This idea was sparked a few months ago when I restored an adze. The owner wanted a new handle and some edge reshaping. The head was made by Hans Karlsson. The owner purchased it a couple decades ago from Country Workshops, back when you called or visited Drew Langsner if you wanted a good adze.
As I made and fitted the handle, I took photos of the process.
I took more photos as I straightened the edge, reshaped the bevels, honed, and stropped.
I started to think of other adze-related things that could be included and I decided to put together a bunch of adze-related resources in one place, including scans of illustrations that can be printed at full size. I also organized some links to blog posts and video demonstrations to create a package of stuff to help select, use, and maintain a hollowing adze. There’s a fee to access it, and you can see what all is there at this page. For lack of a better idea, I called it “Adze Owner’s Manual.”
Let me know if you have any questions or problems. I’d be amazed if I didn’t screw up the the technological side of things somehow!
David Fisher, Carving Explorations 
Dave, as usual you’re a great source of experience! I have a HK adze and am still impressed with its ease of use and ergonomics.
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Glad to hear it, Skip. You’ve got a tool for a lifetime there.
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Thank you once again, Dave, for sharing your knowledge and expertise. As much as I appreciate your sharing I can’t help but think that the combination of your artistic ability and knowledge of both crafts and tools would make a phenomenal book – a compendium of printed information in one place on topics like the adze. Although I’ve been reading your posts for several years now, I know I would be interested in buying a copy!
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Thanks, Drew. I appreciate your encouragement regarding a book. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and maybe now is the time. Now, what should it be? It is difficult to determine what the limits should be on subject matter and what the emphasis should be in terms of balancing methods, design, philosophy, and so on. Also the scope of what types of work to tackle; just bowls? Determining those limits is difficult. For example, the amount of information in just this “Adze Owner’s Manual” probably would not all fit into an overall book about bowl carving. I know I don’t want to sit in front of the computer screen for months on end, so I’ve got some thoughts on how to possibly avoid that…
Any thoughts you’d like to share are welcome.
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What about a book that would focus on the tools you use? For example, you developed an approach to sharpening gouges that I thought was brilliant and, at least to my knowledge, original. A “Users Manual” for gouges, knives, etc. Which ones you think are most useful, how to maintain them, and how to use them to create designs, lettering, etc.
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Thanks, Drew.
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I would vouch for the book as well! No sitting in front of a computer necessary, the hand writing and original illustrations is the way to go. As for content I would appreciate a bit of personal story of your development as a craftsman, a fair bit of philosophy and wisdom that transcends the material and the craft and then the tools and techniques and final products. Thank you!
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Thank you!
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I could see a book that walks through carving a bowl, with asides about the tools as you go. Something like an expanded version of one of Sundqvist’s chapters. Follow that up in a couple years with a one on the bowl-maker’s tools in more detail!
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Thank you!
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When I imagine your book, Dave, something like Pete Galbert’s chair making book comes to mind—just for bowl carvers. A bowl carver’s notebook, published by LAP hopefully. It would have treatises on axes, adzes, gouges, and knives complete with detailed drawings and beautiful photos. It would have sections on design and layout, log selection, splitting, axe work, adz work, painting, paring, letter carving, etc. It would have quotations of your favorite poetry and pictures of birds and boats and nature—the things in your world that you love and which inspire your work. It would be a view into how you look at the world and what you—using your tools—give back to it with your bowls, spoons, kuksa’s, etc. I can only imagine what an undertaking it would be. But it would surely be a gem of a book!
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Thank you!
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Great bit of knowledge-sharing, Dave. Thanks!
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You’re welcome, Dave. Thanks for checking it out.
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Hi Dave,
At this stage of my career, and considering the methods I typically use, the chance of my working with an adze are pretty slim. What I’m really purchasing is access to your drawings to be viewed for pleasure!
Thanks for creating them and best regards, Barry
>
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I appreciate that, Barry. I’m very glad to hear that you enjoy the drawings. I love making them.
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time to write a book!
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Thank you! Please see my reply to Drew.
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time to write a book!
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agreed!
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Thank you! Please see my reply to Drew.
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I’m so grateful that my adze sparked the creation of the Adze Owners Manual. What a wealth of information to all those who subscribe to your site.
Never cease !!
Thank you
Tom
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Thanks, Tom!
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That’s so awesome, David! I downloaded it and will be taking it to a proper printing house, but it’s still too thin to be hand-sewn for binding into a book with heavy wooden covers and etched leather closures. Somehow, it feels like it belongs with your other (boxes full of) sketches and drawings on a shelf I have to start making for them. Could you tell me the length of the shelf I should start designing?
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Thank you, Andras! Well, let’s think ambitiously and say about five feet. Gotta leave room for the thick wooden covers.
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I hope this could become reality some day. Thanks David
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Dave,Your adze drawings remind me of the tool drawings by Eric Sloane! Thanks. Bob Simmons….Sent from my iPad
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Thanks, Bob! I love Sloane’s books. He was an incredible artist, even beyond his books. His cloud paintings/murals are part of the Air and Space Museum: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/eric-sloane-artist-clouds.
And among his lesser-known books is a very good one that he wrote late in his life called “Eighty: An American Souvenir”
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Write the book David, where can I send the deposit?
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Ha! Thanks, but no deposit necessary.
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HK released a few adze last November, which I hesitated to purchase… By the time I convince myself I could never own enough of adze (it would only be my third), it was gone. I’ll sure won’t miss it next time.
Thanks to your advices I have a fully fonctional pfeil, reshaped and rehandled ; and a beavercraft one, which is surprinsigly good, only lacking a bit of cranck into it. Definitely a good one for the price.
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Thanks for that information. I’ve never seen or tried the Beavercraft adze. Glad to hear that you’re pleased with it.
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