Axe in Hand: Book Review and Interview with Author Nicole Coenen
From fires to forests, Nicole Coenen is no stranger to one of the oldest tools in our adventure kits—the axe—and with her new guidebook, you won’t be either.
When I first crack open my crisp copy of the new book Axe in Hand: A Woodchopper’s Guide to Blades, Wood & Fire, I’m immediately struck by the dedication: it’s to myself. At the front of the glossy, red-plaid pages, there’s an inscription declaring, “proud property of,” with a blank line.
Like a personalized journal, this sets the tone for me to learn from Nicole Coenen, a successful outdoors person and videographer. Boasting a combined social media following of nearly six million, she’s known as an “axe-wielding, tree-climbing, maple syrup-chugging, Lesbian Lumberjack.”
Coenen wrote this book as a how-to guide, hoping to impart “knowledge, curiosity and inspiration, and increase confidence for those who already have woodchopping skills and to those who want to get started.”
Growing up in Ontario, Coenen “didn’t chop wood until about five years ago,” when she was tasked with chopping firewood in a small mountain town in BC’s interior—and she was awful at it at first.
With time, Coenen honed her skills, apprenticed with blacksmiths and became a badass, wood-chopping social media sensation. Her personal connection to nature has always been important to her. “As an introvert, I can get overstimulated. Nature is very calming,” she says.
Coenen explains how she started filming her experiences, axe in hand, combining her two passions of cinematography and the outdoors. “I like the aspect of storytelling,” she says—a skill that translates nicely to her first book.
With thick, picture-laden pages, the hardcover book is an ode to the outdoors. Rather than a novel you read through all at once, this might be a non-fiction read that you keep in your cottage or cabin, or on a coffee table to be absorbed a little at a time.
The history and anatomy of axes, unique campfire structures and an in-depth understanding of firewood inspire laid-back reading in front of the campfire.
I learned that wood needs to dry and “season” for six months to two years before burning; how to upcycle and rehandle an axe; and the importance of choosing the right axe for the job.
“Building a new skill can lead to building another,” Coenen says. “I’m still learning.” Her social media is an educational wonderland, allowing outdoorsy folks (and non-outdoorsy folks) to spark their curiosity and learn alongside her.
Coenen herself has about 50 axes, including seven that she made herself—some of which hold sentimental memories.
Sitting around a log-burning fire with wood you chopped, piled and seasoned yourself creates a deeper connection to everything and everyone around you.
Axe in Hand helps demystify a world that may have seemed intimidating or difficult to get into for curious beginners and outdoor enthusiasts alike. My favourite sections are the memoir and nature writing, where Coenen opens up about her life and shares her personal reflections with readers, not unlike a freshly cracked log—natural and real.
Coenen encourages everyone to experience the empowerment of wood chopping, which she says contributes to humility, community-building and self-sufficiency.
“Get outside and chop some wood,” Coenen encourages.
