"Ax Men" could be the next "Ice Road Truckers"

[Malcontent]

http://www.history.com/minisites/axmen

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03072008/tv/timber__100740.htm

Lumberjacks star Sunday in History Channel's follow-up reality series to "Ice Road Truckers."

The first-ever non-fiction series about the treacherous life of Pacific Northwest timber cutters, AX MEN, premieres Sunday, March 9 at 10pm ET/PT on History. From History and Original Productions, the same team responsible for the mega hit, Ice Road Truckers, this series looks at the legacy that the pioneers of our country laid for the present and future generations of loggers.

Deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, rugged men make their living doing one of the most dangerous jobs in history... Logging. Their mission: to retrieve timber perched on mountainsides too steep to access with machines. But this is no easy task.

For more than a hundred years, larger than life characters, many of whom are members of logging families that go back to the time when the West was being settled, have spent their days among towering trees and powerful machines and their nights in outposts far from the comforts of civilization. AX MEN will tell remarkable stories detailing the history of the logging industry, showing how technology has transformed life for today's logger, while the struggle of man versus nature stays the same.

Over the course of thirteen episodes, AX MEN follows four logging crews through a season in the remote forests of northwest Oregon. Plagued by mechanical failures, relentless weather--including a hurricane that ripped through the area--and violent and unpredictable terrain, these brave men risk their lives retrieving the very timber we depend on to build our country. Snapped cables, runaway logs and treacherous machinery are among the many dangers that threaten their lives and safety everyday. Anything and everything can go wrong on these sites and the price of even the simplest mistake can mean death.

[newsposter]

i can hear it now....the announcer as we come back from every commercial:

the DANGERS of logging are too apparent (as we see a tree ready to crush a tiny man down below)

[gchance]

The way I see it, there's this harrowing experience with an Ice Road Trucker. He gets out of his truck, and...

I never wanted to do this job in the first place!
I... I wanted to be... A LUMBERJACK!
Leaping from tree to tree!
As they float down the mighty rivers of British Columbia!
With my best girl by my side!

Which then leads into the intro, the music being:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBwsq8B_i98

Greg

[IJustLikeTivo]

This could be cool but makes the case ever more for using more sensible building materials than old growth timber. e.g. Timberstrand, Glulams etc. Solid, any length, stronger, made from quick growth timber and straight as an arrow.

Of course, I'll watch, my favorite trash TV in the timbersports stuff with sawing , ax work etc. really fun to watch.

[vertigo235]

This could be cool but makes the case ever more for using more sensible building materials than old growth timber. e.g. Timberstrand, Glulams etc. Solid, any length, stronger, made from quick growth timber and straight as an arrow.

Of course, I'll watch, my favorite trash TV in the timbersports stuff with sawing , ax work etc. really fun to watch.

How does it make the case?

You're saying these people don't deserve to have jobs? :D

[BeanMeScot]

Have you seen the guy that has nothing left but his thumb and he is still out there sawing down trees with a hook strapped to what's left of his arm and hand? :eek: The crab fishermen just die. These get mangled! :eek:

[Aniketos]

Great, another show on the history channel that isn't history and they'll probably air marathons of everyday just like they did with that abomination Ice Road Truckers.

[cheesesteak]

The History Channel must have a new boss who either doesn't like history or has an extremely broad definition of the word. Or he's under a mandate to significantly raise ratings. At least they haven't messed up History International yet.

[WhiskeyTango]

Have you seen the guy that has nothing left but his thumb and he is still out there sawing down trees with a hook strapped to what's left of his arm and hand? :eek: The crab fishermen just die. These get mangled! :eek:

I saw this commercial and the guys quote at the end was, "It's just a hand."

[vertigo235]

I thought it was good.

[kdelande]

I enjoyed it too.

Looked great in HD as most outdoor type shows do. Started off a little slow as they set the 4 sites up with us, nice to see the same type of salty folks like the crab show, ice road truckers, etc.

KD

[vertigo235]

I thought it was funny how that one dude's son was talking about how people have the wrong idea, thinking thay all wear plad shirts etc, then they cut to one of the other teams and all they had on was plad flannel shirts etc.

[IJustLikeTivo]

How does it make the case?

You're saying these people don't deserve to have jobs? :D

No, I don't want their jobs to be lost but the dangers which makes this interesting are the result of using old growth instead of renewable growth to make wood products. I'm not in favor of anyone losing a job but sustainable use of the planet doesn't seem like a bad idea if we want to last a few more centuries before the NEXT global warming kills off humans.

[kdelande]

I thought it was funny how that one dude's son was talking about how people have the wrong idea, thinking thay all wear plad shirts etc, then they cut to one of the other teams and all they had on was plad flannel shirts etc.
Totally caught that too, got a good LOL from me.

KD

[vertigo235]

No, I don't want their jobs to be lost but the dangers which makes this interesting are the result of using old growth instead of renewable growth to make wood products. I'm not in favor of anyone losing a job but sustainable use of the planet doesn't seem like a bad idea if we want to last a few more centuries before the NEXT global warming kills off humans.

You'll be pleased to know that the trees they are harvesting are blowdown trees, that were blown down during a storm or damaged by a storm. Then when they are done they reseed the mountain.

[jsmeeker]

The History Channel must have a new boss who either doesn't like history or has an extremely broad definition of the word. Or he's under a mandate to significantly raise ratings. At least they haven't messed up History International yet.

history gets made every day. It didn't stop at WWII and Adolf Hitler.


:)



He's a lumberjack and he's OK.
He sleeps all night and he works all day.

[Bob_Newhart]

I didn't see the show, but did the dialog go something like this?

"*Beep*beep*, that *beep* tree nearly fell on my *beep* *beep* head because that *beep*beep*beep* and his *beep*beep* idiot jackass *beep*beep* don't know what the *beep* they're *beep* doing!!!"

[ElJay]

I didn't see the show, but did the dialog go something like this?

"*Beep*beep*, that *beep* tree nearly fell on my *beep* *beep* head because that *beep*beep*beep* and his *beep*beep* idiot jackass *beep*beep* don't know what the *beep* they're *beep* doing!!!"

There were parts of it like that. Same narrator as Ice Road Truckers. Same slow pace that requires playback at 135%. I've got so much other stuff to record right now and I don't know if this is going to make the cut. This would have been perfect filler two months ago during the strike.

[hummingbird_206]

You'll be pleased to know that the trees they are harvesting are blowdown trees, that were blown down during a storm or damaged by a storm. Then when they are done they reseed the mountain.

Those blow down sites are just amazing. Mother Nature sure can be a beeoch, huh?

I think it's a pretty interesting show. We drive the old logging roads a lot heading out hiking. It's just amazing to me that they can get all of that huge equipment and big trucks up and down those roads. I just wish they were in WA instead of OR and maybe I'd see some familiar places. I'll probably keep watching...at least until Deadliest Catch returns in April :D

[LifeIsABeach]

Just watched the first episode. Not nearly as good as Dealiest Catch, but better than Ice Road Truckers.

[byte_me123]

At this rate, will the next TV season have "The Septic Tank Cleaners" show?

[pmyers]

This show just didn't really hook me like IRT (Ice Road Truckers) did. They kept talking about big money....but I never got the impression that the workers were seeing very much of it.

[xuxa]

At this rate, will the next TV season have "The Septic Tank Cleaners" show?

That would be "Dirty Jobs"

[BeanMeScot]

That would be "Dirty Jobs"

Thunder points stolen.

[Rob64]

No, I don't want their jobs to be lost but the dangers which makes this interesting are the result of using old growth instead of renewable growth to make wood products. I'm not in favor of anyone losing a job but sustainable use of the planet doesn't seem like a bad idea if we want to last a few more centuries before the NEXT global warming kills off humans.

:rolleyes:

[MrGreg]

This show is pretty interesting for me because I grew up in Astoria and went to high school with a lot of the families on the show.

The upcoming storm show should be interesting. It was a monster of a storm and blew down a ton of trees. Vernonia also got hit with a lot of flooding.

[IJustLikeTivo]

:rolleyes:

I'm not sure that deserved rolleyes. I'm not a greenie but there are more sustainable trash growth trees that can grow faster, then be manufactured into more square lumber than even second growth pine which require 40 years before harvest.

The new pulp trees can be harvested in just a few years and therefore can be grown in more sensible and less dangerous ways.

I find the show interesting to watch but I think the lumber business really needs to rethink their business model.

[newsposter]

how foolish to stack up all the twigs but not have the means to take them down and get paid. And who will watch them to make sure no one steals them?

[pmyers]

This show is ok.....but it just doesn't do it for me like Deadliest Catch or even Ice Road Truckers. It just seems like all the risk is there but there is no real reward for these Axeman.....they are just hourly employees and don't really seem to be getting paid all that much.

[newsposter]

when the machines break and there is no other work, are they still on the clock standing around doing nothing or do they go home?

[pmyers]

when the machines break and there is no other work, are they still on the clock standing around doing nothing or do they go home?

Well the "host" keeps saying that the company is loosing $700 an hour when they are not working. This is for a crew of about 5-7 people (that I can tell) and I assume includes labor and lost profits. They do mention having to pay overtime to the crew to keep them working to meet certain deadlines.

[hummingbird_206]

Anyone still watching? I gave up last week. Not enough pretty scenery and too many boring characters. I think what I like most about this type of show is when the characters are fun and entertaining and I want to root for them to do well. These guys were pretty boring to me and just couldn't get in to it.

[IJustLikeTivo]

I still watch. Not great but good filler.

[pmyers]

I watch but it's pretty much background noise at this point. It does look great in HD though.

[BeanMeScot]

It's just filler. I "watch" it when I am doing something else, like surfing. That was a bit interesting last night where they were "fishing" for logs.

[SFXYBFM]

I'm not sure that deserved rolleyes. I'm not a greenie but there are more sustainable trash growth trees that can grow faster, then be manufactured into more square lumber than even second growth pine which require 40 years before harvest.

The new pulp trees can be harvested in just a few years and therefore can be grown in more sensible and less dangerous ways.

I find the show interesting to watch but I think the lumber business really needs to rethink their business model.

Pulp trees are generally only used for paper products. They grow too fast to make strong lumber. The trees they're cutting are all second growth and younger. The old growth is pretty much all in the National Forests up here in the Northwest. I spent about 10 yrs in the timber industry, hookin' and cutting, so I enjoy the show. As far as the pay goes, some get paid by the hour, while others get paid by the load. It just depends on who you work for.
Yes, it's either flannel or sweatshirts, too. :rolleyes:

[ElJay]

I've got three episodes sitting around and I'm not sure if I'm going to continue to watch. My interest is fading fast since every episode generally seems to be a repeat of the previous one.

[jeepair]

I really enjoy this show and will keep watching. I love the wood cutter for Piel, and just about all of the characters except for the son of the big company. What a looser, blaming the equipment and throwing down saws. I was half wishing the blade would have flipped around and giving him a small cut.

Synthetic rope is expensive, too bad theives grabbed 5 sections from Guf.

[toddc]

Synthetic rope is expensive, too bad theives grabbed 5 sections from Guf.

I hope they get it back on a future episode.

Great show, I love it.

[WhiskeyTango]

Wow, the latest episode was crazy with the huge storm hitting the area. I think it's pretty rare to get that vantage point during a disaster. I couldn't believe they were going to try logging when half the roads were flooded and they still drove through it. Darryl showed that there are times outside of work that it helps being a logger when he had to cut down the tree near his house and then running in front of his wife driving the truck while he cut a path for them to get through. This was easily the most exciting episode yet.

[PeteEMT]

They Stoled Our Rope!

[newsposter]

the rope..make that guy pay for it

trying to get to work in the storm..idiotic bordering on what should be illegal...just the potential for creating a rescue situation etc.

That sure was one big hollow log..why didnt they see it before it was hauled up?

[Jayjoans]

MORE DARRYL'S WIFE!!

She's hawt. :)

[scandia101]

Wow, the latest episode was crazy with the huge storm hitting the area. I think it's pretty rare to get that vantage point during a disaster. I couldn't believe they were going to try logging when half the roads were flooded and they still drove through it. Darryl showed that there are times outside of work that it helps being a logger when he had to cut down the tree near his house and then running in front of his wife driving the truck while he cut a path for them to get through. This was easily the most exciting episode yet.

Uhm, Spoilers belong in episode specific threads.

[jeepair]

MORE DARRYL'S WIFE!!

She's hawt. :)

+1000

Good stuff this last episode. All I was thinking was if I were the cameraman, I'd want to get home to checkout my house/family. I suppose the cameramen aren't local. Is there such a thing as double hazardious pay for the camera crew. ;)

[WhiskeyTango]

Uhm, Spoilers belong in episode specific threads.

There haven't been any episode specific threads because not enough people are watching this show. There were previous spoilers in this thread so I assumed this was the all encompassing thread.

[ToddNeedsTiVo]

Uhm, Spoilers belong in episode specific threads.

Since when is it a spoiler to discuss an episode that has aired? Whiskey Tango made his comments 40 hours later! :confused:

[pmyers]

That was one crazy storm. Can't believe they actually tried to make it to work.

Kinda sad though that this storm has been the most exciting thing in the show.

[hummingbird_206]

I deleted my SP, but might have to watch this storm! Sounds like it was pretty cool.

[kjnorman]

The producers must have been wetting themselves when that storm happened. They could not have created more drama if they had scripted it!

I have been enjoying the show and it has definitely picked up pace as it has progressed. Still, mother nature has helped in that respect.

While I can respect the pressure the loggers are under to meet deadline and deliver their loads, still the idea of going up the mountain in such storms was stupid at best. Of course it is easy for us to make that call here, sitting warm in our living rooms with hind-site, not needing to complete a job to get paid....

[scandia101]

Since when is it a spoiler to discuss an episode that has aired? Whiskey Tango made his comments 40 hours later! :confused:

That's even more wrong than WhiskeyTango believing that the rules don't apply if nobody has started an episode specific thread.

You really need to read this.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=271608

[bareyb]

I deleted my SP, but might have to watch this storm! Sounds like it was pretty cool.

Ditto. I'll have to do a search for it. I'm sure it'll play again. Several times. :p

[WhiskeyTango]

That's even more wrong than WhiskeyTango believing that the rules don't apply if nobody has started an episode specific thread.

You really need to read this.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=271608

Of course...We all must follow the rules. Without rules we will have chaos. If we don't follow those rules we deserve to be publicly chided by Scandia. He's not a moderator, but he stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[newsposter]

i love the animations where guys get their head cut off, are crushed under a tree, etc.

i think there should be an outtake reel

[pmyers]

i love the animations where guys get their head cut off, are crushed under a tree, etc.

i think there should be an outtake reel

They had one that just totaly cracked me up. Not only did it include the guy cutting the tree getting killed, it included somebody standing nearbye getting impaled with something. The animation just seem to go on and on....it was quite funny.

[kdelande]

They had one that just totaly cracked me up. Not only did it include the guy cutting the tree getting killed, it included somebody standing nearbye getting impaled with something. The animation just seem to go on and on....it was quite funny.

My wife and I were DYING laughing at that one, it was so over the top.

KD

[newsposter]

and in one once he's down, like a second later his hat pops off

for those ax men viewers, i have my own tale to tell

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=394330

i may not be laughing at these animations anymore. But we replay these animations at least 3-5 x each and it is one of the very few things on tv that make me LOL

[hummingbird_206]

i love the animations where guys get their head cut off, are crushed under a tree, etc.

i think there should be an outtake reel

They had one that just totaly cracked me up. Not only did it include the guy cutting the tree getting killed, it included somebody standing nearbye getting impaled with something. The animation just seem to go on and on....it was quite funny.

My wife and I were DYING laughing at that one, it was so over the top.

KD

and in one once he's down, like a second later his hat pops off

for those ax men viewers, i have my own tale to tell

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=394330

i may not be laughing at these animations anymore. But we replay these animations at least 3-5 x each and it is one of the very few things on tv that make me LOL

So is this just bait for the spoiler police, or do these animations really exist?

[scandia101]

Of course...We all must follow the rules. Without rules we will have chaos. If we don't follow those rules we deserve to be publicly chided by Scandia. He's not a moderator, but he stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/4281/jerrylaughingyq9.gif

[WhiskeyTango]

So is this just bait for the spoiler police, or do these animations really exist?

They exist. The narrator uses them to show what could potentially go wrong with something one of the crews is attempting to do and they always involve a guy getting crushed or maimed in some way.

[ElJay]

The last episode was very amusing... I mean the dude was cutting down trees, with a gas chainsaw! Whoops-- spoiler!!

[ToddNeedsTiVo]

That's even more wrong than WhiskeyTango believing that the rules don't apply if nobody has started an episode specific thread.

You really need to read this.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=271608

I must be feeling dense today, but you're chastising people for discussing show details in a thread about that very show, and in particular, a show that doesn't have separate weekly episode threads where one might normally expect to find spoilers?

Where, then, might one expect to discuss Axe Men if not in this seemingly catch-all, generic thread about, um, Axe Men? It's not like spolier details are being discussed in some random thread about the History Channel or "tough guy reality shows" or something.

I didn't sleep in a Holiday Inn last night, but our daughter did wake us up about 90 minutes early, so it might be just me. I guess I just avoid threads that bear the title of shows for which I'm in "TiVo arrears."

[pmyers]

I was hoping the animations would be on their website but there are quite a few good clips on there. I especially like "Dwayne's World".

I was also surprised that a lot of these guys compete in the lumberjack contests.

[scandia101]

I must be feeling dense today, but you're chastising people for discussing show details in a thread about that very show, and in particular, a show that doesn't have separate weekly episode threads where one might normally expect to find spoilers?

Where, then, might one expect to discuss Axe Men if not in this seemingly catch-all, generic thread about, um, Axe Men? It's not like spolier details are being discussed in some random thread about the History Channel or "tough guy reality shows" or something.

I didn't sleep in a Holiday Inn last night, but our daughter did wake us up about 90 minutes early, so it might be just me. I guess I just avoid threads that bear the title of shows for which I'm in "TiVo arrears."


Start a thread on the episode(s) you want to discuss. It's not rocket science. You don't need your Mommy to start it for you. You're a big boy now, you should be able to do it all on your own.

[pmyers]

it's funny that we've been using this thread as a catch-all episode thread all season and just now it has become an issue.

[scandia101]

it's funny that we've been using this thread as a catch-all episode thread all season and just now it has become an issue.

No, what's funny (or is it sad?), is that you believe being blissfully ignorant for a couple of months is a valid excuse and reason to continue doing things wrong despite being informed otherwise.

[PeteEMT]

No, what's funny (or is it sad?), is that you believe being blissfully ignorant for a couple of months is a valid excuse and reason to continue doing things wrong despite being informed otherwise.
But you're here now.

[WhiskeyTango]

No, what's funny (or is it sad?), is that you believe being blissfully ignorant for a couple of months is a valid excuse and reason to continue doing things wrong despite being informed otherwise.

What's funny is that you feel the need to patrol this message board correcting everyone that makes any sort of mistake and then talking down to them for said mistake. I've seen your posts here and in the Help forum and Happy Hour of this same nature. I would guess that of your 1400+ posts, only a handful actually added anything meaningful to the thread to which they were posted. At least one other poster has brought this up to you and you continue to do it. You know how you are acting and seemingly take great pleasure in it (your avatar, Jass Ack). That is what is truely sad.

[ToddNeedsTiVo]

Start a thread on the episode(s) you want to discuss. It's not rocket science. You don't need your Mommy to start it for you. You're a big boy now, you should be able to do it all on your own.

I think my Mommy would say that with so few messages about the show in 2.5 months, per-episode threads are hardly needed and would clutter up the TV Show Talk subforum. She'd also tell me not to feed the trolls, but hey, sometimes I don't listen to my mother.

Once again, what do you think people are supposed to discuss in this thread if not the content of the show? The original intent of making a comparison to Ice Road Truckers (that, too, might lead to spoiler disclosures) has apparently run its course and the thread evolved into the generic thread for Axe Men because of the low post volume.

You can't seriously be that annoyed that the thread worked out that way, right? That's crazy talk!:eek:

[newsposter]

aww so where can we find the animations..i deleted all the eps and should have been burning them instead i guess

[pmyers]

aww so where can we find the animations..i deleted all the eps and should have been burning them instead i guess

I tried to find them on their website yesterday and couldn't find them but they do have some other great videos that didn't make the show.

[newsposter]

truckers starts june 1

[Haps]

I watche dan episode of this and I just don't know if I can sit thru the narration for another season. 10 mins it and it was driving me up the wall.

Looking forward to the new show coming up about roughnecks. Think it's on a different channel so hopefully the style is a bit different.

[nmiller855]

My cousin's husband & son have been loggers since both of them were old enough to be helpful in the woods. We went to visit them one year & wound up going up in the mountains to camp with them & their crews. They left before daylight to get set up in their cutting area & came back to the camp after dark. Back at camp, they had generators to run their chain sharpening machines. My cousin cooked huge meals for breakfast & supper & fixed a lunch for them to take with them. Her husband had a tree fall on him in a freak accident & it broke his neck but didn't injure his spine. They can only work from the first thaw until the first freeze & get paid by the job. They don't get paid during any down time.

[JLucPicard]

I took this thread for what it's become, too, which is a discussion of the season in general.

If it's that damaging to some people, I wonder if one of the moderators could change the thread title to "Axe Men-Entire Season Discussion - SPOILERS" or some such thing?

[bareyb]

I took this thread for what it's become, too, which is a discussion of the season in general.

If it's that damaging to some people, I wonder if one of the moderators could change the thread title to "Axe Men-Entire Season Discussion - SPOILERS" or some such thing?

Someone would have to request it. Preferably the OP.

[newsposter]

another logging show for you

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch.aspx?id=heli-loggers&view=listings