounds painful!!
Another great video, are you sharpening your axe as you go along (if so it would be nice to see that as well) or is it keeping a sharp edge.
Thank you. I sharpen my axe at about twice a day when working all day with it. I'll try and remember to film some axe sharpening for you next time!
Lovely Video, very interesting!!! the ground looks very muddy, how waterproof is that footwear of yours tho??
Not at all waterproof haha!
The axe you're using seems to be fairly light, with long, slick handle and appears to be quite comfortable to operate in contrast to what you can get ona market today, which are usually much broader, heavier and with short handles. I am wondering where one can purchase something alike in modern tool shop. I"m asking because I'm obviously not going to forge one myself or know a blacksmith that could make one, so I'll have to look for what is available. It seem like a very good tool for general work.
It is very light, around 800g or 1 1/2 lbs. Medieval axe heads were very rarely heavier than 1kg, probably because iron was a valuable resource. Straight handles also seem to have been most common, with slip-fit heads. You can find vintage axe heads like this by searching for french or European felling axes. I also know of Rinaldi, a modern axe manufacturers producing new European style axes, many of which are light and have slip-fit heads. I haven't used any myself, but I hear they are good quality and value ☺
If you look around im positive you would be able to find a blacksmith who could make you one. My impression is that they arent that incredibly rare, just that they dont usually market themselves in a big way.
I really love your videos and how you show these ancient techniques.
i am curious, where did you get the axe from ?
Thank you. It is an old french felling axe, which I chose for its similarity to the Early Medieval axe finds from Flixborough and Nydam.
@@gesithasgewissathanks for the answer !
i think i'll try to get a similar axe !
Looks like some nice straight pieces of Hazel, though not an ideal wood, I have seen some bowyers turn it into a usable bow, Mick Greencock did a few years ago on TH-cam, could be a useful tool and challenge. Maybe a pseudo-Nydam/Hedeby style bow
Nice idea for the hazel, I'll keep it in mind. Although I do actually have a yew stave seasoning for a Nydam style bow. That'll definitely be a video at some point.
Would the timber be turned into planks or left as logs? How would it be processed with no saws?
Anglo-Saxons processed timber by cleaving and splitting logs and hewing them into planks or beams. Here is my video on splitting and hewing planks: th-cam.com/video/ZVwO8N0ZM70/w-d-xo.html
Thats a bloody good axe, every axe ive ever used has bludgeoned the tree to death 🤣
😄 keep it sharp!
So much better than chain saws.if more of us did this we would still have a planet to live on for the near future.
I do so much prefer working with hand tools!
Wondering about where you got that felling axe, i'm assuming custom forged? i've been looking for an axe like that for a project soon
It's an old french felling axe which I chose for its similarity to Early Medieval axes found at Flixborough and Nydam. You can usually find old European style axe heads for sale, or Rinaldi sells new axes based on European styles.
Never tried layering Hazel, but know that it will root readily if you just poke small sticks into the ground , even had this happen unintentionally when using them to mark rows of carrot seed . So if I layered a Hazel branch , what would be the advantage ? Does it grow quicker ? And how big a branch could you use ?
Oh great. I've had that happen with willow, of course, but it's nice to know hazel will also root as cuttings. Layering allows the new hazel plant to be fed by the "mother plant" for several years until it is well established. This gives it the advantage of being connected to a huge, developed root system which should mean it will grow and establish itself much faster. I think you can layer anything up to six or seven years growth or around 1 1/2 inches thick.
Just out of curiosity, who made your axes?
I’m trying to get away from modern work tools and looking for something with a slightly more historical/traditional context..
The felling axe is an old french felling axe which I chose due to its similarities to Early Medieval axes found at Flixborough and Nydam. The T-shaped hewing axe is based on 6th-8th century finds, and was forged by Hector Cole, who works with Medieval wrought iron ☺ if you're looking for more traditional tools, you can always find good vintage axeheads online. Also Rinaldi make and sell good axeheads based on traditional European styles.
❤
😄😄
What kind of ax is that ? In your hands it seems to be as good as a chainsaw. You could take it on the American hit programs " Alone" or " Naked and Afraid". You could be a US TV star. An Austrian woman called Survival Lilly did that.
The axe is an old french felling axe which I chose for its similarity to Early Medieval finds. Haha, that's a good idea. I prefer the peace and quiet though.
Do you actually live in yr thatched hut, or just sometimes?
I stay there while I am filming videos ☺
I never knew a hazel could even get that big I just thought they were a shrub
Yeah, these are definitely the largest hazels I have seen
👍
Thanks for watching!
You may want to get some distance between you and the butt of the tree when it falls. I've had some close calls myself in the years I've been timber falling. Those small ones are still large enough to inflict pain and injury.
You're definitely right, usually I do get out of there as soon as the tree begins falling. But in this case, the stream was right behind me, so I had no safe exit route.
Great video. I love seeing historical/traditional crafts. What axe did you use for this? Was it forged by a blacksmith especially to fit the period, or just a chance find?
Thank you, this axe is a vintage French felling axe, which I chose because it is so close in shape and weight to Early Medieval axe finds at Flixborough and Nydam. My other T-shaped axe, I did commission and is based on historical finds.
@@gesithasgewissa Thanks for the message
@@gesithasgewissa Did you helve the axe yourself?
@@kinghades30 I did!
👍👌👏
Thanks
Dear @@gesithasgewissa
You're welcome, it's my pleasure.
Thanks for replying and especially for giving a heart to my comment (usually I do longer ones but maybe I simply was too lazy). I always and totally appreciate both very much.
Best regards, luck and health in particular.
How heavy is your axe head in this video?
Around 800g. Most Medieval axeheads were below 1kg in weight.
Where did you get the axe?
It's an old french felling axe which I chose based on its similarity to Early Medieval axe finds such as at Flixborough and Nydam.
imagine doing that with an Obsidian Axe.
Haha!
If mrchickadee lived in Merry Old England rather than Kentucky.
😄 I love his videos!
You should do a hunting video!
I have a video on skinning a deer that I hunted with 'Smooth Gefixt' in Ireland. Bow-hunting is unfortunately not legal in Britain though!
Which is a bit ironic since Britain has such a rich bowmaking history. If wild boar populations keep on the rise though maybe someday you'll get a chance.
@@Bearfoot-e3e Spear hunting please 😄
@@gesithasgewissa I spear hunt. Where I live it's legal to take boar with a spear, actually it's legal to kill them just about however you want but I respect the boar too much to just shoot them. Unfortunately, I'm between spears at the moment, I'm trying to get my smelter set up to, hopefully, cast a bronze spearhead.
@@Bearfoot-e3e Very cool, is that in the U.S.?
If only you had Ye Olde chainsaw
I know right? Woulda been a lot quicker!!
algorithm
Thanks!
First?!
Nice 😄
✨🌴✨ 👶🪓👏
Thanks for watching