To answer the question I raised on the Welcome Page – You sharpen one side of the double bit axe so that it’s rather wedge-shaped for splitting and the other side is much sharper for felling. I was told the original purpose for the double bit axe was to have two sharp axes to avoid the need to carry two axes. When one side got dull, the woodsman would simply flip the axe over and continue to work.
I was also taught there were some rules. For instance, putting it away – in the summer, you never left an axe out because porcupines will chew on the handle to get the salt your sweat left on it. In the winter, you never left an axe out because at -40°F the steel in it becomes brittle and if you needed to use it, it would likely shatter. Finally, the word “bit” refers to the working metal part of the axe.
