For your entertainment...

Jack

When you do something this boneheaded you have to be able to share it with folks, so here goes. Yesterday I was building a fire in Vermont Castings Encore and my daughter arrived with my sweet little 18 month old Grandson. My wife and daughter were chatting away, as they will, in the other room. While I was getting the kindling set to go, I found that I had to go back outside for some larger wood. The lad was transfixed by Grandpa's efforts. I had my very nice Snow and Nealey hatchet next to the stove and realized I had to find some place to put it where the little guy couldn't get his hands on it while I was outside. What better place than to temporarily place it into the fire box. I'll pull it out when I put in the larger pieces. All good! As I am bringing the wood in the girls decide that is a good time to pepper me with questions, demands, suggestions, etc. Girls being girls I guess. So...,you know where this is going...I finish making the fire, light her off and away it goes. A while later I begin wondering where the hatchet is and go in search of. I could not find it and by now I have a real nice fire going. Dreading what I might find I go over to the stove and cannot see anything resembling a hatchet so I let it go. I let the fire go out overnight and this morning while cleaning up the ashes, I find my hatchet head in the ashes. I thought for a while of hiding the hatchet head, but this is just to good to keep to myself. I just showed it to the girls and they are ricochetting off the walls in hysterics. Every time I begin to think I am a pretty smart guy I do something like this!



By the by, if you are in need of a good hatchet, Snow and Nealy make excellent products. I'm going to buy the small splitting set with hatchet and small splitting maul...and a new handle. I'll give the new hatchet to my daughter so through the years, every time she touches it she will get a laugh. I'll re-temper the edge, sharpen and re-handle and hopefully I too will get a laugh every time I grab the darned thing.



On the brighter side, the little guy thinks Grandpa is OK, and in years to come I will tell him this story too.

Gordy

I love it

What a hoot. Don't feel alone women have a knack for breaking trane of thoughts believe me your not alone.



Thanks for sharing Jack iI needed that today.

BobC

Let me count the ways

I used to train new guys when they came to work in my last job. i always told them they would make some stupid mistakes and that was ok, just try to not make that same mistake again.



That method works because i have learned there are LOTS of stupid mistakes you can make so there is no need to repeat them.



Bob

Pumpguy

You're on your way

to acquiring an "old trappers axe".  He had the same axe for 40 years. it's just had 7 new handles and 3 new heads. 



On a serious note, you may find that this axe won't hold an edge quite as well as it used to.  I'm sure that time in the fire has annealed the steel and softened it. 

Roland_18

Stuff happens........

It's all part of lifes' rich tapestry....

Jack

Yes, it is certainly annealed

It was a very hot fire. I went over to bladeforum and got some suggestions on how to re-harden the ax head. It is back in something like its mild steel form. Also, S&N being out of business I am going to have to unlimber the spokeshave and make a new 18" handle. Just beginning the re-model/addition of new kitchen and bathrooms I need more projects.