We have been receiving overwhelming support and interest from enthused patrons, local and otherwise, since opening up shop just three days ago! And as a result of the above mentioned enthusiasm, I am thrilled to present to you our first custom order! Here we have a matching pair of Collins axes from Collins Axe Company, part of Mann Edge Tools, originally established in 1826. A 3 1/2 pound Dayton Homestead American Felling axe, and 1 1/4 pound 18 inch camper's axe, both with beautifully restored heads once again proudly bearing their maker's marks. Hand selected Tennessee Appalachian Hickory for the handles feature a top shelf paint job selected specially for our customer. The fellow who placed the order is an avid outdoorsman and seems to know his way around a campsite. We can't wait to see these bad boys in action!

Thank you to everyone who has shown interest in our big endeavor. It's been a huge step just to get everything up and accessible. We've just begun to really get rolling and can expect only bigger and better things in the coming months. Be sure to stay tuned for more axe related banter as well as an upcoming series of installments including, but not limited to: local Omaha craftsmen and women, our BAMF of the week, and how you can be a part of the Fontenelle Restoration community!

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One of the first conversations we had, when we sat down to hash out what would later become an axe restoration company, was on the topic of conveying our passion for what we do on a personal level. How could we encourage and instill in others the same sense of pride and respect for our grandfathers that we felt when we picked up a rusty farm implement that had been on this earth twice as long as we had? After hours and hours of discussion at the dinner table, the common denominator remained. Embrace your heritage while adding a touch of your own lifestyle. And there you have the makings of a truly personalized experience. For us that meant offering customization of each and every axe we carefully restore. In addition to being individually numbered and stamped by the man restoring it, each axe that we come into contact with in the shop receives a name. Sometimes this name is predetermined but often it is earned during the extensive restoration process as we work to create the perfect union of steel and hickory.

A great example of this is one I've been looking forward to from the time Fontenelle was still in its conceptual stages and is pictured above. It was a chance for us to really explore the possibilities and creative limits before us. We knew that we wanted to draw on the rich history of adventure literature and cinema from our childhoods that inspired us to become the avid outdoorsmen we are today. Something we held very dear to us that could be expressed through our talents in the shop. And behold! the Rufio was born. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the man-boy who is Rufio and how he has anything to do with the axe shown above, we'll leave it that way for now. 

Be sure to check back for more updates on this homage to one of our many childhood heros. Until then, go out there and do something worth crowing about.

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