A place dedicated to the discussion & picture sharing of swords, hatchets, throwing knives, Native American Tools, tomahawk heads and other related items.
A tool I’ve always been fascinated by is the Shepherd’s Axe.
A slim axe head that is part hammer, with a walking stick length handle.
A number of years ago I refurbished and hand-sharpened an old Winchester axe head that was just the right style for making a shepherd’s axe. Only thing I didn’t have access to at the time were the tools and materials to make a handle.
Fast forward to this year and a friend of mine hooked me up with enough hickory to make four handles, and lent me his drawknife since I don’t own one yet. The result is far from perfect, but it’s at just the right height for me. I just have to find somewhere to have a nice cover made for the head.
It's an interesting way to make your cain or walking stick more useful. You taught me about another kind of axe. It looks like the head you incorporated was a shingling or lathing hatchet in its former life.
If the hardwre store prices for replacement hickory handles keeps sky rocketing we might all have to learn to make our own.
Modern Slip Joints wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 6:38 am
It's an interesting way to make your cain or walking stick more useful. You taught me about another kind of axe. It looks like the head you incorporated was a shingling or lathing hatchet in its former life.
If the hardwre store prices for replacement hickory handles keeps sky rocketing we might all have to learn to make our own.
I honestly forget where and when or even why I acquired a such an axe head. I had it long before I got the idea for this project, but it just so happened that its shape is just what I needed.
The handle I made is by no means perfect, but so far the head is on there nice and secure.
I’m sure that such an axe has much different intended uses, but for me, it came in handy while wandering through the Pine Barrens of NJ looking for fatwood to harvest. Having the shepherd’s axe meant that I could investigate the limbs of fallen trees without having to bend over. I feel like I was able to cover more ground that way, and in the end the trip was successful. I found that nice large limb in the last photo which was almost entirely fatwood.
Modern Slip Joints wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 6:38 am
It's an interesting way to make your cain or walking stick more useful. You taught me about another kind of axe. It looks like the head you incorporated was a shingling or lathing hatchet in its former life.
If the hardwre store prices for replacement hickory handles keeps sky rocketing we might all have to learn to make our own.
I honestly forget where and when or even why I acquired a such an axe head. I had it long before I got the idea for this project, but it just so happened that its shape is just what I needed.
The handle I made is by no means perfect, but so far the head is on there nice and secure.
I’m sure that such an axe has much different intended uses, but for me, it came in handy while wandering through the Pine Barrens of NJ looking for fatwood to harvest. Having the shepherd’s axe meant that I could investigate the limbs of fallen trees without having to bend over. I feel like I was able to cover more ground that way, and in the end the trip was successful. I found that nice large limb in the last photo which was almost entirely fatwood.
I would be interested in how this tool would be used. Unlikely that one would grip it at the end of the handle and take a full swing. Maybe grip it in the center for better control? Also, should the cutting edge have a cover when using it as a walking stick to prevent accidents?
Modern Slip Joints wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 6:38 am
It's an interesting way to make your cain or walking stick more useful. You taught me about another kind of axe. It looks like the head you incorporated was a shingling or lathing hatchet in its former life.
If the hardwre store prices for replacement hickory handles keeps sky rocketing we might all have to learn to make our own.
I honestly forget where and when or even why I acquired a such an axe head. I had it long before I got the idea for this project, but it just so happened that its shape is just what I needed.
The handle I made is by no means perfect, but so far the head is on there nice and secure.
I’m sure that such an axe has much different intended uses, but for me, it came in handy while wandering through the Pine Barrens of NJ looking for fatwood to harvest. Having the shepherd’s axe meant that I could investigate the limbs of fallen trees without having to bend over. I feel like I was able to cover more ground that way, and in the end the trip was successful. I found that nice large limb in the last photo which was almost entirely fatwood.
I would be interested in how this tool would be used. Unlikely that one would grip it at the end of the handle and take a full swing. Maybe grip it in the center for better control? Also, should the cutting edge have a cover when using it as a walking stick to prevent accidents?
I believe it was a sort of general purpose tool for tending hedgerows and doing other odd jobs. Not really sure of the intended holding position, but I myself have used it by holding it at the end and doing short swings. Seems to work well enough that way, at least for me.
Normally they’d have a cover to prevent against damage or anything else unsightly, but a leatherworker I am not, so I need to find someone else to make a cover for it. But to be fair, it works best as a walking stick when held with the blade away from me.
I honestly forget where and when or even why I acquired a such an axe head. I had it long before I got the idea for this project, but it just so happened that its shape is just what I needed.
The handle I made is by no means perfect, but so far the head is on there nice and secure.
I’m sure that such an axe has much different intended uses, but for me, it came in handy while wandering through the Pine Barrens of NJ looking for fatwood to harvest. Having the shepherd’s axe meant that I could investigate the limbs of fallen trees without having to bend over. I feel like I was able to cover more ground that way, and in the end the trip was successful. I found that nice large limb in the last photo which was almost entirely fatwood.
I would be interested in how this tool would be used. Unlikely that one would grip it at the end of the handle and take a full swing. Maybe grip it in the center for better control? Also, should the cutting edge have a cover when using it as a walking stick to prevent accidents?
I believe it was a sort of general purpose tool for tending hedgerows and doing other odd jobs. Not really sure of the intended holding position, but I myself have used it by holding it at the end and doing short swings. Seems to work well enough that way, at least for me.
Normally they’d have a cover to prevent against damage or anything else unsightly, but a leatherworker I am not, so I need to find someone else to make a cover for it. But to be fair, it works best as a walking stick when held with the blade away from me.
Just wondering if you have done any more experiments with the Shepards axe in the month since these last posts? I have basically been bitten by this bug and have been doing a lot of reading on Shepards axes their history, and their uses. I also recalled that I already own something that may have been designed as a 20th century similar tool. Pictured is a Charter Arms Skatchet which I bought in about 1975 from Herters when they were still in business. I have used it when camping in various situations, mostly with handles 18-20 inches long. Note in the photo that the eye has coarse threads that after cutting a 1 and 1/2 inch green handle and shaving the end down, the head will thread tightly onto the green handle. With an 18-24 inch handle it performs somewhat like a tomahawk and is useful for light chopping and cutting
The head weighs just slightly over 1 pound, so any attempts at heavy chopping is useless. I have never tried it with 4 or 5 foot long handle, but am interested in testing it as a walking stick with a Skatchet head. I also have a Plumb 1 and 1/2 pound hatchet head which I would like to try with a long walking stick handle. Just something to fool around with and learn how the ancient peoples would have used these tools.
AirCorpsClerk wrote: ↑Sat Apr 19, 2025 5:16 pm
[...] a leatherworker I am not, so I need to find someone else to make a cover for it.
Since I am also not a leather worker I have made a few knife sheaths by cutting out the pieces of leather, gluing them together, then paying a shoe repair shop to run a stich around the edge. A good leather worker can make a better looking sheath but not one that functions any better.
