With hand hewing on all threes sides, this mantel shows exactly what 1800s vintage hand hewing is all about. This piece hosts a warm auburn brown hue complete with a few cracks and knots on the face. It is “mortise pocket free” on all sides. The top side, while hewn, is plenty flat for all of your decorations. The bottom side shows a mild sapwood/bark line on the back edge. This area just lends itself to the natural authenticity of this piece. An overly perfect modern replica, it is not.

This is the real thing from back in the 1800s when folks swung axes to make round logs into square beams.  It is amazing to think that this was shaped by an ax by early American settlers. The top has been cut smooth to remove some issues. It makes for a nice flat shelf for your decorations, family photos, and knick-knacks.

There tend to be two types of hand hewing — rough and smooth. Oftentimes, you’ll see beams that are “choppy” looking. To get beams smoother, they worked the beam several times with different tools. For example, they may do the first pass with a broad ax or even a felling ax. Then, they would do a second or third pass with an adz. This mantel has what I would consider a more medium, hand-hewn texture.

The original beam came from an old barn in Lake Mills, Wisconsin which is about 30 miles East of Madison, Wisconsin. The barn probably dated back to the mid- to late-1800s. The country was generally settled from East to West, so we see older places in Eastern Wisconsin than we do near our workshop near Minneapolis, Minnesota.

We can cut this mantel shorter and refinish the ends for an additional for no additional cost.

It can be shipped anywhere in the lower 48 states via FedEx Gnd for $125

About the tag – Longest Way – “One fine summer day Tom was walking along the big road with his dog…” So begins a passage from an elementary school reader from about the 1950s — back when we read “Dick and Jane” books.