Letter Re: The Pulp Hook--A Labor Saving Device for Moving Firewood

Hi Jim,
Several years ago I was hunting black bear in the boonies of Canada. As I came out of the bush I could see a native cutting fire wood. As I walked towards him I watched him at work and he did something completely out of my experience. He had what I thought was a hay hook which he proceeded to snap into a cut piece of birch. He then turned towards his pickup and carried the piece of firewood stuck onto the end of the hook. He got to the pickup, swung the piece of firewood onto the truck, pulled his wrist back and the piece of wood landed in the back of the pickup.

What I have not mentioned is that the fellow was 74 years old at the time and he did not stoop over as he picked up the piece of firewood from the ground. He did not stoop over to pick up the piece of firewood. If you have cut much firewood at all that will make your ears perk up and your back stop aching.

Naturally I stopped to find out what this tool was. He had not spoken English in 18 years and I speak no French but we got things worked out. His tool is called a pulp hook. It does not have a straight point like a hay hook but is more wedged shaped with a small tip on the inside portion of the tip. You don’t have to bury the point in the fire wood 3⁄4” to 1” will pick up almost any wood. Pretty clever.

I purchased the type of pulp hook with a replaceable tip. There is a learning curve to using these, but let me tell you, it is well worth the time. Also when unloading the pickup you can almost clean off the pickup with out getting into the bed by using the pulp hook to pull the wood to the tail gate. Some hard woods like hickory sneer at the pulp hook as it bounces off but most other woods it will handle with ease. Whether SHTF or day-to-day, any tool that saves the back needs to be looked at.

Abigail and I heat the house and our hot water primarily with wood. I am in my 50s, and did I mention that using the pulp hook you did not have to bend over to pick up a piece of firewood from the ground? Yours truly, - John and Abigail Adams