Preparing a lesson for scouts to help them earn their Totin' Chip.  Two of the requirements  are as follows:

• Demonstrate proper handling, care, and use of the pocket knife, axe, and saw.




• When using an axe, saw, or hatchet wear safety glasses and gloves and ensure that when you cut through the object you will encounter something hard.

I know in the age where Daniel Boone was on TV young scouts carried hatchets as their #1 accessory.






Do they really have a place though in scouting now?  I've not seen a hatchet on a boy's belt in my generation or this one that I can recall.






With current "leave no trace" and "burn bans" regulations on where you can collect, buy and transport wood etc. this generation the use of a hatchet is almost mute.






Where cutting wood is allowed there are some great hand saws and bow saws that'll outperform and are safer than the hatchet.




 

Learning to use an axe is a huge lesson in safety for thousands of different situations. Keeping yourself and others out of harms way should be so well practiced that it becomes second nature. I wouldn't rob them of that.

When did they add safety glasses? I never had those - and never had a corner torn off either

This



Don't let them become that person who posts a thread, "how do I split wood"?



 

Kinda difficult to put a hand saw or bow saw
in the head of a raging animal wild or domestic,
four legged or two.

Agreed. That said I haven't seen anyone practically using one at either our, district, or council, or OA events in the last 3.5 years. We end up with ax yards roped up for the first 2 or 3 outings after crossover, but it's really for training. If we bring wood it's been pre-split. Just made the decision however that this fall I'll ask adults that bring wood to only bring rounds.

In the 80-90s they were discouraging the younger scouts from carrying hatchets and fixed blade knives were ridiculed as something only a greenhorn or tenderfoot (not the rank) would use.  We were trained to use them however and generally always had an ax available.  Our primary tool for preparing wood was a good bow saw and most places had rules that only downed wood or "square" wood was to be harvested and used for fires.

I think it is critical to at least be trained to use them all properly, don't deprive them of that.  

I intended to keep it as part of the lesson.  I think I'm understanding the whole responsibility aspect of teaching the skill.  

Seems other troops are using axes\hatches a bit more than ours.  

I suggest watching some of the YouTube videos on axe skills. Axes are very useful tools once their use is understood.

Yes please teach them the proper handling of an ax, hatchet!
When I was in scouts! We had a ex DI. Thought we where in boot camp!
My brother and him had a few conversations. My brother was in the Explore.
Did not have to listen to him! And didn't!!!
For me I did till the day he told me I could not carry my straight blade knife!
They said it was to big! I told them I did not have an ax.
This knife did what ever needed to be done!!!
NO!!!! Was the answer. So I took my Dads Kabar landing knife and left!
Still have that knife, along with a few axes and other cutting tools!
Making up for my inadequacies from my scouting days!!!
I would all so teach them how to sharpen them as well!

PITA45

PS Does the NEW Scout Hand Book show how to make a jig to hold the hatchet
so you can sharpen them at the correct angle! I believe the OLD OLD Hand Books did!!!

Our troop never did the Totin Chip thing.  Probably a good thing for us, we were the guys with the fixed blades always working on our hatchet/axe/knife throwing skills.  Still have all of our fingers and no stitches (from boy scout activities anyways).