Buchanan-Smith’s Axe Handbook: Knowing, Buying, Using, Hanging, Restoring & Adorning

An excellent book!Highly recommended!

Loads of info!

I didn't like it because it dealt with a main axe firms axes and it was modern types and you had to have there items which was no good for me, I am into Vikings/Saxons but this was all modern stuff like you decorate it with tape which is no good for my period.

Absolutely outstanding book. Bought it as a gift for my son (an axe enthusiast) and I've read nearly the entire thing myself. Shares the history of the axe, differences in construction, how to use it properly, and how to choose the best axe for a particular job.Highly Recommend.

This is an excellent book on axe craft. The information is comprehensive, presented well, and easy to follow. The illustrations are helpful and support the information that is presented. This book would greatly benefit anyone new to axes, the occasional user, or even established practitioners wishing to better understand the tool. The aesthetics on this durable hardcover book are also quite pleasing. I have included a refreshingly ice cold 16.9 oz water bottle for size reference.

I bought this book because I needed to handle an axe. I didn't buy this book because I needed instructions on that, but because it caught my eye as a really nice visual and educational supplement to my knowledge.The print quality is great, the visuals are super interesting, and the graphics are excellent support to the words. The historical research done for this book is also excellent. Until reading this, I didn't realize that different axe head designs arose in different regions for ... different reasons. I figured there was something behind it, but until this book, passed that off as one of those mysteries to be solved for someone else. I took the utility of the axe and my own tools entirely for granted.In all, this is a great coffee table book, a great book for anyone doing axe work, or for anyone interested in learning some history about a vital tool that has effectively shaped the entire course of humanity's development. Highly unexpected that this Amazon suggestion turned into one of my favorite book buys in a long time.Read the book, but set aside a small budget for a nice American axe, some linseed oil, sand paper, and a sheath ... even if not "necessary" in your life, this one will enrichen your understanding of the value of the tool and its historical context.

Great book on axes. Interesting read.

Interesting book with a lot of historical information, my husband is enjoying it. I bought him the Best Made Axe from Duluth Trading Co. a few years ago and it survived a garage fire...thought there might be good info on cleaning and restoring it in the book.