Axe restoration thread

[rarefish383]

I now can't shake this D I C K saying 'Hello Mary Poppins!' ....is this actually you off to sweep your flue Joe?



Smedbergs handles, The few (3 so far) I've had ...1 totally awesome, one fairly good, one a bit of heart wood in it but I suspect still very good wood. fat, plenty of thinning can be done. I'll bu more.

When I was a little kid I liked Mary Poppins, now I couldn't listen to 20 seconds of your clip. I think it was back in the 70's there was a TV mini series called Centennial, and Robert Conrad played a French trapper. I liked it enough that I watched the whole mini series. Then years later I saw the reruns and Robert Conrad's accent might as well been from Brooklyn as France. It was terrible. I guess the first time around, if the plot is OK, you don't notice how bad the accents are. But, after 2-3 times they get worse and worse.

 

[rarefish383]

Oh, about the flue, I'm independently wealthy, so I just pay someone in a black top hat to do it. Funny enough, a lot of chimney sweeps do wear black top hats to entertain the kids.

Were an when on the said beer ?[emoji16]

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Like the old saying goes, it's 5 o'clock somewhere. I'll be at the Sportsman show in Harrisburg soon. Gotta look up the date.

 

[rarefish383]

The Great American Outdoors Show is Feb 2-10. Not sure which day we will be going. There is a nice pub within walking distance.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

Thanks guys have found a hultafors guy in nz gave him a bell and yea can get nice handles so that's good. Yea it's a sad state here for handles 5 years ago no worries at all many many options there was once a bunch of companies making all kinds of hand tools but have faded away now not much market and cheap imports. I like the name club for the link stuff because that about nails it really.

 

[lead farmer]

Oh, about the flue, I'm independently wealthy, so I just pay someone in a black top hat to do it. Funny enough, a lot of chimney sweeps do wear black top hats to entertain the kids.

Like the old saying goes, it's 5 o'clock somewhere. I'll be at the Sportsman show in Harrisburg soon. Gotta look up the date.

Thought you guys went that far from Gettysburg

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[rarefish383]

Thought you guys went that far from Gettysburg

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I'm in Frederick MD and Multifaceted is in PA up by Mt Saint Mary's, Thurmont area.

 

[Multifaceted]

Thought you guys went that far from Gettysburg

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While I don't head that far up 15 regularly, I do go around the Harrisburg area quite often. Was up there 3-4 times last month.

I'm in Frederick MD and Multifaceted is in PA up by Mt Saint Mary's, Thurmont area.

Yep, less than a 1/2 miles from the Mason-Dixon. You know, there's a pretty big gun show going on at the Eisenhower center in Gettysburg the weekend of the 26th-27th.

 

[DSW]

Picked these three up today.

 

[rarefish383]

I like all of them!

 

[Saiso]

Brits are hilarious, and great people too. I’m Canadian but a good friend of mine if from Essex, lived in Leigh-On-Sea/Southend-On-Sea. Known him for almost 10 years now. I don’t know why I felt the necessary need to butt in and mention that though.

How do you guys « find » axes or heads during your travels? All I have are old beat up axes that were assigned to our work trucks or/and fire engine.

 

[rarefish383]

Brits are hilarious, and great people too. I’m Canadian but a good friend of mine if from Essex, lived in Leigh-On-Sea/Southend-On-Sea. Known him for almost 10 years now. I don’t know why I felt the necessary need to butt in and mention that though.

How do you guys « find » axes or heads during your travels? All I have are old beat up axes that were assigned to our work trucks or/and fire engine.

I go to farm auctions. The local Fair Grounds has an auction every Tuesday from 4 till done. They fill 2 barns and 2 closed buildings every week. Old chainsaws usually go for under $20 and old axes used to go for $1 each. Now the auctioneers won't take any bid under $5. If they have a whole pile of hand tools they will say. " selling pile, buyer gets choice". That means if you are the high bid you take your pick of one item at the bid price, or multiple items at the bid price. Since I know they won't take a bid under $5, before they start on the pile, I'll ask if they will sell all of the axes as one lot. They usually do, and if there are a couple nasty ones in there, most home owners that just want 1 ax won't bid, because they have to take the whole pile. Usually get a pile of 5-10 axes for about $10. Once in a while you run across a real nice one in an antique shop, but then they want real money just for the head. Garage sales are good for dollar axes. The Fair Grounds has two big sales in March and October. Last year I bought 4 chainsaws about 10 in the morning, and there was a Plumb ax in one of the fields that I liked, I had to wait till 5 in the afternoon, got it for $5. So, my $5 ax basically cost me a whole day. Is it worth it. Sometimes. I consider auctions as social entertainment.

 

[Saiso]

I go to farm auctions. The local Fair Grounds has an auction every Tuesday from 4 till done. They fill 2 barns and 2 closed buildings every week. Old chainsaws usually go for under $20 and old axes used to go for $1 each. Now the auctioneers won't take any bid under $5. If they have a whole pile of hand tools they will say. " selling pile, buyer gets choice". That means if you are the high bid you take your pick of one item at the bid price, or multiple items at the bid price. Since I know they won't take a bid under $5, before they start on the pile, I'll ask if they will sell all of the axes as one lot. They usually do, and if there are a couple nasty ones in there, most home owners that just want 1 ax won't bid, because they have to take the whole pile. Usually get a pile of 5-10 axes for about $10. Once in a while you run across a real nice one in an antique shop, but then they want real money just for the head. Garage sales are good for dollar axes. The Fair Grounds has two big sales in March and October. Last year I bought 4 chainsaws about 10 in the morning, and there was a Plumb ax in one of the fields that I liked, I had to wait till 5 in the afternoon, got it for $5. So, my $5 ax basically cost me a whole day. Is it worth it. Sometimes. I consider auctions as social entertainment.

Sounds like it! That was fun to read. I may inquire about such auctions and « barn » days here.

 

[LondonNeil]

Brits are hilarious, and great people too. I’m Canadian but a good friend of mine if from Essex, lived in Leigh-On-Sea/Southend-On-Sea. Known him for almost 10 years now. I don’t know why I felt the necessary need to butt in and mention that though.

How do you guys « find » axes or heads during your travels? All I have are old beat up axes that were assigned to our work trucks or/and fire engine.

ebay, and either pay through the nose or be very very patient and occasionally lucky to find a head that is poorly listed and goes a bit cheaper. For example I came across a Plumb yesterday, beng a very unusual brand over here it wasn't named as Plumb in the title....doubt it will fetch loads. If I was not in London I would have a chance of picking up the odd axe at carboot sales, but i don't.

 

[rarefish383]

Sounds like it! That was fun to read. I may inquire about such auctions and « barn » days here.

Down here we have an on line service called AuctionZip. You enter your zip code and a mile radius, 30, 50, 100, etc. and it will show every auction listed in that range. I was showing some of the chainsaw guys how it works. In a 30 mile radius of my house, in the month of January there were over 200 auctions. Old axes and chainsaws usually don't get listed, they don't bring enough money to bother. So, I go to the photo gallery and scan the background of the pics. All old farmers have axes and saws. So, in the pic of the big John Deere tractor, leaning on the barn wall, will be 3-4 axes. Every week I check a couple local sales, and sometimes I'll spend a couple hours on the computer just scanning the pics of the sales. If you average in the time spent to buy a $5 ax, sometimes I have to wait all day for an ax or saw, it'll always be the last item sold, it might not be such a deal. I find auctions to be very entertaining, so to me it's worth it.

 

[Multifaceted]

Picked these three up today.

View attachment 712815

View attachment 712816

Noice!

What are the makers? I can't make it the stamps

 

[DSW]

I like all of them!

Noice!

What are the makers? I can't make it the stamps

Thank ya. I was pretty lucky to find them. I didn't find a single axe the first two places I went. Then I found these at the same place.

I have been using an Estwing hatchet as a wedge pounder and they make a great product but they're too light when the trees need some real convincing. The hatchet has a few extra inches in length and a heavy head on it and I've already used it to pound some wooden wedges and it's exactly what I was looking for, head stays tight as well. Won't be doing anything to it but using it.

The 28 inch I was looking to finish the cordwood challenge.

The small hatchet already had a loose head but I was looking for a mini hatchet or a carving hatchet and most I've come across in the past are too heavy. Gonna strip the handle, try to remove some material on the head, then get the handle tight so I can carve with it. It's definitely a back burner project though.

The 28 inch has no name, the inside of the head has ridges instead of being smooth.

The full size hatchet is a Fulton.

The mini hatchet says, I believe Eas Co, malleable scout axe on the handle, assuming it's the correct handle.

 

[DSW]

Gransfors style



Hudson style

 

[dancan]

Saiso , I do a few yardsales in the summer , we have a weekend market with a lot of used sellers so I check there every now and then and have bought a couple from Kijiji and even value village
DSW nice trio !
I haven't taken the cutoff wheel to any of my axes but if you must do the Hudson style .

 

[DSW]

dancan is the king of good axe deals so I'd soak up whatever info he shares.

 

[dancan]

dancan is the king of good axe deals so I'd soak up whatever info he shares.

Man , those are big words !
Didn't I tell you guys earlier that I'm only google certified in the little that I know , learn't it with a lot of googlefu lol