Techniques to extend the life of an axe

[Moonw]

I'm mostly interested in steel, but obviously any tip regarding handles etc. (especially if more refined than "don't let your axe rust" ), is welcome.

For example, I recall reading somewhere the advice that some chips, instead of being sharpened out at once, would better have their edges rounded, on account of conserving viable steel; and that, in time, repeated whetting will smooth the surface. While I do understand that rounding off the edges would make them less of a stress riser and I like the idea of not being wasteful, I'm curious if this is really a viable strategy when an axe is used hard, based on your experience. (By "hard" of course I don't mean straight Neanderthalian abuse - generally speaking I like to let the weight of the tool do most of the work, when applicable ).

How do you "select" chips as candidates for this approach?

My experience is really with a variety of smaller chopping implements that won't be under the same amount of stress like a 2lb+ axe swung on a significant arch. With those, I got away with this "lazy sharpening".

Thanks.

 

[DeadboxHero]

The best technique Ive found is just using the axe with skill and maintain its condition with proper knowledge and maintenance.

Then edge chiping and handle breaking is a user error thing

I find the best way to extend the life of any axe is to hide them from my friends hahaha

 

[BG_Farmer]

Not sure what the question is, but I regularly round off chips. This is especially useful on my cheap hatchets that get used to chop around rocky ground. The axes would wear away in months if I took the chips out. As the edge gets sharpened, old chips disappear and new ones happen. My bigger/better axes get fewer and smaller chips, but they are treated the same way.

Otherwise, it takes a while to wear out an axe...just avoid rocks and steel wedges, I guess.

 

[Square_peg]

Know your wood.

A hemlock knot can be glass hard. Even a small knot can damage your axe, especially on a cool day. Red Cedar knots can also be extremely hard.

Pick you battles. Chop around that seemingly harmless knot.

 

[Moonw]

[Reply placed at the wrong place in thread.]

 

[Moonw]

The best technique Ive found is just using the axe with skill and maintain its condition with proper knowledge and maintenance.

Then edge chiping and handle breaking is a user error thing

I find the best way to extend the life of any axe is to hide them from my friends hahaha

These are all good points, thank you. Still, sometimes you have an older axe or accidents happen and you may want to grind the least of the metal out.

As for the last suggestion, spot on, sir, spot on, and I'd add, quite a universal rule .

 

[Moonw]

Not sure what the question is, but I regularly round off chips. This is especially useful on my cheap hatchets that get used to chop around rocky ground. The axes would wear away in months if I took the chips out. As the edge gets sharpened, old chips disappear and new ones happen. My bigger/better axes get fewer and smaller chips, but they are treated the same way.

Well, that was a very good answer to my question, so thank you.

 

[Moonw]

Know your wood.

A hemlock knot can be glass hard. Even a small knot can damage your axe, especially on a cool day. Red Cedar knots can also be extremely hard.

Pick you battles. Chop around that seemingly harmless knot.

That looks painful.

In this situation, if I may ask - did you sharpen out the whole damage in one session? This is what I was curious about. Thanks.

 

[Square_peg]

That looks painful.

In this situation, if I may ask - did you sharpen out the whole damage in one session? This is what I was curious about. Thanks.

I filed it out completely right away. I took metal off across the bit to get it back to shape.

That is my TT A6 hard poll Dayton. It's my current favorite for clearing local trails. I need it to cut as efficiently as possible. If I wear it out I'll use another axe. My sweat is worth more than some metal at the bit of an axe.

 

[Moonw]

I filed it out completely right away. I took metal off across the bit to get it back to shape.

That is my TT A6 hard poll Dayton. It's my current favorite for clearing local trails. I need it to cut as efficiently as possible. If I wear it out I'll use another axe. My sweat is worth more than some metal at the bit of an axe.

Gotcha. Sometimes it's good to be reminded about the thing called "perspective"...meaning a professional/frequent user is of course going to use a tool differently than a weekend warrior, as I may call myself if I am to be honest . Appreciated.

 

[Park Swan]

I find the best way to extend the life of any axe is to hide them from my friends hahaha

Ding ding ding. I've had more than one axe kiss cement on account of my friendliness

 

[300Six]

I filed it out completely right away. I took metal off across the bit to get it back to shape.

That is my TT A6 hard poll Dayton. It's my current favorite for clearing local trails. I need it to cut as efficiently as possible. If I wear it out I'll use another axe. My sweat is worth more than some metal at the bit of an axe.

My reaction to that picture, first time Square_Peg posted it, was a vocal "Ouch". In the back of your mind you know that a dozen or more occasions like this (if/when you are the type to fully file away chips and gouges) will prematurely relegate most axe heads into the category of 'door stop'. We have to remember that axes don't have to be perfect unless the primary goal is to whittle or carve with them. And blade angles don't have to be knife-edged sharp either. The more acute angled the edge the faster it's going to become dull and the more likely it's going to chip, roll or fail in some way. With age-old implements, such as axes, everything inherent in the design is a compromise between durability and slicing/cleaving ability.

 

[Square_peg]

I agree with most of what you said, 300Six. But I think a frequently used bucker or feller deserves to be knife sharp - even shaving sharp. You can achieve this while still having a durable edge. Most of my freshly sharpened axes with still shave arm hair after bucking a 16" Douglas Fir. The hair won't pop off like it did just after sharpening but it still shaves. And this is an edge that won't roll/chip unless you hit a rock or something.

I'll concede that it's a compromise. I could opt for more durability and I will with one side of a double bit.

 

[Moonw]

Good advice, gentlemen. Glad to be here and soak up info and common sense as well .

 

[Agent_H]

Know your wood.

A hemlock knot can be glass hard. Even a small knot can damage your axe, especially on a cool day. Red Cedar knots can also be extremely hard.

Pick you battles. Chop around that seemingly harmless knot.

Great example of non user fault damage/chip from from normal use. Also one I would use to do work.

Most of this might be general knowledge or simply a given but assuming I'm going to use the axe and want to keep it relatively intact, this is what I try to keep in mind - consciously or unconsciously.

1. Obviously use - it's how most damage occurs. Watching for knots, splitting on a solid level surface that preferably is softer than your axe. Watching your swing so the middle of the blade is being presented - can result in more even wear.

2. The hang - having the head not too open or closed. I try to make sure the center of the bit is what contacts the wood first with my natural swing. Too open or closed you run the risk of wearing the heel or more likely, the toe. It's more complicated than I can explain but the head might need a hang that looks a little off but given handle length and shape, your natural swing, and your body shape/arm length it might need "off setting" to get that sweet spot for you. I am thinking of a Connecticut I have that looks a little closed but when you swing it, it comes right at the log/round dead on. Someone else can explain the science of that more precisely.

3. The grind - Not having nicks or chips helps not having nicks and chips. Having the profile/grind how you want is important for your use and appreciation of it as a working tool. I've seen some beautifully hung and cared-treated axes - many here in fact but not all of them are set up to do work. Sometimes this means spending some time working out damage and working on the surrounding bit to blend it in to not only match what you removed but also have the grind angle you want run the whole length of the edge. You can get a wicked profile and edge evenly across the tool and still leave the toe and heel a little thick. Not dull of course but blend a good profile into the ends but leave a little more meat intact. Don't be afraid to use an axe then go at it again to make adjustments. Sometimes you need to use it to see how it eats - sometimes what you think looks "text book" isn't exactly what it needs to work how you want it.

4. Transport/handling - Care when moving (loading or unloading) the axes for use. I've chipped the toes of a couple of axes and marred up some nice handles pulling gear out of the bed of my truck and them getting snagged on something. I imagine using a sheath is an easy solve for that... or maybe me being more careful.

5. After-use maintenance - After using an axe, wipe the crud off to the degree you would feel comfortable sticking it inside after use and potentially forgetting to see to it being cleaned up until the next time you plan to use it.

6. Choose your axe for the job - Say you are primarily splitting, use an axe you set up to do that with. Same goes for felling/bucking/kindling. One axe certainly can do it all but if you have the option of more than one tool then choose the best one for the task. Think about it kind of like you choose footwear if that makes sense. Don't wear calk boots to play soccer.

*These next two really are "First World" problems:

7. If you have heads or hung axes that you are storing/aren't using on or off a haft then I guess keeping them heaped together is like storing your files on top of each other - They will scratch, dent, ding, and dull one another to a certain degree. Don't baby them but wear/chips from age or actual use seem more appropriate than wear marks from careless storage.

8. Having a lot of axes that are well set up to work helps preserve them all :thumbup:



There have been many member-owned axes that have floated through here that I would have picked up before mine to actually cut something down or apart.

Also, I do think they get sad if they don't get used

 

[Square_peg]

3. ...... You can get a wicked profile and edge evenly across the tool and still leave the toe and heel a little thick. Not dull of course but blend a good profile into the ends but leave a little more meat intact.

This bears repeating. And it's one of the reasons that the edge should be set with the file. It's easier to control the figure this way. Leaving the heel and toe a little thick will help them last longer. How many old axes have we seen with worn out toes? Make it a little tougher.

And for gawds sake keep the toe out of the dirt!

That should go without saying but it's still the biggest cause of worn out axes. Most ruined toes are caused by splitting wood and letting your axe hit the dirt. Any moron should know not to do this but it's still all too common.

 

[Park Swan]

Ding ding ding. I've had more than one axe kiss cement on account of my friendliness

I later remembered that one of these axes met its demise by another friend at a different time, of course I wasn't there, who was driving some metal object with poll with enough force to crack the head entirely.

 

[300Six]

I later remembered that one of these axes met its demise by another friend at a different time, of course I wasn't there, who was driving some metal object with poll with enough force to crack the head entirely.

As you say most folks discover the limitations of axes the hard way! The two things one should never even contemplate doing with a conventional limbing or chopping axe: 1) use the poll as a hammer on hard objects and 2) strike earth or ground with the blade.

A Pulaski tool is something I gravitated over to many years ago for chopping and grubbing roots and splitting firewood on open ground. These 'axes' can take a lot of abuse providing you don't acute-angle the blade or bother keeping it razor sharp.
So far I have not yet been able to experience the dual purpose role (chopping plus hammer capability) of specially designed hardened poll constructor/miner/rafting axes but these are definitely something that should have been made available to the general public.

 

[Remzy]

Not grinding absurdly low phantom bevels into them in the first place would be one way to extend the life of any axe... hehe.

 

[Moonw]

Great example of non user fault damage/chip from from normal use. Also one I would use to do work.

Most of this might be general knowledge or simply a given but assuming I'm going to use the axe and want to keep it relatively intact, this is what I try to keep in mind - consciously or unconsciously.

1. Obviously use - it's how most damage occurs. Watching for knots, splitting on a solid level surface that preferably is softer than your axe. Watching your swing so the middle of the blade is being presented - can result in more even wear.

2. The hang - having the head not too open or closed. I try to make sure the center of the bit is what contacts the wood first with my natural swing. Too open or closed you run the risk of wearing the heel or more likely, the toe. It's more complicated than I can explain but the head might need a hang that looks a little off but given handle length and shape, your natural swing, and your body shape/arm length it might need "off setting" to get that sweet spot for you. I am thinking of a Connecticut I have that looks a little closed but when you swing it, it comes right at the log/round dead on. Someone else can explain the science of that more precisely.

3. The grind - Not having nicks or chips helps not having nicks and chips. Having the profile/grind how you want is important for your use and appreciation of it as a working tool. I've seen some beautifully hung and cared-treated axes - many here in fact but not all of them are set up to do work. Sometimes this means spending some time working out damage and working on the surrounding bit to blend it in to not only match what you removed but also have the grind angle you want run the whole length of the edge. You can get a wicked profile and edge evenly across the tool and still leave the toe and heel a little thick. Not dull of course but blend a good profile into the ends but leave a little more meat intact. Don't be afraid to use an axe then go at it again to make adjustments. Sometimes you need to use it to see how it eats - sometimes what you think looks "text book" isn't exactly what it needs to work how you want it.

4. Transport/handling - Care when moving (loading or unloading) the axes for use. I've chipped the toes of a couple of axes and marred up some nice handles pulling gear out of the bed of my truck and them getting snagged on something. I imagine using a sheath is an easy solve for that... or maybe me being more careful.

5. After-use maintenance - After using an axe, wipe the crud off to the degree you would feel comfortable sticking it inside after use and potentially forgetting to see to it being cleaned up until the next time you plan to use it.

6. Choose your axe for the job - Say you are primarily splitting, use an axe you set up to do that with. Same goes for felling/bucking/kindling. One axe certainly can do it all but if you have the option of more than one tool then choose the best one for the task. Think about it kind of like you choose footwear if that makes sense. Don't wear calk boots to play soccer.

*These next two really are "First World" problems:

7. If you have heads or hung axes that you are storing/aren't using on or off a haft then I guess keeping them heaped together is like storing your files on top of each other - They will scratch, dent, ding, and dull one another to a certain degree. Don't baby them but wear/chips from age or actual use seem more appropriate than wear marks from careless storage.

8. Having a lot of axes that are well set up to work helps preserve them all :thumbup:



There have been many member-owned axes that have floated through here that I would have picked up before mine to actually cut something down or apart.

Also, I do think they get sad if they don't get used

That's a quit comprehensive guide right there! Thanks.

Damaging any tool by sheer negligence buggers me most . That hidden rock that bites when you have to cut relatively close to the ground vast amounts of springy weeds is something I learned to live with, even if it's my carefully slightly convexed differentially-hardened semi-rare machete that will handle small wood just fine as well, haha .

As for splitting wood w/o (most often) other wood set up as a backing is something I find irritating to downright dangerous; it's not only the tool I care about, but mostly some part of my body that is *always* dear to me and that should be protected from misaligned strikes / glancing blows. An angle grinder that spit something in my eye taught me an important lesson years ago...

I'll add another tip: taking a break or leaving the rest of the work for another day, when you're tired.