Spanish flea market finds & other stuff that might be of interest!

I'mSoSharp said:
With respect, both Leroy Merlin & Bauhaus are in my area (Malaga) & I use them for some items for which they are very good, but for handles I can find a much bigger selection, better quality & cheaper in local Ferreterias, the older the Ferreterias usually the better.

Plus old "Ferreterias" (hardware stores) are usually Spanish owned "Mom & Pop" stores not huge French or German owned chains, if that matters........

Obviously, it might not be the same in every area.
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Thats true,they dont have a very big selection at least in axes or axe items,and talking about ferreterías,most of the owners of a ferreteria are old people that actually uses or have used the tools they sell so i would put my money on a ferreteria way before than in a big chain store

Talking aside of this,Sharp,where are the flea markets you go?i've never in one that had old axe heads

Regards,Termax
 
I'mSoSharp said:
With respect, both Leroy Merlin & Bauhaus are in my area (Malaga) & I use them for some items for which they are very good, but for handles I can find a much bigger selection, better quality & cheaper in local Ferreterias, the older the Ferreterias usually the better.
(Bauhaus Malaga has a limited selection of handles, Leroy Merlin Malaga has no small handles at all, just rake/pick type garden handles).

Plus old "Ferreterias" (hardware stores) are usually Spanish owned "Mom & Pop" stores not huge French or German owned chains, if that matters........

Obviously, it might not be the same in every area.
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Truer words can't be said.
These are the big retailers for people who don't know/care much about quality or don't know where to find the good old stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I was just giving alternatives cheap and available enough for anyone here
Sorry if my words were offensive, it wasn't my intention at all
 
Termax said:
Thats true,they dont have a very big selection at least in axes or axe items,and talking about ferreterías,most of the owners of a ferreteria are old people that actually uses or have used the tools they sell so i would put my money on a ferreteria way before than in a big chain store
Talking aside of this,Sharp,where are the flea markets you go?i've never in one that had old axe heads
Regards,Termax
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P.M'd you, not sure that this is interesting to everyone else :)

ThePeacent said:
Truer words can't be said.
These are the big retailers for people who don't know/care much about quality or don't know where to find the good old stuff.
Don't get me wrong, I was just giving alternatives cheap and available enough for anyone here
Sorry if my words were offensive, it wasn't my intention at all
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No offence at all, also sorry if I sounded defensive. ;)
 
ThePeacent said:
Truer words can't be said.
These are the big retailers for people who don't know/care much about quality or don't know where to find the good old stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I was just giving alternatives cheap and available enough for anyone here
Sorry if my words were offensive, it wasn't my intention at all
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You cant offend me with that good intention of yours for helping others,we are here to learn and help others learn with our own experiencies or thoughts
 
Re-handled three more heads including the one in post #111 with the eye tapered the wrong way, nothing a bit of filing didn't sort out.
A very old cross peen (I don't have a before photo of it bought as a rusty head) & a bronze ball peen head, thought it really nice & think it's a DIY turned head, tried not to over clean it.

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Put an edge on the tiny hatchet & tried it out, it works really nice, OK it has it's limitations but it will now be my light hatchet for walking or cycling seeing as it weighs about the same as a can of Coke.

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The head can have the handle taped out easily enough & the head can then be use in the palm for cutting duties, a bonus of it being small & rounded.

:)
 
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Not exactly Flea Market finds but a few hatchets that I have admired hung on the wall in a friends garage for years, today I asked to take a couple of pictures.

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I love the shape of the curved one, it was my friends father-in-laws & was likely used for trimming olive trees. All the handles appear to be home made from limbs
I suggested that the handle was up-side-down but we tried it the other way & it didn't fit very well, then with the handle fitted the way it is in the picture we did imaginary overhead tree pruning & realised it works quite well that way. ;)
 
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Interesting looking axes you came upon. Looking forward to what you do with them :thumbsup:
 
Agent_H said:
Interesting looking axes you came upon. Looking forward to what you do with them :thumbsup:
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Not my axes, they have sentimental value for my friend, just thought folks might like to see them, especially the curved one.

Speaking of which I can't find any info on the marking "LFA".
;)
 
I'mSoSharp said:
Not my axes, they have sentimental value for my friend, just thought folks might like to see them, especially the curved one.

Speaking of which I can't find any info on the marking "LFA".
;)
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I didn't get the part that you hadn't taken them in. Still quite interesting though. The two handles there are similar - same maker/owner?
 
Moonw said:
I get a kick out of these. These are hands down sexy.
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Sexy.....haha. :)

But they are honest old tools & have a real appeal especially still having the handles.

The smallest one is pretty much the same as the one I used for the ulta light hatchet head.
 
A few things turned up today.

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A Sandvik 5lb axe marked made in Germany, anyone know why that is? A couple of unusual shaped old hatchets & a nice little Ramon Onraida made adze.
The three strips are I think planer blades, I though they might be good for forging, they are HSS & after a quick search maybe not.
 
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The smaller of the two Catalan style hatchet heads has cleaned up lovely, clearly hand forged & marked Perez with Sabadell, a town in Cataluna, northern Spain where it seems this unique style evolved.
The individual hammer marks can be seen & felt.

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I really like how tiny the eye is & how very thin it's been forged.

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The handle on this one looks home made, the larger one has probably it's original handle which needs a little TLC.
Interestingly the hatchets I've googled in this style have kerfs cut a long way past the tiny eyes like the original handled larger one.
 
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That is an original design alright, I wonder what was the most likely wood they were chopping with those?
 
Moonw said:
That is an original design alright, I wonder what was the most likely wood they were chopping with those?
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Sabadell is close to Barcelona, apparently beech, oak, birch & fir make up the major forested areas there.

It looks as though these hatchets are designed so wood & shavings pass in front of the eye, quite a different approach to the majority of axes.
 
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