What did you rehang today?

[Square_peg]

Started with this head.

Hit it with the angle grinder

Rusty blued the head

Started working the handle

Finished it

Very well done, Jim. Looks great. The rust bluing turned out terrific.

 

[gregsla]

24" or so Ash handle on my broad axe. The Tung oil really accentuates the grain run out!

I was originally making this handle for a 32" double bit but once the run out started showing up i figured i would make it for the broad axe instead.

Still need to wedge it and finish re-profiling the blade.
https://imgur.com/a/l6Lya

 

[300Six]

24" or so Ash handle on my broad axe. The Tung oil really accentuates the grain run out!

I was originally making this handle for a 32" double bit but once the run out started showing up i figured i would make it for the broad axe instead.

Still need to wedge it and finish re-profiling the blade.
https://imgur.com/a/l6Lya

Runout on this handle is not at all rash. And when it come to hafting a broadaxe who cares. No one (that knew what they were doing) ever dared to beat the s^*t of one of these. Good for you for resurrecting this old tool.
Now you've gotta find and secure some fresh logs and learn to straighten and square them!

 

[junkenstien]

Tung oil does make the runout look nice.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Tung oil does make the runout look nice.View attachment 774581

Nice hatchet there, I'm assuming Hibbard would be for the Hibbard Spencer and Bartlett hardware chain ?

 

[rjdankert]

I'm assuming Hibbard would be for the Hibbard Spencer and Bartlett hardware chain ?

Bob

 

[Miller '72]

I was able to rehang this last Thursday or Friday... and I have not been able to get back to it since.
I ended up trimming off just over 3/4" and extended the kerf (I didnt measure).
I did shave the wedge a bit to get it to drive deeper.

I am very pleased I could reuse this handle, the balance and feel swinging are excellent.
Thanks for looking

 

[junkenstien]

That's sweet ,man I like them old handles.Are you gonna get that paint off there?orange citristrip works good if you don't want to sand it,good job.

 

[Square_peg]

If it's a Plumb I'd leave it red.

 

[Miller '72]

If it's a Plumb I'd leave it red.

It's a 3lb Collins Legitimus

That's sweet ,man I like them old handles.Are you gonna get that paint off there?orange citristrip works good if you don't want to sand it,good job.

I like the idea and look of leaving it just as is, after breathing new life into the guy, treat the exposed wood, ready to chop some wood.
Or part of me wants to sand off the paint and treat the handle, leave the red painted leather sheath/scabbord as the reminder of how I found it. The sheath has the Hartford Conn. Oval stamp embossed with USA in the middle.

Decisions...
-Miller

 

[Hickory n steel]

I would citristrip most of it but maybe leave a stripe if it somewhere, that plus the sheath should be fine.

 

[jblyttle]

This is a bit unusual. The Champion head weighs a full 3.25lb, but is true cruiser sized at 8-1/3" long and with a true cruiser sized eye. The handle is a House 28" cruiser handle.

IMG_20171003_224738 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20171003_224749 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20171003_224757 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20171003_224810 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20171003_224835 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20171003_224903 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20171003_224822 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

 

[junkenstien]

Cleaned up this little cruiser and put a 29 inch handle on this 2lb6oz zenith.

 

[Agent_H]

Since you asked, the pictures I took and the comparison axes were chosen just to give it some scale.

As found/size comp to other tools:
MixedBag by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

Head weighs 2lbs+. It could or could not be marked but I can’t make it out. Any other reason to have a “nail puller”?
Red Hand by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

Red Hand by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

Gestalt by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

More or less lined up, Top to bottom: “Hollandaze” (The hatchet from Kevin), 1.5lb West German FEDSPEC, 2lb axe in question, and a 2.5lb Woodslasher boy’s axe.
The one in question is just shy of 18" including the protruding tongue above the eye.
Gestalt by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

Gestalt by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

Gestalt by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

Red Hand by Agent Hierarchy, on Flickr

Things I don’t know:
1. What the exact pattern is called(yet),
2. Where that “D-shaped” eye shape predominated then where it spread (outside of Germany for example),
3. From what regions specifically it is or for how long/when it was made,
4. What the prescribed handle length is for different applications,
5. What kind of wood the handle is made from.

Things I know:
1. It hits hard and accurately, and is sharp probably like it hasn’t been in a while,
2. The head is distinctly more wedge-shaped than some at 2lbs,
3. The nail puller is just a rough cut/slit in the bit,
4. The head is about ¾” dropped from where it was,
5. It’s on the handle it came with,
6. The handle wood is heavier/has crazy grain, and gums up my files quick.

The “know’’ and “don’t know” list items there might trade places or change altogether with some discussion/more looking around.

Like it, but should't that be on a shorter handle, with the nail puller? Or are my eyes decieving me?

Pictures can’t fully take place pf holding/using it to gauge for yourself of course but I think it seems pretty much in line with its weight as far as the handle length goes – in hand, if maybe not in the comparison pictures. You could run it shorter as well.

I do have some ideas as to what the pattern would be good at and some other axes that it reminds me of as well. Also some guesses as to where it might be from. I will factor the nail puller in for identification but not for any real use I'll have for it. It really doesn't seem like it would be effective at grabbing and pulling a modern nail, as the bit being so thick where the slit is cut. It does have a decent amount of bit left in it on a "narrower" edge for its size/weight and the steel is as hard with a good file as most other axes I have worked on recently.

Having only used it twice now – once for small firewood processing and then for some stock removal from a longer quarter round, I can say it handles quite a bit better than some and not as good as others. It maybe needs the bevels evenly drawn back some more than they are now to really excel at carving/shaping.

With a little fine tuning it will probably make a mean little axe or large hatchet.
Ideas, input, or information are welcome.

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

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[300Six]

Nail puller on that one head looks to be 'amateur afterthought'. It's not even scalloped inside and the slot is not straight.

 

[jblyttle]

Nail puller on that one head looks to be 'amateur afterthought'. It's not even scalloped inside and the slot is not straight.

That whole head looks hand forged so I'm betting that it is original.

 

[Square_peg]

Nail puller on that one head looks to be 'amateur afterthought'. It's not even scalloped inside and the slot is not straight.

That's what I was thinking, too.

 

[Agent_H]

D-Shape origin: I would say Skandinavia/Denmark/ upper Germany. Skeggox is D shaped, Big danish axe is almost triangle shaped, but sortof a D. So earliest i've seen are roughly 800 A.D. Spread was al the way to Russia, Poland, and the Balkan region. Currently used by Topr axes, 1 single Ochsenkopf maul and thats about it as far as I know? Length handle isnt predefined in Europe by Eye shape like in America. A big Eye could still mean a small handle and vice versa. Old handles where dependant of the place it was used. Skandinavia would probably Be birch, Germany most likely oak. I cant help You with the pattern name though?

Thank you Kevin, that is helpful. I recognize the eye shape as “German” but that is a generalization on my part. It also looks similar of the ones I see in old catalog scans from Germany as well as Slovenia – covers a pretty wide range.

Nail puller on that one head looks to be 'amateur afterthought'. It's not even scalloped inside and the slot is not straight.

That's what I was thinking, too.

I wonder if it isn’t a nailpuller at all – maybe it doesn’t need to be scalloped to function as it should. Maybe that notch is somehow designating the pattern. If it is a “puller” then it doesn’t seem designed to pull modern hardware.

That whole head looks hand forged so I'm betting that it is original.

That is my general impression of it as well.

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

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