Axe Project: Part 1 of 2

I think it's important to stay connected to the outdoors. Even if your schedule doesn't allow time to hang in a hammock on the bank of a bustling river a few times a month or hike a new mountain every other weekend, you can always find ways to bring this passion to your home. My first project of summer was to style a custom axe design (inspiration came from Best Made Co.'s axes).

I embarked, several months ago now, on a mission to buy an American made axe. Many Nearly all manufacturers now outsource multiple production steps/processes to China. I found only two companies based in the U.S.A. that still completely rely on American labor and materials for their axe builds. The first is Council Tool out of North Carolina. The other is Snow & Nealley out of Maine. Sadly, Snow & Nealley began outsourcing the forging of their axe head to China 5 years ago. With research, I was able to find a 6 year old S&N axe (never used) on Craigslist, from a relocating homeowner, for a fraction of the retail price.

Let's begin!


I draw up a design for what I intend my plaid-handled axe to look like.


My brand new (six-year old) axe that had never been swung over a man's shoulder.

Sanding, priming, taping, painting, staining, and finish by applying coats of poly urethane.

After sanding the area which would receive paint, I covered the handle in multiple coats of primer. Next was to tape out my custom design and paint each section (as you see above).

Check back in later this week for the final outcome. I'm quite pleased.