Falling wedges. What's good, what's not, and why?

[Sport Faller]

Switched to this setup this year, got tired of stuffing my beater in the back of my belt. A pain in the butt, literally.

View attachment 189077

This is much better. The harness and scabbard came from a little company over in Smelterville, Id. They make a lot of nice stuff for fallers.

That is the famous tape nail that Cody likes to speak of on the end of the tape. Works good.

I'm not too picky about wedge brand. Don't really need anything over ten inches around here. Like I said before, I really like the 7.5" Stihl wedges when a tree spits a wedge. They can really go where no other wedge can.

The axe has a 3 pound head, which suits me just fine

A little off topic (not that it probably matters here, lol), but I bought myself a new pair of Viberg Calks after work today. I wish everything was made as well as those boots.

Take care - Sam

nice, i like the barberpole handle, have your feet started begging for mercy yet

can we get a close up of the tape nail?

 

[JMarshall]

Sam- I own a few pairs of Vibergs, they are unreal eh? Takes a bit to break 'em in but once ya do they are deadly, grease them often and they will last for a loonng time.

 

[8433jeff]

I don't know much, but I have had the good sense to keep my mouth shut when experience speaks. Thanks for the lessons.

 

[lfnh]

nw axe man,
Very interesting to see the 'feathers' wedge set.

What is the length of the longest falling wedge ? (with out going to the woodshed..)

Appreciate your time to put the photos together for this thread.

 

[Rounder]

Jake, I'll snap a pick of the nail this weekend. Pretty slick in lodgepole/piss fir.

The Vibergs should be fine. I've got some ugly feet that got that way from leathers, lol

 

[2dogs]

Switched to this setup this year, got tired of stuffing my beater in the back of my belt. A pain in the butt, literally.

View attachment 189077

This is much better. The harness and scabbard came from a little company over in Smelterville, Id. They make a lot of nice stuff for fallers.

That is the famous tape nail that Cody likes to speak of on the end of the tape. Works good.

I'm not too picky about wedge brand. Don't really need anything over ten inches around here. Like I said before, I really like the 7.5" Stihl wedges when a tree spits a wedge. They can really go where no other wedge can.

The axe has a 3 pound head, which suits me just fine

A little off topic (not that it probably matters here, lol), but I bought myself a new pair of Viberg Calks after work today. I wish everything was made as well as those boots.

Take care - Sam

That is the gear I use. I referenced it and provided a link a few pages back. Good stuff.

 

[mdavlee]

Some good info here along with some junk. The most used wedges I've got are the 6" and 8" K&H. They seem to be cast in the same mold as the stihl brand ones but they're a little cheaper from madsens than the local place. I do have pairs of 10" and 12" but I don't see needing them as most stuff around is less than 40" or so that I will be cutting. The sloping back cut works on 2" dbh great!

 

[flushcut]

Wow, what a good thread I just read through the whole thing aside form some banter with an idiot.

 

[Rounder]

That is the gear I use. I referenced it and provided a link a few pages back. Good stuff.

Oops, must of missed that, I've skipped over a fair bit of this thread, lol. And yes, good stuff for sure.

 

[stihl 440]

The one tre was softer then warm butter

Thanks for the negative rep JO.....im sure you will get some more form the other guys that read this......your intellegence on anything that has to do with forestry/logging/chainsaws is less than adequate.

Im done with your Re*****d A$$.....ignore....

 

[nw axe man]

Just backed over my oil pan with the machine I just drained it from, havin a rough morning. Needed to cool off a little and holy crap this thread is still crankin!

Very well said John! Great pics too! Thanks for sharing. Hey in the first pic to the right of the picture of the guy hanging his head that says "monday morning," (great pic I might add!) what is the saw that is hanging off of the tongs for? It has two handles and more like waves instead of teeth. I saw one of those hanging up the other day around here and I was trying to figure it out. Something to do with removing bark? Thanks.

If I ever get a day I'll have to scan a bunch of pics I have out of book about logging in WI. Some really great pics of how it was done back then.

I believe it's an ice saw. That's what I've been told anyway. Kind of an interesting piece anyway. That wall is my favorite wall. Those pictures have been hanging there since 1968. My dad put them up. Eldin Olin was the artist and did quite a few of them. Hope your day went better after the oil pan incident.

 

[nw axe man]

nice, I bet the head wasn't too loose after sitting in the river for a couple months

No, Jake, that head it still just as tight as it was the day I hung it. Probably rusted in there.

 

[nw axe man]

That right there is a good tale of good fortune. I approve!

I agree, Nate. I never thought I'd see that axe again. Does make for a good story. Again, one of those stupid things a guy does that comes out better in the end. I wish all of those kinds of things came out that way.
By the way, after haying season is done, I have those trees in Rochester. I'll try to give you some lead time.

 

[nw axe man]

Switched to this setup this year, got tired of stuffing my beater in the back of my belt. A pain in the butt, literally.

View attachment 189077

This is much better. The harness and scabbard came from a little company over in Smelterville, Id. They make a lot of nice stuff for fallers.

That is the famous tape nail that Cody likes to speak of on the end of the tape. Works good.

I'm not too picky about wedge brand. Don't really need anything over ten inches around here. Like I said before, I really like the 7.5" Stihl wedges when a tree spits a wedge. They can really go where no other wedge can.

The axe has a 3 pound head, which suits me just fine

A little off topic (not that it probably matters here, lol), but I bought myself a new pair of Viberg Calks after work today. I wish everything was made as well as those boots.

Take care - Sam

Pardon my ignorance, Sam. What's the function of the leather in the pic? Also, do the CCI Blazers go out with you, too?

 

[nw axe man]

nw axe man,
Very interesting to see the 'feathers' wedge set.

What is the length of the longest falling wedge ? (with out going to the woodshed..)

Appreciate your time to put the photos together for this thread.

I believe the longest wedge is about 16-17". That's allowing for not going to the wood shed to measure, of course. I'm glad you appreciated the pics. I'm just glad I don't have to use them. I can still remember in my minds eye my dad and his brother sweating buckets of sweat swinging those 12lb double jacks. That steel didn't appear to be moving very quickly into the tree if I remember right. Plastic is the ticket for sure.

 

[lfnh]

I believe the longest wedge is about 16-17". That's allowing for not going to the wood shed to measure, of course. I'm glad you appreciated the pics. I'm just glad I don't have to use them. I can still remember in my minds eye my dad and his brother sweating buckets of sweat swinging those 12lb double jacks. That steel didn't appear to be moving very quickly into the tree if I remember right. Plastic is the ticket for sure.

Thanks. Picture tricked me. I can imagine the weight in that gunny sack.

Used a two man saw opposite my dad cutting wood for heat - similar to the one at top of your photo. Still have that two man.
Cut loose stacked hay with one like yours on the right side of your picture. Loose stack is a poor term as the stack packs down very tight.
Long time ago. Nice looking at those tools.

btw, the offside handles kept back of your hands from getting all barked up by the cut side hay (stub ends).

 

[2dogs]

Just backed over my oil pan with the machine I just drained it from, havin a rough morning. Needed to cool off a little and holy crap this thread is still crankin!

Very well said John! Great pics too! Thanks for sharing. Hey in the first pic to the right of the picture of the guy hanging his head that says "monday morning," (great pic I might add!) what is the saw that is hanging off of the tongs for? It has two handles and more like waves instead of teeth. I saw one of those hanging up the other day around here and I was trying to figure it out. Something to do with removing bark? Thanks.

If I ever get a day I'll have to scan a bunch of pics I have out of book about logging in WI. Some really great pics of how it was done back then.

Yeah that is a hay knife. I've also heard it called a hay saw. I'd bet there is more hay stuff around.

 

[madhatte]

By the way, after haying season is done, I have those trees in Rochester. I'll try to give you some lead time.

Excellent. I have hay fields on 3 sides of my house, which are actually looking pretty nice in spite of the weird weather this year, so I guess a few days after they finish the annual grass orgy, I'll be looking for a PM. Lookin' forward to it!

 

[OregonSawyer]

I believe it's an ice saw. That's what I've been told anyway. Kind of an interesting piece anyway. That wall is my favorite wall. Those pictures have been hanging there since 1968. My dad put them up. Eldin Olin was the artist and did quite a few of them. Hope your day went better after the oil pan incident.

Pardon the aside, but do you have any more info on Eldin Olin? That happens to be my mothers maiden name and I don't believe it is that common. Wondering if there is any connection...

 

[Joe46]

Pardon the aside, but do you have any more info on Eldin Olin? That happens to be my mothers maiden name and I don't believe it is that common. Wondering if there is any connection...

Just Googled Eldin Olin. There is a short bio of him with a couple of pictures. Check it out. Also if I'm not mistaken they use to put some of his stuff in Loggers World back in the day. Maybe NW Axe Man can correct me on that.