About Camp Woodsmoke

I'm Eric Orr--I've been into homesteading, primitive skills, woodcraft, and canvas camping for most of my adult life. Learning to use an axe has been just one facet of the lifestyle and an axe has become one of my favorite tools. The first one I ever owned was a 3/4 boy's axe that my dad bought me when I was 12 or so.

I mostly got to use it for bucking small sticks of firewood before it died a horrible death on the impact of a steel mini-sledge.

I've since been swept into an axe addiction that's fueled not only by the sheer rush of chopping, splitting, and slicing, but also the profound beauty of a hand-forged axe hung with a fine hickory handle that was made by hand and lovingly finished with boiled linseed oil.

Axes are a critical part of my everyday routine, whether it's splitting firewood, clearing brush, roughing out a bow, or carving a bowl.

My axe collection isn't huge, but it seems to grow steadily year by year. Of course, each axe has its own purpose beyond just looking pretty.

I also like to write, so this website is a fusion of interests. 

Welcome to the camp fire. Feel free to throw a log on and hang out for a while. I hope you find something useful here.