Recently we received this message and photo from Bailey's customer and Certified Arborist, Mark Malmstrom, regarding his Red Dawg boots. We've heard many similar stories over the years. Thank you, Mark for the message and great picture!

"I wanted to send a photo of my two pairs of Red Dawg boots.  After about 8 years of hard use I decided to get a new pair - same model. The simple construction is durable and they don't get hot. The unlined leather breathes and is cooler than my light weight hikers. Great product that I would recommend to anyone looking for a high quality arborist/logging boot. When I took the newer pair in for some touch up stitching the shoe cobbler guessed that I had paid in the neighborhood of $400.

"We sometimes work in rivers and canals and get our feet wet. Because my Red Dawgs are unlined plain leather, they dry quickly - a Goretex boot that gets water in it or a lined boot will not dry while you are wearing them. However, the Red Dawgs dry out just fine and it makes a huge difference in comfort. I've also used them extensively with spurs and they are great.

"Great boot, great value."

Mark Malmstrom
Certified Arborist
Total Tree Care, Inc.

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Good cutting,
dotcompost

Here at Bailey's, we sell a lot of axes. I mean A LOT of axes! Many of us employees have our own small arsenal, too. Not because we necesarily need several axes taking up space in our garages, but just because they're really cool tools, and well, when you need an axe, you NEED an axe! Because of customer requests (demand) we now carry lines from just about every manufactuerer you can think of including: Council Tool, Fiskars, Wetterlings, Husqvarna, Truper, SOG (tactical axes), Silky (hatchets), Ochsenkopf, and many more... As a tribute to the mighty Axe, we asked our senior graphic designer to create the illustration below, outlining the Anatomy of an Axe. Amaze all of your friends with this incredible, newly found knowledge by slipping phrases into your conversation like, "Yeah, yesterday I broke the haft on my axe right in the middle of the belly, but thankfully Bailey's stocks a complete line of quality replacement handles..." or "The other day I bought a new German-made Ochsenkopf. Unfortunately, I had to touch up the heel of the bit because I accidentally nicked it on a rock when I was hewing some timbers for my new log home." Enjoy.

As always, good cutting (or chopping as the case may be),
dotcompost

Day 20

Cabin 6/13/11

Finally got back up to the cabin after break-up, everything looked good with the exception of a few visits from Mr. Black Bear. Bear got in and decided a couple of ventilation holes need to be added to the inside surface of the house wrap behind the siding. Only pocked 4 small holes in it that can easily be fixed with scrap pieces and tape, he also decided to take a taste from an edge of one of the clap siding boards but only a small taste. Siding looked good with no cracks from drying, even on the south wall. All of the vertical post have vertical splits in them but I figured they would check out as they dried like log houses do. Hauled the canoe up in my boat and left it at the lake for future use (a small canoe trip is needed from the main river to get to the cabin). Foundation still seems level, plan on bringing up the laser level next trip to check if there was any settling. Planning on hauling up windows and insulation when it gets in on the barge. Looking forward to milling lumber again for trimming out the windows. Will post more photos in the next couple of weeks. Maybe black bear sausage as well!

Approaching cabin in canoe from the south.

Cabin south wall.

View from cabin looking east.

Day 19

Cabin 4/18/11

Got the metal on, getting things wrapped up and put away for break up. Will start working on it again in June when I can travel up by boat.

View from lake

Front of cabin

Another shot from the lake

View from main snogo trail

9 year old son Koby heading home on his Bravo 

Will post more pics in June, hoping the black bears don't tear things up too bad between now and then, they will probably have fun with the house wrap on the inside.

Be sure to check back next Thursday for Part 20!

Day 18

Cabin 4/16/11

1x6 skip boards in place

Eave and Gable trim in place and all ready for metal.

Plan on putting metal in place on Sunday.

Snow melting on trail in front of Cabin, got in the 50's in the afternoon.

Pulled mill of the ice so it doesn't become an anchor, put it in the cabin for the summer work after break up.

Snow melting around the arctic oven, hoping to get one more weekend to get things done until June.

Be sure to check back next Thursday for Part 19!

Day 17

Cabin Building 4/13/11

Haven't put up pics for a couple of weeks because I can't remember to bring my camera. Got all but one of the trusses done last weekend, only have one more to make in the jig. Have them up on the top plates ready for 1x skip sheeting before putting on the metal roof.

Started moving slabs of the ice and stacking them for next years fire wood. Spring is on the way, maybe 2 or 3 weekends left before traveling by snowmachine will not be possible. Great days for building now with daylight hours from 7 am to 11 pm.

Be sure to check back next Thursday for Part 17!

Day 15

Cabin 3/20/11

Worked on putting siding on this weekend.

House wrap installed and siding story board marks made on wall.

South wall left side done.

Right courses done up to top of window.

South wall finished with siding.

Be sure to check back next Thursday for Part 16!

Cabin Building Day 14

3/13/11 

24" Big Daddy Spruce, hope that 20" chain from Baileys comes in for this one, been on order for 2 months now, should be in this week.

Top Plates installed

View from above

Cabin Building Day 12

3/5/11 

It finally warmed up in interior Alaska

Got the second long wall done with the window openings. One more wall to go.

End view, planning on getting the last wall with door and window done on Sunday.

Loaded up the big spruce to cut some 2x4's

Big spruce with log lifts bottomed out, just able to take a small slice with the 20" bar, to big for the 16" bar.
Had to use a standard stihl chain and standard 20" bar, ordered a 20" bar and low pro rip chain from Bailey's but it has not come in yet.
For those who are wondering how the mill cuts with standard cross cut chain, it really slow and makes some big chips (lots of them)! Rip chain is way faster!
Really did not have a choice, was able to take off 4 slabs and get the log down to a 14" square cant to cut with the 16" low pro rip chain and bar.

14" cant is the max for my 16" bar, cut two 4x14" cants from center then rip the both at the same time into 2x4's, nice getting 2 stud boards with each pass.

Was able to yield 15 true 2x4's and one 1x14" from the large spruce.

Cabin Building Day 11

2/20/11 

After not being able to go out for two weeks (temps in the -40's F) on the weekend, finally got out this weekend. Two plus feet of fresh snow so I spend most of my time digging things out and getting stuck pulling logs to the mill. Was able to get the rest of the wall beams cut and some of the walls studs for the last two walls. Planning on getting the walls finished up next weekend if its not -40!

Logging in 4' of snow, mad felling skills on the right tree, should have been a field goal kicker J

1st tree loaded up ready to head to the mill, got stuck 12 times on the way (1/4 mile), with a 24" superwide track!!!! If its not -40 its 4' of powder. Warn winch got its workout today.

Snow around floor deck, lumber for last two walls.

Mill after digging it out of the snow.