There is no other manual tool that’s as primal as the axe. From the moment you get your hands wrapped around the handle, you feel a certain power. Then, when you drive it through a log or swing it into a tree trunk and you feel the impact vibrate from the head through the handle and into hands and up your arms, you feel a surge of adrenaline.
Handling an axe awakens part of our being that you don’t normally access when working with others tools. And, it’s definitely something different that you experience in your professional life if like many people you find yourself working in a store or in an office.
But, did you know that if you are really good with an axe, you can actually make a living with that skill?
If you’re great with an axe and tired of your white collar job or want to do something more fulfilling than drive a truck or deliver packages, you might want to consider one of these fine professions.
Probably the very first profession one thinks of that requires serious axe skills is the lumberjack. A lumberjack is a person whose primary job is to cut down trees for the sake of gathering lumber. They are commonly referred to as loggers.
The lumberjack profession is actually classified as one of the most dangerous jobs in America. This is due to the fact that many things can go wrong while trying to fell large trees with sharp objects. For instance, no matter how skilled or experienced a lumberjack may be, trees don’t always fall where you want. They sometimes take down collateral lumber in the process of falling that can in turn injure the worker.
Additionally, because a lumberjack’s work often takes place in remote locations, they are usually not very close to hospitals. Accidents that might normally be treatable when attended to quickly can very easily become life threatening due to the time it can take to get proper medical treatment.
Working as a lumberjack or logger today usually involves use of many more tools than just an axe. Tools such as chainsaws, pikes, log splitters, and pole saws are commonplace.
Firefighters are often thought of as the real life super hero’s of the modern era. They risk their lives in dangerous situations to help common citizens.
From running into fires where people are normally trying to run out of to helping people out of their vehicles after accidents, firefighters’ work often has the lives of others on the line. That means they need to know what they are doing and know how to use their equipment properly and efficiently.
One of the tools that is very handy for a firefighter is an axe. There are two main types of firefighting axes: those with a flat hammer-like poll, and those with a pick at the poll. They also generally come 6 pounds and 8 pounds weights.
Part of a firefighters training actually involves learning how to use an axe quickly and efficiently. When lives are at stake, there’s no room for poor tradecraft.
Are you skilled at and enjoy throwing hatchets an axes? If so, you might be able to find work making a decent living doing what you enjoy.
Like you, many others find throwing hatchets thrilling. But, they may not have your skill and expertise and be willing to pay you for yours.
The job of an axe master is one of teaching others the art of axe throwing. Perhaps they want to learn for sport as they are many axe throwing leagues and competitions, or maybe it’s just a hobby.
Either way, throwing axes for a living can be fun. As an axe master, you can actually get paid to teach others how to throw axes and hatchets.
Usually, axe masters are paid based on hourly rates, with the most common rates ranging between $10 and $15 per hour. You might not get rich, but you can make some good money while having a lot of fun.
Unlike the professional of being an axe master, landscaping is much more commonplace. A landscaper works outside of homes or commercial properties designing and maintaining lawns and gardens.
Certain landscaping companies function as tree removal specialists as well, which is in a way a completely different type of job. Working with large trees that are often in poor health can be a lot more dangerous than maintaining a lawn.
Depending on the type of landscaping service, an axe could be an important tool in the worker’s arsenal. If they company does any kind of tree or stump removal, ace skills will be a must have.
A big reason for that is because that power tools can fail or run out of fuel in the middle of a job. Plus, they are incredibly noisy which can cause problems in some residential areas. An old-fashioned axe however requires little to no maintenance and doesn’t run the risk of offending neighbors with the constant buzz of a chainsaw.
These are just some of the jobs where your axe skills will be appreciated. There are many types of axes that are made today, each with their own special function, like survival axes for while hunting or on an extended hike and splitting mauls for breaking down logs into smaller chunks.
No matter what axe you are most skilled with, there is a job for you out there if you just put in a little time and effort researching them.
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