Axes for kids

[benedmonds]

Anyone know where I can get an axe with a thin grip for my eldest 7th birthday...

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJYK-QZnKJg]YouTube - Chopping logd[/ame]

[yewhunter18]

ring the number on the side of the truck in the vid and ask him

[David Humphries]

Hats off to you for letting ya little fella anyway near an axe.

 

i wouldn't have faith in my seven year old (but then he's never around firewood)

 

I've heard scout leaders talk about the Fiskars Hatchets for younger scouts.

 

Maybe worth looking at those, they do an 8" & 14"

 

Axes and Striking / Yard and Garden | Fiskars

 

 

 

 

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[evergreen]

Saw something like that in Nepal. A kid of about 5 cutting up wood with a monster axe bigger than him, while his granny looked on. He nearly took her out on a few occasions!

 

If your after a hatchet gransfors make a nice wildlife one which is light and nicely finished. Dont know exactly what u want but its worth taking a look at the Ray Mears website.

[Andy Collins]

I grew up cutting and splitting logs and kindling, probably from about 5 or 6. Used to have a woodshed made of flint and pantiled roof, no lights just a dim torch in the corner to "see" what I was doing. Still have all my fingers and thumbs, so it cant have been that dangerous. I taught my kids to use billhooks and axes at a fairly early age too, but i was soft and wouldnt let them use them in the dark, it teaches them respect for sharp tools.

[Big J]

Excellent stuff - completely contrary to the daft health and safety culture we live in, and as Andy Collins says, completely necessary to teach kids respect for sharp tools.

 

I would love to see you set up a little wood chopping demo at a primary school and watch the teachers and other parents have coronaries as your 7 year old swings the Gransfors!

[Sam Thompson]

The very very small pocket axe made by LP of Gransfors Bruks.

 

It would only be good for small kindling but is the perfect size for your lad

 

Gransfors Mini Belt Hatchet - Greenman Bushcraft

 

 

I started off with a similar sized Elwell at about 6 or 7, still use the same axe now. If you buy a GBA like that one your grandson will be able to learn with it. Worth every penny.

 

 

Sam

[Chris Sheppard]

Could you get a "normal" sized smallish axe and take the diameter of the handle down a bit - I know it's going to make it less strong but if it's a child swinging it then it'll be gettign less stress through it.

[blazer]

I brought a small pick-axe (off the front of a jeep) for my son say 6 yrs old. He asked his teacher if he could bring it in, she agreed but was shocked to see it was a real one - I told her he doesn't do toys.

 

He has used axes since 5 yrs and built up with safe techniques, his best was to buy what he thought was a 'fire axe' with a spike on the back at a car-boot but it turned out to be a battle-axe head on a new shaft.

 

One day his primary teacher collected some leaves and asked the children to identify the trees they came from - he then told her she had got one wrong, saying he should know as he had chopped down more trees than her:thumbup:

 

When a bit older I brought him the smallest chainsaw boots I could find to protect him using his axes, by 11yrs old he could use axes both left & right handed.

 

Yep I was always worried about accidents so learnt the correct techniques from the 'old boys'. I reasoned that it would be impossible with so many sharp tools for him not to get hold of some - so I might as well teach him how to use them safely.

[J Scott]

Gransfors Brux small forest axe maybe?

 

Jay