OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

275013 Matthew Groves <grovesthegrey@g...> 2022‑01‑01 bench froe? wood cleaver?
Howdy folks,

What are those tools called with which you use to baton small kindling or that
we’d use to make peg stock.

It’s very thick. Has an edge like a froe. Is not configured like a froe with
90deg handle, but is more like a narrower cleaver that you use a baton on the
back.

What’s it called again? Can’t remember, and have poor google-fu.

I don’t have Kirk Eppler level skills. Or Darren Addy.

Happy New Year, too.

Matthew Groves
Springfield, MO
275014 Curt Seeliger <seeligerc@g...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
Happy new year, Matt & others,
I'd consider using a chisel or a knife, but LV has these:
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/chisels/specialty/67735
-batoning-chisel

On Fri, Dec 31, 2021 at 10:12 PM Matthew Groves 
wrote:
275015 Michael Blair <branson2@s...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
It's a knife froe.  Let's see if I can post a photo of one recently sold
on eBay.  I bought one a few years ago for exactly your purpose, Matthew
-- making peg stock. 

Mike in Woodland
275016 Michael Blair <branson2@s...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
I wouldn't use one of these as a froe any more than I'd use a drawknife
as a froe.  These are available from a variety of sources under a
variety of names.  One of the most common names is "wrecking knife."  I
have something similar.   A Japanese American co-worker had one that had
belonged to his father, a carpenter.  It came in a wooden sheath like a
samurai sword.  Heavy blade, sharpened one side, the tip slightly skewed
and just as sharp.  Great for cleaning out a mortise, can function as a
drawknife.  It's a great tool.  But I ain't never going to pound on the
back of the blade. 

Mike in Woodland
275017 Zach Dillinger <zacharydillinger@g...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
It isn't exactly what you are describing, but I use a billhook for
splitting out peg stock and other small splits of that nature. Works
beautifully.

Zachary Dillinger
517-231-3374
275018 Henry Bibb <hqbibb@g...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
Maybe something like this:  

https://garrettwade.com/product/super-tough-rosewood-handled-utility-knife?gclid
=Cj0KCQiAlMCOBhCZARIsANLid6a8qu1k7mgyRrg6CTmPtVGadax9n5HXayYK5qlZ_VsmBEALASms4kE
aAjxhEALw_wcB
275019 Phil E. <pedgerton66@g...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
I think they are also called a "hack knife".

Phil E.
275020 Mike Hamilton <mrbuddha@g...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
I think P Follansbee refers to this as a "hacking knife".

Regards to all - it's been a while,

Mike
275022 Richard Wilson <yorkshireman@y...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
Your friend wikipaedia even has an entry

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_knife 

- and a glance at a 1950’s copy of Rycrofts 600 page catalogue confirms the
name. - Generally regarded as a glaziers tool used for hacking ou thte dried
putty when replacing a pane of glass.

- wonder how you clean up all the modern gunk used for bedding glass?  We
have/had some windows glazed into ‘rubber’ gaskets - some had shrunk, many had
corners which were no longer entirely watertight.   Contrast with old fashioned
putty which not only does the job, but makes your hands feel and smell nice at
the same time.


Richard Wilson
Yorkshireman Galoot
275023 Phil Schempf <philschempf@g...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
Lee Valley sells a tool they call a batoning chisel, in a right or left
handed version -
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/chisels/specialty/67735
-batoning-chisel
275024 Michael Blair <branson2@s...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
A hacking knife AKA hack-out knife (which is what we called them when I
was building, glazing, and repairing wooden sash)  I still have a
couple.  Great tool.  Like the others that have been mentioned, it will
do in a pinch.  

But it isn't what you  really want.  All of these are sharp.  What is
wanted is a blade that is not sharp enough to sever the grain, a froe. 
One is illustrated on page 33 of Eric Sloane's A Museum of Early
American Tools.  His illustration shows a smith made tool.  Mine was
factory made in England (can't quite make out the company name).  It has
a blade 2 1/2 inches wide by 8 1/2 inches long and 3/16 inches thick. 
Still made -- Schrade SCHF64 froe, fixed 8.5" blade. 

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/SCHF64/schrade-schf64-froe-fixed-black-plain-
blade-tpe-handle-polyester-sheath


You  want an edge like a froe?  Get a froe. 

Mike in Woodland
275025 scottg <scottg@s...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
Man you guys are a bad influence!!
   A real bench froe has been rattling around the back of my brain for 
ages.
Now you have it pushed up front and center!!

   I just "shopped my junk" and came up with a bar of tool steel I think 
will be ideal.
  1/4" I think will be just the right minimum thickness.

   As soon as its polite...........(new years hangovers and all)
I will be out irritating the neighbors with loud hammering and grinding 
noises  haahahaaah

yours, stay tuned, scott


-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html
275026 Don Schwartz <dks@t...> 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
Unfortunately, made in China, so not on my shopping list.so long as 
there are alternatives.

fwiw
Don

On 2022-01-01 11:54 a.m., Michael Blair wrote:
> A hacking knife AKA hack-out knife (which is what we called them when I
> was building, glazing, and repairing wooden sash)  I still have a
> couple.  Great tool.  Like the others that have been mentioned, it will
> do in a pinch.
>
> But it isn't what you  really want.  All of these are sharp.  What is
> wanted is a blade that is not sharp enough to sever the grain, a froe.
> One is illustrated on page 33 of Eric Sloane's A Museum of Early
> American Tools.  His illustration shows a smith made tool.  Mine was
> factory made in England (can't quite make out the company name).  It has
> a blade 2 1/2 inches wide by 8 1/2 inches long and 3/16 inches thick.
> Still made -- Schrade SCHF64 froe, fixed 8.5" blade.
>
> https://www.knifecenter.com/item/SCHF64/schrade-schf64-froe-fixed-black-plain-
blade-tpe-handle-polyester-sheath
>
>
> You  want an edge like a froe?  Get a froe.
>
> Mike in Woodland
>
>
> 
>
>

-- 
Omicron is coming fast. The time to act was yesterday.

Reading journalists' scribblings and listening to political commentators'
newscasts doesn't constitute independant research.
275027 gtgrouch@r... 2022‑01‑01 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
I have a crap-ton of lawnmower blades I salvaged from a hardware store
that was closing. 

Anyone want any? They might make acceptable material for a froe
project.

Happy New Year from Gary Katsanis
Albion New York, USA

	-----------------------------------------From: "Don Schwartz" 
To: oldtools@g...
Cc: 
Sent: Saturday January 1 2022 4:46:26PM
Subject: Re: [oldtools] bench froe? wood cleaver?

 Unfortunately, made in China, so not on my shopping list.so long as
 there are alternatives.

 fwiw
 Don

 On 2022-01-01 11:54 a.m., Michael Blair wrote:
 > A hacking knife AKA hack-out knife (which is what we called them
when I
 > was building, glazing, and repairing wooden sash) I still have a
 > couple. Great tool. Like the others that have been mentioned, it
will
 > do in a pinch.
 >
 > But it isn't what you really want. All of these are sharp. What is
 > wanted is a blade that is not sharp enough to sever the grain, a
froe.
 > One is illustrated on page 33 of Eric Sloane's A Museum of Early
 > American Tools. His illustration shows a smith made tool. Mine was
 > factory made in England (can't quite make out the company name). It
has
 > a blade 2 1/2 inches wide by 8 1/2 inches long and 3/16 inches
thick.
 > Still made -- Schrade SCHF64 froe, fixed 8.5" blade.
 >
 >
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/SCHF64/schrade-schf64-froe-fixed-black-plain-
blade-tpe-handle-polyester-sheath
 /> >
 >
 > You want an edge like a froe? Get a froe.
 >
 > Mike in Woodland
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >

 --
 Omicron is coming fast. The time to act was yesterday.

 Reading journalists' scribblings and listening to political
commentators' newscasts doesn't constitute independant research.

 



Links:
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275038 Matthew Groves <grovesthegrey@g...> 2022‑01‑03 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
Many many thanks for all the replies.

My inquiry stemmed from a tool I saw in a barn (stacked full of tools freshly
orphaned, but that’s another ongoing story)

The tool was quite thick, maybe even 1/2in. It had a bench froe configuration,
handle in line with the “blade”.

And what a blade it was. 1/2in thick, maybe 2.5in wide, one side double bevelled
(NOT a bezel, remember those days??) all the way down, and the other side double
bevelled 3/4 of the way down the 6in blade, but the final 1 1/2in was completely
un-bevelled, just squared off.

I assume *that* part at the end was where hammering was done. Neither edge
particularly sharp. Perhaps even “dull as a froe”.

Wish I had a picture, but alas, my mind was swimming with thoughts of how all of
these tools were going to get sold. Nobody knows yet!

Matthew Groves
Springfield, MO
275039 Stager, Scott P. <StagerS@m...> 2022‑01‑03 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
That is sounding miore and more like a broom makers “hammer”.  Google and see
what you find.

—Scott

> On Jan 3, 2022, at 2:57 PM, Matthew Groves via groups.io
 wrote:
> 
> WARNING: This message has originated from an External Source. This may be a
phishing expedition that can result in unauthorized access to our IT System.
Please use proper judgment and caution when opening attachments, clicking links,
or responding to this email.
> 
> Many many thanks for all the replies.
> 
> My inquiry stemmed from a tool I saw in a barn (stacked full of tools freshly
orphaned, but that’s another ongoing story)
> 
> The tool was quite thick, maybe even 1/2in. It had a bench froe configuration,
handle in line with the “blade”.
> 
> And what a blade it was. 1/2in thick, maybe 2.5in wide, one side double
bevelled (NOT a bezel, remember those days??) all the way down, and the other
side double bevelled 3/4 of the way down the 6in blade, but the final 1 1/2in
was completely un-bevelled, just squared off.
> 
> I assume *that* part at the end was where hammering was done. Neither edge
particularly sharp. Perhaps even “dull as a froe”.
> 
> Wish I had a picture, but alas, my mind was swimming with thoughts of how all
of these tools were going to get sold. Nobody knows yet!
> 
> Matthew Groves
> Springfield, MO
> 
>
275040 Matthew Groves <grovesthegrey@g...> 2022‑01‑04 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
Scott Stager is of course correct!

Here’s a video of the one I saw.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/099kSYWXQMIzjd43WC3AFBbTQ

Matthew Groves
Springfield, MO
275054 Troy Livingston <horologist@w...> 2022‑01‑07 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
All,

Watching an old episode of Forged in Fire last night, the first
challenge was a Japanese Nata knife. Very similar to the broom makers
hammer shown by Scott and Matthew except with a single bevel. They did
pretty well in testing when splitting off sections from a log. I found
some photos and details here:

<https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/japanese-nata-knife-some-technical-
questions-for-the-knife-axe-makers-etc.65638/>

Troy
275057 Bill Kasper <dragon01list@g...> 2022‑01‑07 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
sooooo, you’re saying it’s a fire, nata knife?

ducking and running,
bill
felton, ca

On Friday, January 7, 2022, Troy Livingston 
wrote:
275060 Bill Kasper <dragon01list@g...> 2022‑01‑08 Re: bench froe? wood cleaver?
i do hate when a joke goes wrong due to autocorrect.

"so, you're saying it's a froe, nata knife", etc.

On Fri, Jan 7, 2022 at 12:18 PM Bill Kasper via groups.io  wrote:

Recent Bios FAQ