Axmen TV Show

[holli4pirating]

So I'm out housesitting, and that means I'm watching TV (note, I don't have a TV at home). Anyway, there was a commercial about a TV show called AxMen - if it's on while I'm still here, I'm gonna watch and see if they pull out any of those little Norton hones. At the very least, it looks like a cool show.

[aroliver59]

Sorry,Holli,I've watched that show since it first started and have yet to see them use an axe,much less sharpen one.Still,it's an interesting show about lumbermen if you are able to withstand the made-up drama and arguments they feel compelled to throw in there.

[TexasBob]

So I'm out housesitting, and that means I'm watching TV (note, I don't have a TV at home). Anyway, there was a commercial about a TV show called AxMen - if it's on while I'm still here, I'm gonna watch and see if they pull out any of those little Norton hones. At the very least, it looks like a cool show.

I like the show and am looking forward to tonight's (Sunday's) season opener, but assuming it is the same as the previous two seasons there will not be an ax in sight. They do sharpen their chain saws on occasion but I think the producers may have grown tired of showing even that.

I never did catch the very first show so the whole premise is just a little fuzzy to me. There are several different companies they follow and turn it into a competition about how many truckloads of lumber each company can haul away during the season. These are all in the Pacific Northwest. I am not sure what they actually win. Perhaps the producers have put up some money. But the companies sell the lumber, and/or work under contracts which I assume pay according to the difficulty of the job, given that the contracts are bid for -- this is never made clear. Some of it is a cake walk and some involves very challenging conditions (including time constraints) so a load-for-load comparison seems quite unfair. None the less, it is interesting to watch. Pretty much all of them walk around with a huge chip on their shoulder like they are just waiting to smack someone for challenging their manhood. (Women need not apply!)

Due to the success of this show, several other similar shows have come on the air. One involved Canadian loggers in a protected wilderness area. The level of professionalism shown by the Canadian loggers made the AxMen loggers look like misfit comedy teams. The Canadians had safety drills and safety audits. Think about that while watching AxMen! Another show is/was about one specific logging company in Maine. They too showed a lot more professionalism than those on the AxMen show.

I wouldn't hire the AxMen companies to mow a field. But, admittedly, they are more fun to watch than the others!

[holli4pirating]

Bummer on the lack of axes... I really like watching those lumberjack competitions on TV, especially when the dudes cut into a vertical... um... really long log type thing, stick in boards, climb up, cut in again, stick in another board, and then cut of the top like it's their arch rival's head.

[Soilarch]

Show's alright. It's definitely worth watching a few times.

...I visit a chainsaw/firewood/racesaw forum from time to time as well. You mentioned Nortons so here some things of interest

They don't use axes anymore, at least not on the show. But any true axe "aficionado" would tell you an axe isn't as sharp as it should be until it'll shave the back of your hand. (Trouble is most axes you buy today from the hardware store aren't even CLOSE to being what they should be. Think "Zeepk" here.)

I really enjoy the challenge of sharpening a chain. They are as varied and specializes as our straight razors. I asked one time about stropping the cutters on a chain and instead of being met with sarcasm like I expected...it was treated as a genuine curiosity. The consensus among those 'in the know' and a few who had tried it was that it was a waste of time considering the type of steels used to make up a cutter tooth. (There are guys who make a killing building/sharpening "racechain". Think NASCAR mechanic.)

While I'm on a pointless rant of knowledge sharing let me also say that chains are sharpened with files. If you get into it enough you find files become as specialized as all our various hones. AND YES!!! You can get a "razor sharp" (I use that term loosely) edge with just a file if you're working the right type of steel. Another area of interest for me is traditional bowhunting. Countless guys sharpen there broadheads with nothing more than a file. And they'll shave arm hair effortlessly. Interestingly, the approach there is quite different. Instead of the dreaded "overhone" burr we try to avoid they "build the burr, remove the burr" repeatedly to coax the edge into an extremely sharp instrument. This requires soft steel. Low 50's and upper 40's Rockwell.

Sorry.

[mnealtx]

I never did catch the very first show so the whole premise is just a little fuzzy to me. There are several different companies they follow and turn it into a competition about how many truckloads of lumber each company can haul away during the season.

Trying to cash in on the popularity of "Deadliest Catch".