Axe restoration thread

[Yotaismygame]

The old handle and the new handle side by side. They're the same length, I didn't have them lined up properly. The new one is much thicker than the old one. Both are off the shelf box store handles.

View attachment 714686

Shoot send me the head and Ill do it for $75 which would include the price of the handle and return shipping. I could get it done in about an hour once I got the head.

 

[Yotaismygame]

This is an old 3.5lb Collins that my dad had for as long as I can remember.. I figure it's at least 45 years old. Anyone know anything about it? How much do you think it would cost to get it refurbished and rehung by someone that has an idea what they're doing? Edit.. I found vintageaxeworks.com that is about 90 minutes from me. He wants $75 for a head restoration and $175 more if I want it hung too. The head restoration seems reasonable, but an additional $175 for having it hung seems expensive. As part of the restoration, he does something called "forced patina" which to me looks like hot salt bath bluing. I'm not liking that too much.
View attachment 713957

Your axe head falls under this information.

SPECIALITY MARKINGS

The outdoor activity that became known as "auto-camping" appears to have started a few years prior to 1920. By the mid 1920s it had become a major past time for thousands of motorists. In answer to the growing demands for certain necessities associated with auto-camping many hardware dealers sold smaller sized axes for cutting firewood and driving tent pegs. This led to the manufacturer of axes with markings indicating they were actually intended for use as a "camp axe". Many were marked according and some even had the words "Auto-Camp Axe" marked on them. Collins & Co. offered such axes.
Another term that evolved around that time was "Sportsman’s Axe". Many companies sold axes so marked and some included decorative designs to enhance the appearance of such axes. The popularity of side of the road and back-road auto-camping gave way to the wide spread introduction of motor camp grounds and motor courts as more and more families became involved in such activities. This led to the discontinuance of axes marked accordingly and in their place more and more "Sportsman’s Axes" became available.
The Auto-Camp axes and Sportsman's axes were not full sized axes if compared to chopping axes. Some were hatchet size while others were house axe size. apparently they were not meant for chopping larger trees but were more for preparing kindling and spitting wood for camp fires.
Fire axes were supplied by numerous axe manufacturers as well as many hardware distributors and fire equipment providers. Most fire axes varied somewhat in shape from those made by other makers but for the end purchaser distinguishing between one make and another was difficult. The majority of fire axes were painted red and Collins chose to use white labels that stood out on the red background.
Many Collins fire axes did not have a paper label and many that did also included a stamped marking indicating the manufacturer. On some axes that were identified only with a stamp, Collins used the Legitimus impression while on others they used the name Collins within a rectangular box. Others, believed to have been used in the early part of the 1900s were marked with the name R. King.

 

[CaptObvious]

Homestead huh....those heads are made of real soft metal. Not very old either. Hope you got it cheap. Two places I buy handles from: www.househandle.com and www.beavertooth.com . That head is going to take a standard size eyed handle

"HOMESTEAD BRAND

The earlier HOMESTEAD labels were quite detailed and used in at least two different sizes. Versions of both generation labels have also been observed printed in black on white paper and black and gray on white paper. These versions were used in catalogs although Collins did use a variety of black on white labels over the years.
The HOMESTEAD brand was used over such a period of time that the label design was modernized at some point, possibly during the late 1950s or early 1960s. That updating also resulted in some of the labels being printed in blue and white on gold colored foil as compared to the traditional paper."

Here's a pic of it. I am not looking for a super rare ax I just wanted something that wasn't China garbage that I can use while cutting firewood. mostly just driving felling wedges and the like.

 

[Yotaismygame]

Here's a few I've hung. Need to get back at it and put together some more I have laying around. I find it fun to go out and swing a wide variety of axes and see what i like best. Double bits have become my favorite. For smaller stuff a 30' handle on a 3lb head and big rounds at least a 3.5lb head on a 36" handle gets the job done.

 

[Yotaismygame]

and some more

 

[dancan]

Newbie here but I bought a Collins Homestead 3.5# single bit head off FleaBay to put a handle in and use for driving felling wedges and other general axe uses while cutting firewood. Can anyone point me in the right direction for what I should look for? I would prefer a 24-28" handle if possible. Where is a good place to order one online? I don't want to order something online and get the wrong handle only to get something that wont fit and will cost more to return than I paid.

Welcome aboard !
Go to your local hardware stores and go see what they stock , that way you get to see and pick a good one .
Don't forget to put up some pics !!!

 

[Multifaceted]

The old handle and the new handle side by side. They're the same length, I didn't have them lined up properly. The new one is much thicker than the old one. Both are off the shelf box store handles.

View attachment 714686

New handles are so thick they're almost baseball bat or club-like.

well I'm both pleased and frustrated with my handles.
1. cheap (£9) ash handle....slightly warped and twisted, considerable gran run out, wouldn't pay a pond for it. oh well...its useable just and its to handle a head for my 13 year old nephew who wants to start helping his dad split wood...so no handle will last long i suspect. Disappointing.
2. smedbergs handles, great grain orientation and no run out..very very good. pleased.
3. hultafors arvika handle. great grain orientation and no run out...but...oh, its got the wrong eye size for what i need. poo. I've rechecked...my mistake...I'd convinced myself it was larger than normal and large enough..even with Clarence's photos...I blame imperial measurements and a metric conversion f*** up...if Nasa can do it then I can blame that too. Oh well. I have an excellent quality spare 32" handle!

I still need to find a haft to fit a massive 28mm x 70mm eye, that's 1 1/8" x 2 3/4" (Nasa conversion aside). I've ordered a couple of £10 pick axe handles, the eye on those is 70mm x 50mm so I could reshape it....IF the swell goes far enough down the length...hmm. Aso found a supply of hafts with long eyes, 2 3/4" , 3" and even 3 3/4" I've messaged them about the width, but not overly hopeful. Short of making a handle myself I may be stuck. hmm

Bummer about the Arvika handle... But, is it too large, or too small. What are you trying to hang it on again? Put up a picture, perhaps I can help.

Homestead huh....those heads are made of real soft metal. Not very old either. Hope you got it cheap. Two places I buy handles from: www.househandle.com and www.beavertooth.com . That head is going to take a standard size eyed handle

"HOMESTEAD BRAND

The earlier HOMESTEAD labels were quite detailed and used in at least two different sizes. Versions of both generation labels have also been observed printed in black on white paper and black and gray on white paper. These versions were used in catalogs although Collins did use a variety of black on white labels over the years.
The HOMESTEAD brand was used over such a period of time that the label design was modernized at some point, possibly during the late 1950s or early 1960s. That updating also resulted in some of the labels being printed in blue and white on gold colored foil as compared to the traditional paper."

Of the two, I prefer Beaver-Tooth. He ships slow, but his quality is typically on-point. House Handle, not so much. Hardware store variety Link Handles will fetch you better quality than from House.

 

[Yotaismygame]

New handles are so thick they're almost baseball bat or club-like.
Of the two, I prefer Beaver-Tooth. He ships slow, but his quality is typically on-point. House Handle, not so much. Hardware store variety Link Handles will fetch you better quality than from House.

Interesting you say that. Ive had nothing but good handles from house handle. Bought at least 20. You must be smokin lotta dope if you think a link handle is better than what house handle makes. Never bought from beaver tooth.

 

[Multifaceted]

Interesting you say that. Ive had nothing but good handles from house handle. Bought at least 20. You must be smokin lotta dope if you think a link handle is better than what house handle makes. Never bought from beaver tooth.

Is that so? You literally said:

Homestead huh....those heads are made of real soft metal. Not very old either. Hope you got it cheap. Two places I buy handles from: www.househandle.com and www.beavertooth.com . That head is going to take a standard size eyed handle

"HOMESTEAD BRAND

The earlier HOMESTEAD labels were quite detailed and used in at least two different sizes. Versions of both generation labels have also been observed printed in black on white paper and black and gray on white paper. These versions were used in catalogs although Collins did use a variety of black on white labels over the years.
The HOMESTEAD brand was used over such a period of time that the label design was modernized at some point, possibly during the late 1950s or early 1960s. That updating also resulted in some of the labels being printed in blue and white on gold colored foil as compared to the traditional paper."

If you think I'm a dope smoker, then I want whatever you're smoking. And yes, I think House Handle is crap, and I'm not the only person to express that displeasure. I gave them several opportunities with my business. Misaligned eyes with hafts, sloppy lathe work, bogus "hand-picked" stock. I could go on and on, and I've bought from them over ten handles, but never again. Link handles are OK so long as you have some stock to choose from, but are not my preference. With House, it's whatever they send you...

 

[Yotaismygame]

wow you're interesting character. People like you are the reason forums aren't friendly or inviting.

Guess I meant places I would buy from. Beaver tooth is always out of stock when I want to order from them. Well have fun here in the axe section. Definitely the place to be on this forum .

Bye Felecia

 

[Multifaceted]

Thank you, I aspire to be interesting.

Don't cop feelings on me because your 20's be 10's.... and definitely don't leave this sub-forum because of this minor exchange...

 

[lead farmer]

Wtf happened to our axe thread....

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Multifaceted]

Carry on, nothing to see here. This thread moves quickly anyway.

 

[LondonNeil]

Hi Clarence, the Arvika handle is too small, it's a fairly standard 63mm X 23mm (2 1/2" X 7/8") eye. The head I am struggling to find a haft for is a hilts bruk, marked 2.0/4.5 and it's eye measures 68 X 28mm. I wondered if it was actually a 3" X 7/8" eye that had been deformed by pounding the poll as the axe does bulge out at the eye and it is also slightly mushroomed. I think/hope not though as the eye shape is uniform, there's a lot of material in the head around the eye, and although the mushrooming had been ground off the head doesn't look particularly beaten up so I think it's just an older and uncommon eye size. I'm busy next few days but I'll see if I can get a photo at the weekend.
I emailed a couple of places last night, one with handles with long eyes and another with oschenkopf handles (not sure on the eye size, just looks big). Also asked on the comments of one of Ben Scott's YouTube videos, maybe I'll get a lead.

 

[Multifaceted]

@LondonNeil - that's odd, if your steel eye measures 68 mm x 28 mm, then unless that is some bygone English or Welsh pattern, perhaps the eye is in fact deformed. Is the eye small on both the length and the width? I'd be curious to take a look at a comparison.

 

[LondonNeil]

I'll get some photos at the weekend. Like you I'm wondering. The head has clear evidence of ground off mushrooming to the Poll but the eye shape looks very uniform and the head has lots of material either side of the eye so if it was deformed it must have been a helluva pounding. I can see myself needing to buy a 2*3*32" piece of ash and make my own.... Long term project!

 

[Multifaceted]

I'll get some photos at the weekend. Like you I'm wondering. The head has clear evidence of ground off mushrooming to the Poll but the eye shape looks very uniform and the head has lots of material either side of the eye so if it was deformed it must have been a helluva pounding. I can see myself needing to buy a 2*3*32" piece of ash and make my own.... Long term project!

@LondonNeil photos will definitely help. If possible, put a tape measure up there too. Metric is fine, I know all of the conversions by heart. I work in both Metric and standard Imperial units on a daily basis as a professional draftsman and CAD operator (Computer Aided Design; not Chainsaw Acquisition Disorder).

 

[rarefish383]

Hey Pot Head, still looking for a cruiser for you. I've got a single or two I was thinking of sending up the road with you. York is in 2 weeks, I think 3 of us are going. You want to meet up, and have lunch afterwards? One of the guys lived in York for many years and wants to take us to the pub of his youth. Thinking of pubs, the next time you make it down this way, if you happen to have some of that excellent home brew, could you dip a tea bag of the stuff from Orgone in it. Might make me as happy and friendly as that fellow is.

 

[farmer steve]

Hey Pot Head, still looking for a cruiser for you. I've got a single or two I was thinking of sending up the road with you. York is in 2 weeks, I think 3 of us are going. You want to meet up, and have lunch afterwards? One of the guys lived in York for many years and wants to take us to the pub of his youth. Thinking of pubs, the next time you make it down this way, if you happen to have some of that excellent home brew, could you dip a tea bag of the stuff from Orgone in it. Might make me as happy and friendly as that fellow is.

I don't stop by here much but I saw your post Joe. Behave yourself when you in my neck of the woods .

 

[Multifaceted]

Hey Pot Head, still looking for a cruiser for you. I've got a single or two I was thinking of sending up the road with you. York is in 2 weeks, I think 3 of us are going. You want to meet up, and have lunch afterwards? One of the guys lived in York for many years and wants to take us to the pub of his youth. Thinking of pubs, the next time you make it down this way, if you happen to have some of that excellent home brew, could you dip a tea bag of the stuff from Orgone in it. Might make me as happy and friendly as that fellow is.

You're talking the weekend of March 2nd-3rd, right? I might be up for that and lunch and a pint afterwards. York Fairgrounds I take it?