Prehistoric Survival: Using a Flint Axe to fell a tree

The sweet chestnut tree brought down using a neolithic flint Axe.
In ancient times mankind had to make the most of the materials they had around them. They had to be ingenious, inventive and think out of the box

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[Bauhauskiddo]

It's not as fast as modern metal tools, but it sure beats trying to gnaw it off like a beaver! You can really see how useful the stone tools were to humans, we without big fangs or claws to cut for us. Reminds me of when I was a kid and out playing "cave man" in the woods, I bashed two large granite rocks together until one split and I had a sharp splinter. Used it to cut down a wee sapling, maybe 2-3 cm in diameter, but boy did I feel accomplished doing it!

[susanwhite]

Never thought flint would hold up that well. Great video

[GregVasquez]

very nice to watch! I saw one mans online similar effort whos reconstruction used leverage as well to help the tree break early. Love your videos. Keep it up.

[anvilbrunner.]

The marks left in the wood are quite distinctive.

[jasperlawrence]

Maybe next time get someone involved who as actually used an axe before?

[ArtificialMisery]

That amount of time and effort.... really shows how important wood was to early man. Did you resharpen the axe at any point? or was it all one edge?

[johnstewart]

Is there a place that sells large chunks of flint, chert, or obsidian on which to learn knapping skills?
The vid of MAKING the axe head and handle were truly of rare greatness.

[maryspeight]

Awesome !!! The amount of time and craftsmanship /knowledge that went into making this axe /tool was amazing. Where by chance did you purchase the trousers you are wearing in the axe head making segment.Thanks

[robertfoote]

Yea! much faster than using your face...😀
It seemed to work quit well for what it is....simple stone ax.
Thanks Will
Best Wishes...😀

[AndrewJenkins-zn]

Interesting. A modern steel axe could take that tree down with about fifteen blows.
But why strike only from above? My experience is that you get the tree down faster by alternating over and under cutting to open a wedge shaped cut.

[iuhchiuhhgbnr]

POV You have max level Maintenance in project zomboid

[MrDavidTiller]

Nice video. Next time try cleaning out your cuts. Cutting only at an angle peels the wood but slows the work. You want to chip chunks of wood from the tree. it will take you half the time and effort to fell the tree.

[jakemaddox]

In the beginning the guy is making a joke by telling the guy chopping to carve the stump into something and he thinks the guy is making fun of him in some way.

[teddyedgar]

Great axe, too bad none of them appear to know anything about using one to cut down a tree. Cut downwards on one swing then cut upwards on the next swing to remove the chip, this clears the material as you cut. They could have cut that in half the time with half the effort had any of them understood how to use an axe.

[georgelayton]

Did you check for birds nest before felling as are now within bird nesting season?

[danmorgan]

The ax worked better than I thought and held up well. While I was watching this I had a (probably not original) idea. Ugh and Mug the cave dudes may have set a fire at the base of the tree which they would tend to ensure things did get out of hand. After a while the tree would partially burn through so when the ax is applied to it their is less work to do. A group of people could set fires under several trees. While the big beefy manly men and women worked on chopping down and processing the trees old people, women with small children and older children could tend to the fires. In so doing a not particularly large group of people could fell several trees in a day and put away quit a bit of fire wood and construction material. The cleared land could be used for some kind of primitive agriculture as many "weeds" would grow well in the sunlight and along the clearings edge.
Is their any archaeological evidence to support my speculation?

[rtoguidver]

That's why Indians went to the white man's trading post for steel axes..

[hfrendal]

Its an impressing demonstration on how solid that ax really is, but I know they used hot coals and rocks to "char the tree" first and at the same time pick away with the ax on the material that is now not so solid. Lovely clip, thank you.

[Supertomiman]

0:34 that is a man that doesn't know how to use an axe...

[gun]

I hope all you assholes that complain about HOW BAD your "x brand" of axe is, take something away from this video.