Neeman Tools

There's something about an axe that I just really like.  I think of them as functional art.  I've blogged about this before.  While browsing at Vimeo this morning, I discovered a really impressive crew of craftsman.  They're known as Neeman Tools.  Their workshops are in Skujenes, Latvia.  In case you don't know where that is, Latvia is in northern Europe, off of the Baltic Sea, nestled between Estonia and Lithuania.  Hey, I didn't know!  These guys design and make beautiful tools.  And they do it by hand no less!  Take a look at their axes, hatchets, drawknives, froes, chisels and more.  Their website is beautiful and loaded with well photographed tooling.  I'd love to buy one of their felling axes.  In my opinion, Best Made can't hold a candle to Neeman Tools.  Take a look at the fantastic video below. 

Axed

This is the latest object of my desire. What you may only see as an axe, I see as a beautiful tool. When I was little, my father had a great axe which was always sharp and well kept. It was a single-bit felling axe with a smartly arced helve for optimal swinging leverage. Its red paint had faded to an almost pink color and the wood had become exceptionally smooth from years of heavy use. Reminiscing, I can vividly recall watching my father swing it, as well as the many times I put it to use. When we would camp in the Adirondacks, it was the handiest of tools for splitting logs and pounding tent stakes.

Best Made is a Manhattan based company who has taken the simple beauty and efficacy of the axe, glorified it, and offered it to all of us (Honey, I hope you're reading... I'm pretty sure I'm making the Good List again this year). They offer axes made with helves cut from Tennessee Hickory and Hudson Bay style blades of fine grain steel. Best Made also brandishes the axes with attractive paint and stain jobs creating an appeal to those intending to use them, as well as those with iconic display intentions.
Additionally, my Grandfather fought during World War II in the 84th Infantry Division. During the first World War the 84th Division was named the "Lincoln" division as it was primarily made up of units from Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana (The Lincoln states). The insignia (Shown above) shows a white axe splitting a rail on a red background and signifies Lincoln's youthful use of the axe. This gave cause for the division's adopted nickname; "The Rail Splitters".