Axe Activities

Axe Skills require Supervision from a qualified Adult

The Axe is one of the most important pioneering tools.  It allows you to take tree and turn them into fuel, shelters, fences, canoes and home.  It's what allowed explorers to travel westward towards Oregon, California and later Alaska.

Safety 

Axes are probably the most dangerous tools Scouts will encounter.  They are commonly misused by the general public and accidents can result in serious injuries such as amputations of finger, hand or severe injuries to your legs.  It is vital that not only do you have good adult supervision during Axe Training and activities, but that the adult supervision is familiar with uses of an axe and how to safely conduct axe training with youth. 

Just because you grew up with and know how to use an axe, doesn't mean you know how to teach first timers how to use one safely. 

Axe Challenges

Challenges are fun and there are ways to make challenges that are safe.  Activities that require hasty use of a chopping implement should be avoided as shortcuts may be taken and accidents can occur faster than you can say "STOP!"

Allow Scouts to take their time with chopping.  Avoid the temptation to rush Scouts and turn an axe event into a race.  Lumberjack Rodeos are fun to watch, but competitors often perform very dangerous techniques that should Never be attempted in Scouting, like chopping wood while holding on to the wood.  Yikes!

If you want a race involving cutting wood, consider using a saw.

Example Axe and Saw Challenges

Fire Starting Relay

• A safe race with an axe could be done as a fire starting competition.  

• Materials:  hand axe (hatchet) and chopping block for each patrol, string to burn, poles for string and firestarter if not provided by Scouts.

• Method: Allow Scouts time to safely prepare wood with their axe.  Then time them to start a fire with it.  The race isn't how fast you can chop wood (as that isn't timed), it's how well you can prepare your fuel with an axe and of course a test of your technique. 

• Note:  This is not an Axe race! Wood preparation with axe is NOT rushed. 

Split the Match Relay

View Video

• Materials:  hand axe (hatchet) and chopping block for each patrol, a wooden matchstick for each Scout

• Method: The patrols line up in relay formation with a chopping block and an ax in front of each. On signal, the first Scout in each patrol walks up to the chopping block, lays their matchstick on the chopping block with the head away from them, and takes three strokes with the ax to split the match. When they have taken three strokes (or fewer if they split the match sooner), they carefully replace the ax on the chopping block, walk back to their patrol, and tag the next Scout in line, who repeats the procedure. This continues until all patrol members have had three strokes.

• Scoring:  The patrol that splits the most matches wins. This is not a race.

• Note:  Exercise all proper safety precautions in the handling of axes!

• Note: All Scouts participating in this activity must have completed Totin’ Chip. 

Bow Saw Relay

• View Video

• Materials:  for each patrol, one bow saw, one pair of leather gloves, protective eyewear, one log about 3 to 4 feet long with a 2 to 4-inch butt, and one short, thick log or block for support

• Method:  The patrols line up in relay formation, each facing their log from a distance of 20 feet. The bow saw is placed alongside the log. On signal, two Scouts from each patrol run up to the log. One Scout steadies the log positioned on the support block, while the second Scout puts on the gloves and saws off a disk about 2 inches thick. As soon as the disk drops to the ground, the Scouts change positions and another disk is sawed off. When the second disk hits the ground, the bow saw and gloves are placed beside the log, then both Scouts race back to the starting line and tag the next two Scouts, who repeat the process. This continues until all Scouts have had a chance to saw and all members of the patrol have returned to the starting line.

• Scoring:  The first patrol to finish wins.

• Note: All Scouts participating in this activity must have completed Totin’ Chip. 

Wood Splitting Relay

• Materials:  protective eyewear, leather gloves, a chopping block, and hatchet for each patrol, a 9 inch x 1 inch dry stick for each patrol member

• Method:  Patrols line up relay formation 15 feet from their chopping block, hatchet, protective eyewear, and leather gloves. An equal number of sticks are passed out to each patrol so that every patrol member has one. On signal, the first Scout in line walks over to their patrol’s materials, places their stick on the chopping block, and puts on the protective eyewear, and gloves. When ready, they pick up the hatchet and use the contact method to split their stick. Once split, they carefully place the hatchet back on the chopping block, take off the eyewear and gloves and tag off the next Scout in line who repeats the process.

• Scoring:  The first patrol to split all their sticks wins.

• Note: All Scouts participating in this activity must have completed Totin’ Chip.

1967 Second Class Scout Skills

Not much has changed regarding Axe Use in Scout over the years other than more Scouts moving into urban areas with less exposure to the Axe.

Axe Skills

• Chopping Wood

  • Use a full size axe

• Wedge

  • Use of wedge with axe

  • Excellent and under utilized tool

• Hatchet

  • Due to shorter handle, a Hatchet is much more dangerous than an axe

    • Miss on chopping block may result in you swinging arc into your own legs 

  • Chopping with hatchet

  • Chopping using the kneeling position 

• Special Splitting Techniques 

  • Splitting wood that doesn't stand upright on chopping block

  • Use of wood crutch (stick, NOT hand, holds wood to be chopped upright)

  • Baton Method

  • Contact Method (wood to be split is lined up with hatchet and swung together and chopping block)

  • Bungee Method (bungee, rope or tire is used to hold multiple pieces of wood upright)

  • Lay flat method (lay wood on chopping surface long side down)

• Limbing

  • aka Snedding

• Beaver cuts

  • V-Notching around a thick limb or trunk

Axe Like a Knife

A sharp axe can be used in many ways as a sharp knife.  In fact, many outdoor enthusiasts prefer carrying and using an axe over a knife.  They are generally the minority, but an axe can do most of what a knife can plus more.

Using skills generally reserved for a knife with an axe, can makes these tasks a little more exciting. 

Axe Throwing

The BSA prescribes the rules of Throwing activities in the Shooting Sports Manual.  Activity must be approved by a council Shooting Sports Chair or National Camping School Shooting Sports Director.

To be clear - Axes should NOT be Thrown at any time other than at a Council approved activity. 

Knife and Tomahawk Throwing is PROHIBITED for Cub Scouts.

Four-round competition

Youth ages 16 and over

Throwers compete in four rounds of three tomahawks from each of five distances, for a total of 60 tomahawks.

Each round consists of 15 tomahawks, three thrown from each distance:

• Three at one spin at a minimum distance of 10 feet

• Three at one and a half spins from a minimum distance of 13 feet

• Three at two spins from a minimum distance of 19.5 feet

• Three at two and a half spins from a minimum distance of 23 feet

• Three at three spins from a minimum distance of 29.5 feet

Maximum 300 points

Youth ages 11–15

Youth follow the same throwing progressions as adults, but with no minimum distance.

Maximum 300 points

Inviting Cub Scouts and WEBELOS to Training

It's great for Cubs to work with older Scouts and with tools.  In fact, many of the Adults learned how to use an axe and hatchet in Cub Scouts.  That said, the BSA feels that Axe use is NOT Appropriate for Cub Scouts or WEBELOS Scouts.  See filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-685.pdf