What do you think?
Rate this book
American Axe: The Tool That Shaped a Continent
From hand-forged axes of the Viking conquests to the American homesteader’s felling axe, this is a tool that has shaped human history like few others. American Axe pays tribute to this iconic instrument of settlement and industry, with rich history, stunning photography, and profiles of the most collectible vintage axes such as The Woodslasher, Keen Cutter, and True Temper Perfect. Combining his experiences as a forester, axe collector, and former competitive lumberjack, author Brett McLeod conveys the allure of this deceptively simple woodcutting implement and celebrates the resurging interest in its story and use.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2020
8 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 21, 2020
This book should appeal to many different readers.
For those neophytes, author Brett McLeod includes a section in the beginning explaining the different parts of an axe and the proper terms to use. From there, he launches into an interesting history of the axe in America and highlights some of the main companies and lists a few of the favorite styles out of the hundreds that were created.
The few quality axes made today are listed and discussed, causing me to flip back and forth between the book and my computer as I searched for prices and compared features that would be advantageous for me (wood heat is my main source of heat in the winter, and living near the Continental Divide and the Rocky Mountains ensures that we get our share of the cold).
I have seen a few older axes at garage and rummage sales, though until I read this book I had little knowledge of whether they were actually old and valuable or just something the owner left out to weather in the elements. “American Axe” will help to change that, and I appreciated the section Restoring Vintage Axes. Knowing that there were an estimated 10 million axes produced between 1850 and 1950 gives me hope that I will come across some of these treasures in the future. The book instructs how to correctly restore an axe. I also found helpful the section on replacing a handle (I did find a few differing opinions on the Internet on grain orientation, and after personal consideration I somewhat disagree with the author on this point – I would encourage folks to do their own research and thus come to their own conclusions).
For those who are more adventurous, axe throwing is also addressed, and Mr. McLeod takes the time to explain both the safety features that must be included as well as how to practice proper techniques. The author also includes other games that you may wish to consider. There is also a handy index to aid you when searching for a particular piece of information. Definitely an interesting and informative book. Five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.
For those neophytes, author Brett McLeod includes a section in the beginning explaining the different parts of an axe and the proper terms to use. From there, he launches into an interesting history of the axe in America and highlights some of the main companies and lists a few of the favorite styles out of the hundreds that were created.
The few quality axes made today are listed and discussed, causing me to flip back and forth between the book and my computer as I searched for prices and compared features that would be advantageous for me (wood heat is my main source of heat in the winter, and living near the Continental Divide and the Rocky Mountains ensures that we get our share of the cold).
I have seen a few older axes at garage and rummage sales, though until I read this book I had little knowledge of whether they were actually old and valuable or just something the owner left out to weather in the elements. “American Axe” will help to change that, and I appreciated the section Restoring Vintage Axes. Knowing that there were an estimated 10 million axes produced between 1850 and 1950 gives me hope that I will come across some of these treasures in the future. The book instructs how to correctly restore an axe. I also found helpful the section on replacing a handle (I did find a few differing opinions on the Internet on grain orientation, and after personal consideration I somewhat disagree with the author on this point – I would encourage folks to do their own research and thus come to their own conclusions).
For those who are more adventurous, axe throwing is also addressed, and Mr. McLeod takes the time to explain both the safety features that must be included as well as how to practice proper techniques. The author also includes other games that you may wish to consider. There is also a handy index to aid you when searching for a particular piece of information. Definitely an interesting and informative book. Five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.
August 26, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
American Axe is a comprehensive and interesting history with tutorials of the ubiquitous and (previously) unsung tool which helped tame the North American continent. Due out 29th Sept 2020 from Storey Publishing, it's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
The author writes authoritatively and well with practicality and humor about axes of all types and uses. The introduction is a good primer on axes and shows the anatomy of the axe parts, interesting background and development, construction, and more. I found the pictorial essay on axe construction at the Brant & Cochran forge especially fascinating and admit that I hadn't really thought too much about where the tools we depend on actually *come* from. Buying an axe these days entails walking into a big box store or farm coop as contrasted a couple hundred years ago when acquiring and caring for such a vital tool could literally mean survival in an inhospitable climate. Axes were necessary for providing shelter, fuel, clearing land, and sometimes even for defense. This chapter also gives a good overview of the different types of axes and a short explanation of the tasks for which each type is dedicated.
The following chapters go more in depth and are aimed at homesteading tasks, a look at antique axes, modern axes, an extremely useful and comprehensive tutorial for sourcing and restoring axes found "in the wild", and a final chapter with throwing axes and other fun pastimes. This chapter also includes a spiffy tutorial for building a throwing bullseye target for throwing practice. Several places throughout, the author has also included fascinating tidbits about competitive wood chopping and other lumberjack games.
The photography is crystal clear and abundant. There are numerous short tutorials included with advice and step-by-step instructions for diverse tasks such as building an outdoor fire effectively and safely, felling a tree (safely), stripping bark, squaring timbers, an overview of finishing timbers for cabin building, and more.
The layout and design of the book are rustic and rugged and I especially liked the inclusion of antique advertising print ads for long vanished manufacturers. (Our Peerless Axe! Dunn EdgeTool co. Oakland, Maine). The book also includes a cross referenced index. This would make a superlative selection for homesteaders, smallholders, tool fanatics, historical recreators, and allied hobbyists.
Five stars for the target audience. This is a definitive guide.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
American Axe is a comprehensive and interesting history with tutorials of the ubiquitous and (previously) unsung tool which helped tame the North American continent. Due out 29th Sept 2020 from Storey Publishing, it's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
The author writes authoritatively and well with practicality and humor about axes of all types and uses. The introduction is a good primer on axes and shows the anatomy of the axe parts, interesting background and development, construction, and more. I found the pictorial essay on axe construction at the Brant & Cochran forge especially fascinating and admit that I hadn't really thought too much about where the tools we depend on actually *come* from. Buying an axe these days entails walking into a big box store or farm coop as contrasted a couple hundred years ago when acquiring and caring for such a vital tool could literally mean survival in an inhospitable climate. Axes were necessary for providing shelter, fuel, clearing land, and sometimes even for defense. This chapter also gives a good overview of the different types of axes and a short explanation of the tasks for which each type is dedicated.
The following chapters go more in depth and are aimed at homesteading tasks, a look at antique axes, modern axes, an extremely useful and comprehensive tutorial for sourcing and restoring axes found "in the wild", and a final chapter with throwing axes and other fun pastimes. This chapter also includes a spiffy tutorial for building a throwing bullseye target for throwing practice. Several places throughout, the author has also included fascinating tidbits about competitive wood chopping and other lumberjack games.
The photography is crystal clear and abundant. There are numerous short tutorials included with advice and step-by-step instructions for diverse tasks such as building an outdoor fire effectively and safely, felling a tree (safely), stripping bark, squaring timbers, an overview of finishing timbers for cabin building, and more.
The layout and design of the book are rustic and rugged and I especially liked the inclusion of antique advertising print ads for long vanished manufacturers. (Our Peerless Axe! Dunn EdgeTool co. Oakland, Maine). The book also includes a cross referenced index. This would make a superlative selection for homesteaders, smallholders, tool fanatics, historical recreators, and allied hobbyists.
Five stars for the target audience. This is a definitive guide.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
August 17, 2020
American axes helped shape this country, literally. This is a look at the design, manufacture, history, collecting, restoration, and sport of the axe. Filled with lots of color photos that are clear even in black & white on a Kindle Paperwhite. Here are the facts of how the modern axe developed, the materials, and the famous manufacturers who have now made old American made axes so collectible. There are chapters on how they are made, how to identify the famous ones, how the axe made the US into a livable country, and axe sports (throwing & lumberjack races). Complete with an index, but missing a "sources" page or pages with other resources. Clearly written, very easy to read & understand. Recommended for anyone interested in the topic.
NOTE: I read this in galley format and there were some issues with the formatting for the Kindle. My husband read the same galley with the Kindle app on his 10 inch iPad in the 2 pages per screen layout. The photos were clear and the text was more suited to this format. Hopefully, the issues I encountered will be resolved in the final publication.
NOTE: I read this in galley format and there were some issues with the formatting for the Kindle. My husband read the same galley with the Kindle app on his 10 inch iPad in the 2 pages per screen layout. The photos were clear and the text was more suited to this format. Hopefully, the issues I encountered will be resolved in the final publication.
September 18, 2025
Cutting through American history in regards to tools for cutting!!!
American Axe: The Tool That Shaped a Continent by Brett McLeod is a decent straight to the “edge” look at the history of axes in North America.
This book had a ton of fun material, good photos (both historical pics and those of axes and their use), along with some fun history in axe creation and their importance to development of the United States.
Other than some light coverage of the prehistoric origin of axes, the story begins with the cooonial era and the importance of hatchets as a tool and trade commodity.
We get a chapter covering the various styles of axes and their specific uses from older to newer models. You also get breakdown if different axe parts.
We get some fun tidbits into axes as promotional tools, cabin styles ideal for creating with axes, popular axe nicknames, even some modern use of axes in sporting events. We even get a few historical figure cameos as the book deals with axes being a part of their history and personalities (notably two important presidents at least).
Fun book…
American Axe: The Tool That Shaped a Continent by Brett McLeod is a decent straight to the “edge” look at the history of axes in North America.
This book had a ton of fun material, good photos (both historical pics and those of axes and their use), along with some fun history in axe creation and their importance to development of the United States.
Other than some light coverage of the prehistoric origin of axes, the story begins with the cooonial era and the importance of hatchets as a tool and trade commodity.
We get a chapter covering the various styles of axes and their specific uses from older to newer models. You also get breakdown if different axe parts.
We get some fun tidbits into axes as promotional tools, cabin styles ideal for creating with axes, popular axe nicknames, even some modern use of axes in sporting events. We even get a few historical figure cameos as the book deals with axes being a part of their history and personalities (notably two important presidents at least).
Fun book…
August 31, 2020
I have received this title via NetGalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review
This was a book that I'm not sure I would've picked up on my own, but I am really glad I did. The history of different axes is actually quite interesting.
This was a book that I'm not sure I would've picked up on my own, but I am really glad I did. The history of different axes is actually quite interesting.
May 26, 2022
Just good fun
This book is just fun. Anyone who has held an ax in there hands from the once a year camper to the daily user will appreciate the anecdotes and history of some classic ax brands and a broader history of the ax as it arrived and evolved on American soil.
This book is just fun. Anyone who has held an ax in there hands from the once a year camper to the daily user will appreciate the anecdotes and history of some classic ax brands and a broader history of the ax as it arrived and evolved on American soil.
January 30, 2021
Very interesting read. I never realized how much the early settlers relied on the axe to carve out our nation in the early days
November 2, 2020
American Axe is an interesting history of axes, from bone to Viking axe to firefighter's axe and lumberjack contests. Many colour photos and different styles and shapes are shown. I thought balance should have been added to explain that deforestation means you run out of trees and their ecological services, but that's not what the author was aiming to provide. Any axe collector, tool handler or museum curator will be interested.
I read an ARC from Net Galley and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
I read an ARC from Net Galley and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews