Movement Writing of Craftsmen Gestures
Movement Combinations
 

Movement Combinations Used in Timber Writing
1
Shaft-Glide
Left hand starts holding the axe at the end of the shaft, but then glides the left hand toward the blade, finishing touching the neck of the blade with tension. 
2

Shaft-Glide to Center
Left hand starts holding the axe at the end of the shaft, but then glides the left hand toward the blade, finishing in the center of the shaft. The dark area on the axe shaft indicates where the left hand stops.
3
Shaft-Glide to Blade
Left hand starts holding the axe at the end of the shaft, but then glides the left hand toward the blade, finishing touching the neck of the blade with tension. The dark area on the shaft indicates where the left hand stops. 
4
Shaft-Glide to End
Left hand starts holding the axe near the blade, but then glides the left hand toward the end of the shaft, finishing touching the end with tension. The dark area on the shaft indicates where the left hand stops. Axe is up.
5
Shaft-Glide to Blade,
While Axe Pulls-Back
Left hand starts holding the axe at the end of the shaft, then glides the left hand toward the blade, finishing touching the neck of the blade with tension. The dark area on the shaft indicates where the left hand stops. While this glide occurs with the left hand, the entire axe moves back towards the body pulled by the arrow at the end of the shaft.
6
Shaft-Glide to Blade,
While Axe Pulls-Up-Diagonal
Left hand starts holding the axe at the end of the shaft, then glides the left hand toward the blade, finishing touching the neck of the blade with tension. The dark area on the shaft indicates where the left hand stops. While this glide occurs with the left hand, the entire axe moves up diagonal pulled by the arrow at the end of the shaft.
7
Shaft-Glide to Blade,
While Axe Pulls-Back
Left hand starts holding the axe at the end of the shaft, then glides the left hand toward the blade, finishing touching the neck of the blade with tension. The dark area on the shaft indicates where the left hand stops. While this glide occurs with the left hand, the entire axe moves back towards the body, and then back-down-diagonal, pulled by the arrow at the end of the shaft.
8

Shaft-Glide Down,
Axe Moves Up
This is a Movement Arrow that shows movement straight up, parallel with the Wall Plane. It also includes information about the left hand gliding down the axe shaft. The dark area on the Movement Arrow stem shows where the hand was located on the axe shaft, before the up movement begins. The left hand glides down the shaft while the arrow is moving up, and the finishing position is shown on the axe that will be written above it.

9
Shaft-Glide Down,
Axe Moves Up Diagonal
This is a Movement Arrow that shows movement up-diagonal, parallel with the Wall Plane. It also includes information about the left hand gliding down the axe shaft. The dark area on the Movement Arrow stem shows where the hand was located on the axe shaft, before the diagonal movement begins. The left hand glides down the shaft while the arrow is moving diagonally, and the finishing position is shown on the axe that is written above it.
10

Axe Lift, Version 1
Left hand starts holding the axe near the blade, but then glides the left hand down towards the end of the shaft, finishing near the right hand at the end of the shaft. The dark area on the axe shaft indicates where the left hand stops. While this glide occurs with the left hand, the entire axe moves up, following the direction of the arrow underneath the axe. So the finish of the glide happens at the same time as the finish of the movement up.

11
Axe Lift, Version 2
Another way to write the same movement, as described Version 1, Number 10 above. In this version, the writing of the Shaft Glide movement is placed on the up arrow below, showing the finishing position in the axe above it. This is useful when writing a stick figure, since it shows where the hands finish at the end of the Axe Shaft.
12
Axe Pull-Back
Beveled axe is pulled out of the log with force. The force is written with wood chips flying, a brushing symbol near the blade, indicating that the blade brushes out of the cut in the log. The arrow near the end of the shaft shows that the pull up-diagonal is done quickly.
13
Position End of Shaft Glide
The axe is held at a diagonal. Two Grasp Contact symbols show that the axe is held near the blade with the left hand and near the end of the shaft with the right hand.
14
Axe Movement Combination
Three movements combined into a symbol in its own right...the combination can be recognized as a standard way to write this movement...
15
Axe Pull-Back
Up-diagonal arrow brushing fast.
16
Axe Strike
Large movement straight down striking with double speed.
 
Questions?
Write to Valerie Sutton