Hi Timbeal and others

Just a remark for the good of the order

I surface adzed a good many surfaces and never once did I use a lipped adze to work across the surface of any project

Having said that there is no reason that a lipped adze could have been close by for those that might require it, i never did, I worked on a slight angle across the grain, in the direction that I was going using only a carpenter's adze or flat adze (flat not meaning flat)--ie -- all good adzes that I have seen are slightly bowed on the cutting edge, similar to a hewing axe, meaning that as you work along you are cutting the grain without any problem on both sides of the cut if you hold the tool properly.

Another remark on the subject if I might--it would be extremely hard to jump back and forth from one type of adze to another due to the differing characteristics of the handles in each tool.
The feel of Adzes double curved handles along with the offset broasdaxe handles grow on you and as you grasp another tool with its own characteristics it feel completely foreign to you, and could be dangerous and difficult for one to try and do good finish work

This is my own thoughts and experiences and I am well aware that people do work in many different styles sometimes due to their background

As an example back a few years ago I was demonstrating hewing to quite a group of people using my style wich is to stand along side of the log and hew downwards as I moved forward along the length on a log chopping away the rough scorings, and this fellow steps right up and told me that I wasn't doing anything right.

Needless to say I was embarrassed especially when I knew that my style followed closely along lines used by my family and others in this area.

I asked him to remain after the demonstration and we would talk a bit. It ended up that he was from sweden and evidently it was their style to stand on the log and work along their feet, with the handle of the broadaxe curving inwards or opposite to the one that was used in this area.

So all i can say is this-- use 2 adzes if you want or one lipped adze or as i do the regular flat adze-- if that seems to be your preference, just be careful.

NH