American Axe: The Tool That Shaped a Continent by Brett McLeod

Table of Contents

The Hand Tool on the Cutting Edge of History

In the hands of lumberjacks, homesteaders, farmers, and foresters, the axe forged a path to a new way of life in North America. This simple tool - "a wedge with an edge" - cleared forest for farmland, delivered raw materials for housing and heat, and fueled the fires of industry. Explore the axe's fascinating evolution from colonial innovation to today's collectors' obsession, from a hand-forged workhorse to a sleek modern specimen, from a weapon in wartime to a recreational pastime.