The Axe Manual of Peter McLaren

March 1, 2006 By Clarke Green

Many of us have only seen a tree chopped down with an axe in the movies, or on TV and fail to recognize the danger or finesse involved in felling even a small tree: A tree can be hacked down in a haphazard, laborious
fashion or it can be dropped easily and quickly exactly where you want it to go.

Fayette R. Plumb Inc. engaged ‘America’s Champion Chopper’ Peter McLaren to write an axe manual for their product- the redoubtable Plumb Axe. Though it was published in the 1930’s the advice us as relevant today as it was then. Photo illustrations make the concise text descriptions easy to understand.

A pdf version is available to download.

Tags: Camping Books, Woods Tools

About Clarke Green

Clarke has worked with thousands of Scouts and Scouters as a director at his local Scout Camp (Camp Horseshoe), and as a Scoutmaster for 30 years. He is the recipient of a number of awards recognizing his service to Scouting, including the B.S.A.’s Silver Beaver, District Award of Merit, and is a Vigil Honor member of Octoraro Lodge 22. He is author of the blog and podcast at Scoutmastercg.com, The Scouting Journey, and Thoughts on Scouting. An avid outdoorsman and amateur actor, he lives in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania with his wife Teddi.

Comments

Roly says

May 23, 2010 at 11:15 am

Hi Lou,
The logger chopping champion axes were a promotional axe made by Plumb. The logger pictured on the axe was an Australian named Peter McLaren from Gippsland in the State of Victoria. McLaren was a world champion woodchopper who engaged in the competion sport of wood chopping. He was employed by Plumb to promote their axes. The Plumb axe was the most popular axe in Australia between the two world wars.
Lou says

March 25, 2009 at 12:33 am

I have a few PLUMB axes Hatchets. My Favorite is a Plumb Trophy Axe with a Logger Chopping Champion Axe.
It is real nice does anyone know when these were given out and where????
Lou
Mathias says

March 1, 2006 at 7:23 pm

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/fspubs/99232823/toc.htm
This was on the MAKE blog a little bit ago; it’s a guide to axes, published by the US gov’t (Forestry service, if I’m not mistaken) way back when.
Mathias