Mark Harrell

COLONEL (RET.) MARK HARRELL is the founder of Bad Axe Tool Works (www.badaxetoolworks.com), and makes saws every day with his team in their Superior, WI workshop for customers across North America, Europe and Australia. Hailing originally from Oklahoma, Mark completed a 28-year career in the Army with much of his service spent in Special Forces and officer production assignments. Upon redeploying from Afghanistan in 2007, Mark retired from the Army and started up a saw sharpening business with his late wife, Yvonne L’Abbe, quickly followed by development of the Bad Axe line of saws; and thus, Bad Axe Tool Works was born. Bad Axe saws closely follow traditional designs established by the Henry Disston & Sons, Simonds, and Wheeler Madden Clemson lines using today’s tools and processes those sawmakers from the 19th century would have likely approved of without sacrificing any of the time-proven design imperatives they established. Mark writes extensively on saw maintenance, design, utility and sharpening, and conveys those methods and techniques at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking and other venues.