I'm a Blacksmith from Austria. And one of your Fans showed me this video and meant, he needs one so bad and i have to forge him a Pickaroon. So i did and he was so happy with it. Still uses it weekly since November, makes me happy. :D
It’s wonderful that you actually listen to your subscribers and take their good advice. There’s another channel (red poppy ranch) that I cannot stand anymore. He’s so arrogant, complaining, but never takes anyone’s good advice. I appreciate how humble you are and your terrific sense of humor. My friend, God bless you and yours and stay safe!!
Yes, that Hickory is HARD, as is Oak and all those other eastern hardwoods. When this Western WA boy was stationed in KY, I was cutting firewood, and spent as much time sharpening chain on my Stihl as I did cutting!
Brilliant! Well done Cody. I always say that the man who never learned by his mistakes, never learned anything. I learned that after falling headlong down the stairs... but learn it I did.
Plus you have your own sweat and time In that one! Its always so much more rewarding to use something you have made yourself or added your finishing touches too! Keep up the good work!
I just got my first pickaroon today. Is an aluminium one from Stihl. I've been cutting and stacking wood for 6 years now. This is going to save my back so much. Love your videos.
I don't know why it's so hard for people to admit their mistakes. But you're able to do it on-line, in front of thousands of people! That's amazing, and that's one of the reasons that you'll probably be a pretty big success! (Subscribed!)
Many years ago I used many of these home made picks to move railway ties around. For hardwood ties we sharpened them to a point and put more of a curve on the end. We would also tape just below the head to prevent damage on the handle. Great video, brought back lots of memories.
Cody, Spring, Roll and Tension....used interchangeably for the type of pin with a slotted cut in its length. A Spiral Spring Pin is the type that is rolled up like a jelly roll. Wicipedia helped clear up the confusion I had for decades. Sorry for the confusion for the use of so many words. Your presentation is right on!
Just want to say your videos have been very helpful and opened up the knowledge of important tools we all should have in our arsenal. Your knowledge helped me choose the right tools and I replaced three sledgehammer handles that came out awesome. Great Work! Thank You
I have learned so much from watching your videos and have applied that knowledge to a number of tools and projects around my property. I have pretty much exclusively used your opinions on axes to make my latest purchases and have not been disappointed. This is after buying cheap axes for years and having to replace or repair them often. Seems buying really cheap tools is not saving money in the long run if you have to continually replace them. Anyway, thanks for all you do.
Cody, fabulous presentation of a very old and valuable tool. Very thoughtful suggestion for all us modern day wood handlers! The pin inus is a tension pin; a roll pin looks like a miniature jelly roll! Keep up the awesome work!
Even as a child, I adopted the axiom: Make do with what you have, or do without. . .Curiosity of all things manufactured led me to making what I needed. While a lot of my friends were having things 'bought' for them, I learned to 'make' things, as well as scrounge up 'repairable, and restorable items ;). When you KNOW what makes anything work, along with how it's made, improvements to 'what was' is the next phase of 'what is', & what will be ! We as a society have 'devolved' into money chasers
Gotta love these videos. Jack of all traits every boy should have to live with you for the training. This makes real men unlike todays gen that lack this knowledge and skill. Sadly I grew up in a city wish I had the opportunity as a kid to learn all this stuff
Really like your humility, love the old tools the history of them and how long they last if taken care of. I subscribed, looking forward to your videos sir.
I wish I had your crafting knowledge. I only knew what that pin was for because I have never had my hands on such beautiful tools. I've had to repair many a cheap tool on the job with only a self tapping screw. It's something you see often when you have only junk tools to work with.
As welder I thought about making pickaroon out of a old worn out pick just cut off one side that was worn or damaged and cut or grind to the desired shape. Over the years I stacked my wood in a circle my diameter was twenty feet across and filled up in the center higher I had three all together they looked like muffins I was told that this was a German design I used tarps and even a old pool liner to cover. Thanks for sharing
I have bin looking for a tool like this sense I was 10 years old for so many uses. Thanks for the video the wood handle looks so comfortable. I would replace that foam with leather binding or maybe even make a bunch of rings with leather that would last looks like you have a known circumference to work with. Thank you for your videos!
Have you ever read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? Most people would just see a tool. You see the beauty and the utility of the tool. Pretty cool dude.
You've gotta watch out for those old folks. Sometimes what looks foolish or redundant actually has a purpose. Now you can swing the tool with confidence!!
The one thing that most people don't understand about wood handled tools is wood absorbs a lot of the shock and vibration that get's transmitted to the hand with metal and fiberglass handles... That's the main reasons for the soft grips on those handles, then being molded for a better grip is just a side note.
i dont know if you can get it in America but the best thing my pop says for axe handles is a timber calles 'horizontal'. we recently made a spliitng axe handle out of it, feels good and has the feel that you say hickory does. cheers from Australia.
Beautiful handle. they do make a 3/4 length handle like that, if seen them on many guys' axes on the fire department, by far my favorite handle design.
Cody, I am so new to all this social media stuff, I tried to figure out how to edit my bad spelling below, but had no luck. It should read "though", also I guess it means something to "like" and so I'll try to remember to do that, as I do enjoy your video's! God Bless
Just keep haunting yard sales and off the beaten path flea markets. Keep the word out among friends & family that you like old tools - for them to keep an eye out. Especially talk to older folks in family. Never know what they may have stashed in the basement. Or know someone who does. Usually more pricey, estate sales & auctions another possibility. Love old tools, too. So they are permanently on my "look out for it" list. :-)
I found an old roofer's hatchet that has a handle like that. the roofers use it to keep their knuckles off the roof/shingles when they are hammering since it allows your hand to sit farther away from the work being done.
I have on from my grandfather that worked in the Forest of the Michigan upper peninsula in the late 1800's it was cut out of a axe head. I use it to move the larger cuts to the splitter! It really saves the low back. Once you learn the art of how to use it you can easily maneuver large heavy pieces very easily!
I do some blacksmithing. What I do to my handles is to sand it smooth. then I run it through a flame( my oil lamp). some fine steel wool then dip it in boiled linseed oil. I let it soak in then wipe off the excess, and let it dry. it makes it very supple, and helps to stop me from getting blisters.
I can tell that you love your wooden handled tools. The character that these proper tools hold is often unappreciated by my generation (I'm 18). Your comparison between the Stihl and your new hickory handled pickaroon somehow reminds me of how many people prefer "Old Rusty Snap On tools" over the "New Shiny Chinese Crapstman tools." Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the Stihl pickaroon is Chinese or crap, because it is not, I guess Im just saying I prefer the dark beautiful wood handles (:
You mentioned the foam grip needing replacement. Go to any sporting goods store and purchase the grip tape for a tennis racket. It is a piece of cake to create a brand new sure-grip handle in almost any color of your choice.
Cody, I have one of these, though mine appears to be all cast, in your earlier vid you commented on the bluntness of the point. I believe thats because this is a sawmill tool, rather than a logging tool, the purpose being to pull cants and unplaned lumber off the green chain, the bluntness causing less damage before finishing. God Bless
You mentioned either in this video or the previous one, about wanting a shorter "pickaroon", YEARS AGO a short "FIRE AXE" used to be standard equipment on school buses, they had an axe head on one side and a "spike" or "pick" on the other, if you can find one of these and do a bit of "creative" grinding on the "pick" side you will have a short axe as well as a shorter handle "pickaroon".
When putting a handle in any socket tool you should take a mallet and hit the end of the handle thereby driving the handle home. If you look at store bought handles they have a "flat" for this purpose. The fit of the pick is probably a matter of choice but the tool is made to save the back so for me i want the pick to stick and then throw the piece of wood off easy again just probably a personal preference. Thanks for the video
Make the burning branding larger, register the label, have quality standards in place for marketing and license the product. Your advice is sound, and your subscribers are good critics ;) Use the proseeds (intentional misspelling) to the fathering what God leads you to do with it. I believe that one man can make a difference. Your a good steward of your audience, very Proverbial.
The Stihl hookaroons are made by Logrite & offers lengths (24" 30" 36" 48"). I believe the length has much to do with the application and height of the user. The length keeps you from bending over to reach a log on the ground. I really appreciate Wranglestar's appreciation for these tools. Find an old rusty something and bring it back to life. It means more to you. The working on it with your hands is part of the process of that tool becoming part of you, like a broken-in baseball mitt.
Is there a trick to using the boiled linseed oil on the painted part of the handle? I tried it and the paint came off. I had given it plenty of time to dry
what is the black coating on your handles? black paint? for show or extra grip? love your videos keep it up! Bonus question, when do you use a straight handle and when do you use a curved handle?
Did you show your new modified tool to the neighbor who gave you the original. This is an example that i think he would appreciate. You did make the tool better than the original.
Hey Cody! I bought a pickaroon new like that one and it looks just the same except red. I also saw the one with the axe head and it is just a cheap very short piece of metal welded on to the other side. Doesn't look very effective as an axe.
I know that you said that just working handles would not keep you in business, but as a tool-o-phile myself I would love to maybe get a copy of the template so I could make my own handle
Yes Sir, just two days ago. I'm cutting up an oak tree that was 27 inches at the base for firewood. I use my Grandfathers tool every year, is that not awesome! I've had two spinal fusions on my low back, I could not do it without this remarkable tool!
Cody when you talked about leaving out the roll pin in the first video my first question was, why are you leaving it out? Bill had what looked like a double bitted axe but one of the blades was ground with a hook in it. The hook was to help pull yourself up on top of the log after it was fallen. Bill logged here in the Northwest starting in the late 40s to the late 60s by the 70s he was mostly driving log truck.
If Cody doesn't mind, I'll reply. The handle is treated with boiled linseed oil, and he explained in an earlier video, that he was marking his tools so they were easily identifiable.
Some places require a logger's (and others I assume!) to be pinned. I think I saw that in a BC faller's standards video. I'll be making myself one soon.
wrap that aluininum handle with a bike inner tube. It makes an emergency tourniquet and is an excellent fire starting material, as well as other emergency uses besides being a good grip
I'm a Blacksmith from Austria. And one of your Fans showed me this video and meant, he needs one so bad and i have to forge him a Pickaroon. So i did and he was so happy with it. Still uses it weekly since November, makes me happy. :D
It’s wonderful that you actually listen to your subscribers and take their good advice. There’s another channel (red poppy ranch) that I cannot stand anymore. He’s so arrogant, complaining, but never takes anyone’s good advice. I appreciate how humble you are and your terrific sense of humor. My friend, God bless you and yours and stay safe!!
Yes, that Hickory is HARD, as is Oak and all those other eastern hardwoods. When this Western WA boy was stationed in KY, I was cutting firewood, and spent as much time sharpening chain on my Stihl as I did cutting!
Your honesty and being humble, A+
Brilliant! Well done Cody. I always say that the man who never learned by his mistakes, never learned anything.
I learned that after falling headlong down the stairs... but learn it I did.
Amen. The viewers of this page are some of the best folks of there.
Plus you have your own sweat and time In that one! Its always so much more rewarding to use something you have made yourself or added your finishing touches too! Keep up the good work!
I just got my first pickaroon today. Is an aluminium one from Stihl. I've been cutting and stacking wood for 6 years now. This is going to save my back so much. Love your videos.
Artistically, I like the way it looks like a bird with the pin for an eye.
I don't know why it's so hard for people to admit their mistakes. But you're able to do it on-line, in front of thousands of people! That's amazing, and that's one of the reasons that you'll probably be a pretty big success! (Subscribed!)
That was a pretty good guess
Why I can’t watch red poppy ranch channel. The guy is a Douche and never ever listens to good advice from knowledgeable people.
Thanks to you I now have two of these things and just cut and stacked 4 huge trees and what a back saver !!
Many years ago I used many of these home made picks to move railway ties around. For hardwood ties we sharpened them to a point and put more of a curve on the end. We would also tape just below the head to prevent damage on the handle. Great video, brought back lots of memories.
Cody, Spring, Roll and Tension....used interchangeably for the type of pin with a slotted cut in its length. A Spiral Spring Pin is the type that is rolled up like a jelly roll.
Wicipedia helped clear up the confusion I had for decades. Sorry for the confusion for the use of so many words. Your presentation is right on!
Very cool! Mad props for publicly correcting your mistake.
You are a man of good character and a man i can respect! Great video and I'm on the hunt for a good pickaroon thank you
Just want to say your videos have been very helpful and opened up the knowledge of important tools we all should have in our arsenal. Your knowledge helped me choose the right tools and I replaced three sledgehammer handles that came out awesome. Great Work! Thank You
A true craftsman leaves his mark on his work.
I appreciate your love of old tools
I have learned so much from watching your videos and have applied that knowledge to a number of tools and projects around my property. I have pretty much exclusively used your opinions on axes to make my latest purchases and have not been disappointed. This is after buying cheap axes for years and having to replace or repair them often. Seems buying really cheap tools is not saving money in the long run if you have to continually replace them. Anyway, thanks for all you do.
+B Steele Thank you
Cody, fabulous presentation of a very old and valuable tool. Very thoughtful suggestion for all us modern day wood handlers! The pin inus is a tension pin; a roll pin looks like a miniature jelly roll! Keep up the awesome work!
Even as a child, I adopted the axiom: Make do with what you have, or do without. . .Curiosity of all things manufactured led me to making what I needed. While a lot of my friends were having things 'bought' for them, I learned to 'make' things, as well as scrounge up 'repairable, and restorable items ;). When you KNOW what makes anything work, along with how it's made, improvements to 'what was' is the next phase of 'what is', & what will be ! We as a society have 'devolved' into money chasers
Just found your channel , I really enjoying . I like the older tools also .
i live in new brunswick canada in the forest and i seen these all my life works great and i still have one thanks for all vids there great
wth something satisfying about that roll pin flushing in. lol. I love hickory handle tools over all others.
Thank you for all you do!
Thank you. I've always been an Anglophile at heart. "Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves..."
Gotta love these videos.
Jack of all traits every boy should have to live with you for the training. This makes real men unlike todays gen that lack this knowledge and skill. Sadly I grew up in a city wish I had the opportunity as a kid to learn all this stuff
Really like your humility, love the old tools the history of them and how long they last if taken care of. I subscribed, looking forward to your videos sir.
Thanks for another great video! Gotta get a pickaroon.
I wish I had your crafting knowledge. I only knew what that pin was for because I have never had my hands on such beautiful tools. I've had to repair many a cheap tool on the job with only a self tapping screw. It's something you see often when you have only junk tools to work with.
As welder I thought about making pickaroon out of a old worn out pick just cut off one side that was worn or damaged and cut or grind to the desired shape. Over the years I stacked my wood in a circle my diameter was twenty feet across and filled up in the center higher I had three all together they looked like muffins I was told that this was a German design I used tarps and even a old pool liner to cover. Thanks for sharing
I have bin looking for a tool like this sense I was 10 years old for so many uses. Thanks for the video the wood handle looks so comfortable. I would replace that foam with leather binding or maybe even make a bunch of rings with leather that would last looks like you have a known circumference to work with. Thank you for your videos!
Yes everything is properly done. Wait till you guys see the two FSS shovels I picked up today...
Who needs tools when you have a generous supply of black powder. And it's more fun. ;) You taught me that in a previous video. Lol.
turned out really nice
Very well done--It's my contention, That if its worth making-It's worth making it--well !!
When your splitting wood the picaroon and axe head combo comes in handy no switching tools.
Awesome video's learning so much thank you.
I love my picaroon. Bought it at Lee valley for 60$ cdn. Put a axe handle on it too for more reach. A real back saver . Great vid!
Have you ever read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? Most people would just see a tool. You see the beauty and the utility of the tool. Pretty cool dude.
You've gotta watch out for those old folks. Sometimes what looks foolish or redundant actually has a purpose. Now you can swing the tool with confidence!!
The one thing that most people don't understand about wood handled tools is wood absorbs a lot of the shock and vibration that get's transmitted to the hand with metal and fiberglass handles... That's the main reasons for the soft grips on those handles, then being molded for a better grip is just a side note.
Pine tar and linseed oil will give nice patina. I learned this from LOGCABINLOOMS. Nice old guy from up Dakota way. I love his old military truck too.
i dont know if you can get it in America but the best thing my pop says for axe handles is a timber calles 'horizontal'. we recently made a spliitng axe handle out of it, feels good and has the feel that you say hickory does. cheers from Australia.
Beautiful handle. they do make a 3/4 length handle like that, if seen them on many guys' axes on the fire department, by far my favorite handle design.
Cody, I am so new to all this social media stuff, I tried to figure out how to edit my bad spelling below, but had no luck. It should read "though", also I guess it means something to "like" and so I'll try to remember to do that, as I do enjoy your video's! God Bless
Just keep haunting yard sales and off the beaten path flea markets. Keep the word out among friends & family that you like old tools - for them to keep an eye out. Especially talk to older folks in family. Never know what they may have stashed in the basement. Or know someone who does. Usually more pricey, estate sales & auctions another possibility.
Love old tools, too. So they are permanently on my "look out for it" list. :-)
I found an old roofer's hatchet that has a handle like that. the roofers use it to keep their knuckles off the roof/shingles when they are hammering since it allows your hand to sit farther away from the work being done.
I have on from my grandfather that worked in the Forest of the Michigan upper peninsula in the late 1800's it was cut out of a axe head. I use it to move the larger cuts to the splitter! It really saves the low back. Once you learn the art of how to use it you can easily maneuver large heavy pieces very easily!
I do some blacksmithing. What I do to my handles is to sand it smooth. then I run it through a flame( my oil lamp). some fine steel wool then dip it in boiled linseed oil. I let it soak in then wipe off the excess, and let it dry. it makes it very supple, and helps to stop me from getting blisters.
I can tell that you love your wooden handled tools. The character that these proper tools hold is often unappreciated by my generation (I'm 18). Your comparison between the Stihl and your new hickory handled pickaroon somehow reminds me of how many people prefer "Old Rusty Snap On tools" over the "New Shiny Chinese Crapstman tools." Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the Stihl pickaroon is Chinese or crap, because it is not, I guess Im just saying I prefer the dark beautiful wood handles (:
Another great video
Peavey Manufacturing Co. Eddington, Maine sells a complete line of pickeroons of different styles and handle lengths.
I took a ax that had a big chip in it and cut it down to a pickaroon with a angle grinder it works good ax head cost 3.00 at a yard sale
I have a pickaroon and i made it from skrach and it works like a charm
You mentioned the foam grip needing replacement. Go to any sporting goods store and purchase the grip tape for a tennis racket. It is a piece of cake to create a brand new sure-grip handle in almost any color of your choice.
Cody, I have one of these, though mine appears to be all cast, in your earlier vid you commented on the bluntness of the point. I believe thats because this is a sawmill tool, rather than a logging tool, the purpose being to pull cants and unplaned lumber off the green chain, the bluntness causing less damage before finishing. God Bless
Hi Cody,
I believe the end of the handle on the pickaroon is referred to as a deerfoot. Looks like one!
I looked on ebay after your video yesterday.
You mentioned either in this video or the previous one, about wanting a shorter "pickaroon", YEARS AGO a short "FIRE AXE" used to be standard equipment on school buses, they had an axe head on one side and a "spike" or "pick" on the other, if you can find one of these and do a bit of "creative" grinding on the "pick" side you will have a short axe as well as a shorter handle "pickaroon".
When putting a handle in any socket tool you should take a mallet and hit the end of the handle thereby driving the handle home. If you look at store bought handles they have a "flat" for this purpose. The fit of the pick is probably a matter of choice but the tool is made to save the back so for me i want the pick to stick and then throw the piece of wood off easy again just probably a personal preference. Thanks for the video
Make the burning branding larger, register the label, have quality standards in place for marketing and license the product. Your advice is sound, and your subscribers are good critics ;) Use the proseeds (intentional misspelling) to the fathering what God leads you to do with it. I believe that one man can make a difference. Your a good steward of your audience, very Proverbial.
Does one need to sharpen a pickaroon regularly?
Can you show how you do the coloured end to the handles? What kind of paint do you use? Should you do this before or after BLO?
Thanks... Great video!
Does it have to be a roll pin or can it just be a rivet or something and then just peen it in at the end so it's secure.
I would love to get my hands one of those handles they are amazing please let me know.
Try this product as an added handle grip; might work well with your aluminum pickaroon?
Love your vids!
So with the wedge and the roll pin it is a double safety feature. Do you save all or most of your old tool handles?
That was neat!
love the handle, what type of wood is it?
pinned axe heads are mandatory for B.C. fallers in Canada
I'm the 100 th and I'm proud to watch this
The Stihl hookaroons are made by Logrite & offers lengths (24" 30" 36" 48"). I believe the length has much to do with the application and height of the user. The length keeps you from bending over to reach a log on the ground. I really appreciate Wranglestar's appreciation for these tools. Find an old rusty something and bring it back to life. It means more to you. The working on it with your hands is part of the process of that tool becoming part of you, like a broken-in baseball mitt.
Nowhere sells these here in Ireland and I NEED one!!
yes please tell me how you came up with your little symbolic star, and how you made the stamp
How does the treatment with the boiled linseed oil change when you put the paint on the handle? Thanks.
Is there a trick to using the boiled linseed oil on the painted part of the handle? I tried it and the paint came off. I had given it plenty of time to dry
what is the black coating on your handles? black paint? for show or extra grip? love your videos keep it up! Bonus question, when do you use a straight handle and when do you use a curved handle?
We use linseed oil on our wooden fire axes! It really does good
Did you show your new modified tool to the neighbor who gave you the original. This is an example that i think he would appreciate. You did make the tool better than the original.
How does the boiled linseed oil react to the black paint?
gatta love good tools.
great part 2 i was wondering that their had to be a reason for it..
Hey Cody! I bought a pickaroon new like that one and it looks just the same except red. I also saw the one with the axe head and it is just a cheap very short piece of metal welded on to the other side. Doesn't look very effective as an axe.
I know that you said that just working handles would not keep you in business, but as a tool-o-phile myself I would love to maybe get a copy of the template so I could make my own handle
We are required to pin heads on our racing and throwing axes in timbersports competitions
It's an awesome tool!
+David Gouin Have you ever used one?
Yes Sir, just two days ago. I'm cutting up an oak tree that was 27 inches at the base for firewood. I use my Grandfathers tool every year, is that not awesome! I've had two spinal fusions on my low back, I could not do it without this remarkable tool!
+David Gouin good to hear!
I have always wanted to be a volunteer firefighter but I don't know where to start. Do you have any suggestions for me ?
Suggest removing the "foamy stuff" and coating that metal handle with the texture-less bed liner? Might be the best compromise?
Cody when you talked about leaving out the roll pin in the first video my first question was, why are you leaving it out? Bill had what looked like a double bitted axe but one of the blades was ground with a hook in it. The hook was to help pull yourself up on top of the log after it was fallen. Bill logged here in the Northwest starting in the late 40s to the late 60s by the 70s he was mostly driving log truck.
I've done some work with fishermen in Iceland and they use pickaroons to move cod fish.
Ever try soaking tools in antifreeze to swell the wood instead of replacing the handles? It's about the same as water, but it doesn't evaporate out.
first time ive seen a pickaroon
If Cody doesn't mind, I'll reply. The handle is treated with boiled linseed oil, and he explained in an earlier video, that he was marking his tools so they were easily identifiable.
I am curious what the cost difference is between the website you named and the Stihl version.
How do you use a handle as a template? I am trying to make a new one for my grandfather's limbing axe
Some places require a logger's (and others I assume!) to be pinned. I think I saw that in a BC faller's standards video. I'll be making myself one soon.
Cody, any questions with surf equipment I am your go to man!
What company would recommend for purchasing new American made tools? Shovels axes and the like.
wrap that aluininum handle with a bike inner tube. It makes an emergency tourniquet and is an excellent fire starting material, as well as other emergency uses besides being a good grip