The Woodman’s Pal is a survival machete and hand axe that was released in 1941, and was almost immediately adopted by the US military for use by troops during WWII, where it was used extensively in the Pacific Theater of war.
Remarkably, the Woodsman’s Pal remains in production today, it’s still made in the USA, and it remains true to the original design used by outdoorsmen and military personnel for 80 years and counting.
The Woodman’s Pal is a survival machete and hand axe that was released in 1941, and was almost immediately adopted by the US military for use by troops during WWII where it was used extensively in the Pacific Theater of war.
History Speedrun: The Woodman’s Pal
The Woodman’s Pal first appeared in 1941, after Swiss-born Pennsylvania architect, artist, engineer, and woodsman Frederick Ehrsam had set out to design a single tool that could handle the tangle of brush, vines, and saplings common to the state’s expansive woodland areas.
Ehrsam wanted something compact but capable enough to replace a small axe and a machete – the result was a forward-weighted chopper with a hooked brush blade that quickly found a following among farmers, surveyors, hunters, and outdoorsmen. Early manufacturing was handled in Reading, Pennsylvania, using American steel and local production methods that continue today.
The remarkable usefulness of the Woodman’s Pal soon drew the attention of the US military. During the Second World War the tool was adopted as the LC-14-B “Line, Construction Tool No. 14,” and first issued to the Signal Corps for clearing vegetation around communication lines.
It soon saw wider use in the Pacific Theatre as both a utility and survival tool. Variants of the pattern remained in service for decades, including aircrew survival kits during the Vietnam War era. US military procurement would continue well into the late twentieth century.
The specifications of the modern Woodman’s Pal stay very close to the original nwartime design. It measures in at 16½ inches overall and uses a 1/8 inch thick, high-carbon 1074/1075 spring-steel blade hardened to Rockwell C47 – this was chosen for a balance of strength, edge holding, and resilience.
The main blade edge handles chopping, limbing, and trail clearing, while the sickle-style hook is intended for grabbing and severing vines or young saplings with a pull cut. Current models are offered with an American ash handle or a stacked-leather military-style grip with an optional knuckle guard.
The main blade edge handles chopping, limbing, and trail clearing, while the sickle-style hook is intended for grabbing and severing vines or young saplings with a pull cut. Current models are offered with an American ash handle or a stacked-leather military-style grip with an optional knuckle guard.
Each one ships with a sheath, a sharpening stone, and reproductions of the original owner’s manuals, a nice touch that helps remind new owners of just how much heritage they’re holding in their hand.
The Woodman’s Pal is now available on the official Woodman’s Pal Amazon store here, each one is still made in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and they all come with a full lifetime warranty and money back guarantee.
Images courtesy of Woodman’s Pal
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