Don’t wanna mess with a saw? But wanna clear trails…

[MoonStomper]

Forestry axe!
I picked this India sourced axe up at Tractor Supply for $25 with a naked American hickory handle. I sanded it down smooth then grabbed an old can of tung oil I keep around and started adding light coats. After it felt about right I stopped and took it out for a test. So much less work than working a hand saw, less trouble than a chain saw and much more fun.

I took a piece of cardboard, with some gorilla tape and a Voile ski strap and made a scabbard, then used some 3 wire Romex and made an easy carry setup for the brush bars on my KDX. Added a little security with a short NRS strap. Took it for a shakedown and it stays in place.

Perfect setup for clearing out some of the blowdowns on my trails and worked out great. Swinging an axe makes short work of most stuff that’s too big for a hand saw and too small to drag the Husqy 346XP out for.

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[Chuck78]

Very nice! I considered bringing a hatchet out with us, but the weight was a bit prohibitive vs a 10" folding Corona Saw, which I almost always take with me if there's any question of trail maintenance for the area I'm riding.

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[billie_morini]

Moonstomper, your nature photos are beautiful! Also like that you simply did not buy axe carrier. The older I get, the more I re-use stuff and/make things from leftovers. The rubber licence plate holder on my KDX is cut from an old truck mudflap

[MoonStomper]

I carry a Corona saw like that above in a cardboard/gorilla tape sheath tucked in behind the fairing most of the time. Super handy and also great for slashing thorns reaching out over the trail.

[Chuck78]

I carry a Corona saw like that above in a cardboard/gorilla tape sheath tucked in behind the fairing most of the time. Super handy and also great for slashing thorns reaching out over the trail.

I keep the folding Corona saw pictured above in my hydration pack always if ever in doubt of the area I'm riding in having downed trees. The remote seldom traveled trails absolutely always will have me packing that.





I also have a fixed blade sheathed Forester 14"(?) blade saw which works incredibly well.

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This was nearly a 10 inch diameter tree trunk that was hoppable for advanced riders after I cut all the limbs off of it, but I was trying to clear the trails for everyone in our group when I was out on a solo ride, and made very quick work of the trunk which is shown 97% sawed through here. The handle of the saw is much larger than my hand grasping it, to put the size of the trunk in perspective (about 9.75" diameter @ cut).


I need to find a better way to securely attach it to the bike or in my pack, as just stuffing it behind my headlight did at one point allow it to slide out of the sheath despite requiring pushing a locking scabbard button to release it, in a crash, it went flying out. It is quite a sharp saw, so I would want to have it more appropriately (double-)safeguarded.