USING AN AXE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 169, 4 August 1937, Page 2

USING AN AXE

I have just got back from Rissington where I took four chaps, K. McCombe, of Heretaunga Troop, and K. Richmond, L. Scott and A. Wilkins, of Second Hastings, for the axemsnship part of the first-cla&s badge. Tliey all passed and so are one more stage on towards getting that badge. Here are some bits about uslng au axe, they are taken from Gilcraft's ' 'Pioneering' ' "Never play the fool' with an axe; it is a dangerous weapon." (from "Scouting for Boys" by the Chief). "Apart from normal pioneering purposes, it seems desirable to lay special stress on how to use an axe. The faei that an axe is the normal tool of any scout in camp does not seem to be sufficient for many, scputers to. realise that each snd every scout should be told the safety rules for axemanship, and shown how, to use an axe befofehand. A hand axe is quite as dangerous a weapon as a felling axe, and because it is in more constant use should be treated with more respect than it usually gets. ''When an axe is being carried, it is best to have a special mask or case for it so that the cutting edge is covered. When an axe is being laid aside after a job has been completed, the edge should be masked by eltlier placing it in its case, or by jabbing it into a log or stout branch. As much of the haft as possible should be covered by { the log, in addition to tha whole of the cutting edge being embedded in it. "Whqn chopping firewood, or cutting A pole to a required length, always .•est the part of the stick to be cut on a solid surface. If the stiek is leant up against a log? and struck in the middle the ends are almost bound to fly into the air, and may hurfc someone. £n cutting small branches for firewood .t is always best to hold them an the left* hand and lay them across the ^hopping-block, resting the place to be cut on the far side of the block, so that the blow of the axe can be directed lownwards and away from the axeman. "See that everyone is a good dis'ance away from the axe. This safety rule seems so obvious that it should iot be needed, for common sense is the golden rule of axemanship as well as iior life in general; but experience jhows that at is the rule most frequently disregarded. It applies to a hand axe just as much as to a felling 3,xe. As applied to the latter type it *3 worded usually as "onlookers must May the axe length ;s" away." "All compamons should walk on the side 'away from the axe, Clear the gi'ound an axe length around. An axe length is really the circle covered by the axe when swung at full arm's iength from the shoulder. All branches and other obstacles within this radius should be cut away, as df they are struck they are likely to deflect the blow. ' ' These are enough for one week. 1 will finish them offi next week