The Adirondack Axe: From the Mountains of New York
An Adirondack axe is a double-bit axe hung on a curved double-bit (Adirondack) handle. The design evolved in the Adirondack mountains of northern New York during the logging boom of the mid-1800s. A curved handle offers advantages for a double-bit axe with two edge profiles used for different tasks.
The curved handle defines the front of the axe and gives an ergonomic advantage when the woodsman is using the primary cutting edge. The front would be aggressively ground for the bulk of the chopping, and the second edge would be thicker and stronger for chopping through knots, underbrush, and removing bark.
The design evolved naturally as a preference in the region, first being made by local handle makers and the woodsmen themselves. However, as larger handle companies emerged around the turn of the century the pattern was produced and marketed on a national scale – even as logging in the Adirondack region was already largely reduced.
The Adirondack axe has become a favorite amongst restorers and collectors because even though they were widely produced, they were nowhere near as common as a traditional straight handle – plus, they just look cool.
The handle defines an Adirondack axe, any double-bit axe head can be used.
Check out the Encyclopedia of Axe Types for information on over 120 different kinds of axe.
What Makes an Adirondack Axe Handle?
You can’t just use a single-bit axe handle for an Adirondack axe – it won’t work.
An Adirondack axe handle is curved like a standard single-bit handle but has a wider 3″ tongue and shoulder to fit a double-bit head. A curved grip is the most defining feature, but the belly (middle) of the handle may also have a gentle forward curve. The standard lengths were 28″ to 32″.
Much like single-bit axes, the amount of curve in the grip and belly can vary depending on the maker or user’s preference. Some Adirondack axe handles are mostly straight with only a curve at the grip, but most have at least a slight curve in the middle.
Check out The Anatomy of an Axe for more details on axe and handle terminology.
Why Adirondack Axe Handles Were Used
This is a little bit speculative on my part, but I believe this handle design evolved in the Adirondacks because of the somewhat knotty woods being harvested (Pine, Spruce, and Hemlock) and the mountainous and hilly terrain.
Working on the sides of mountains, loggers would have to do a lot of climbing up and down the slopes. Only needing to carry one axe that could handle multiple tasks was a big advantage.
The Adirondack axe design gave the woodsman all the ergonomics and advantages of a curved handle while they were doing the bulk of their chopping – like a greater range of motion, and less strain on the wrist.
Learn more about straight vs curved axe handles.
The secondary cutting edge could then replace other tools, and be profiled thicker and stronger for chopping through hard knots or debarking a tree without risking damage to the primary blade. These smaller secondary tasks would be less hindered by holding the handle backwards as the user would choke up on the handle and make smaller more precise cuts.
When you are working with a double-sided tool all day, it’s also an advantage to be able to tell which way it’s facing purely by touch alone.
Why are most double-bit axe handles straight?
The Adirondack design was a regional development. Even when the big companies started marketing them nationally, the straight handle was already well established.
Straight handles were the dominant handle used for double-bit axes. Traditional straight handles offer an even balance and a consistent feel for an axe where both blades are shaped the same. The user can switch between sides without any difference in form or feel.
This was especially useful when both edges were the same profile to extend the amount of work capable before they needed to be re-sharpened.
Straight handles were also better suited for the longer axes used for larger trees – especially out west. Most mass-produced Adirondacks stopped at 32″ long, while most straight handles would be 36″.
Finally, they were just easier and cheaper to produce.
Logging in the Adirondacks
The Adirondacks, rich in natural resources, saw various industries attempt to harvest minerals in the 19th century, but the challenging terrain made such efforts unprofitable. Logging, however, thrived due to the vast forests and accessible rivers, allowing logs to be floated downstream to mills. Logging companies would clear land of timber and then abandon it, leaving much of the region to revert to state control. This abandonment eventually facilitated the creation of the Adirondack Park.
Early sawmills in New York were concentrated around settlements like New Amsterdam and along the Hudson River, with the first Adirondack sawmill established in 1764. The region’s primary lumber species included white pine, spruce, and white cedar. Hemlock, initially discarded, became valuable later on. By the 1820s, large-scale logging in the Adirondacks had begun, with white pine being quickly exhausted, leading lumbermen to switch to spruce.
Sawmills were simple structures powered by water, later evolving with steam power. Logs were initially moved to mills, but by the mid-1800s, the Fox brothers of Warren County pioneered floating logs downstream to mills. Finished lumber was then rafted downstream to markets, a method used until the 1880s.
The New York State government supported the lumber industry, designating rivers as public highways for floating lumber. The industry, however, led to significant deforestation, sparking early environmental concerns. By the 1860s, environmentalists like George Perkins Marsh warned of the dangers of deforestation. Verplanck Colvin, a surveyor, advocated for the preservation of the Adirondack region, leading to the establishment of the Adirondack Park in 1892.
Legislation in the 1880s began the formal protection of the Adirondacks, with the creation of a Forest Commission and the “Forever Wild” clause in the 1894 state constitution, ensuring the region’s preservation. Despite these protections, logging continued, particularly for pulpwood in the early 20th century, with companies like the Hudson River Pulp and Paper Company operating several mills in northern New York.