What did you rehang today?

Square_peg · Oct 16, 2018

Looks great! And you've been really productive lately with a bunch of really good finds and hangs.

Yankee Josh · Oct 16, 2018

Well thank you! I would post more but don't like the thought of people scrolling through post after post of the same lunatic(me)! I try to wait to get a couple between my posts. Don't wanna Bogart the thread!!! Hahaha.

Old Axeman · Oct 16, 2018

Yankee Josh- excellent hang (grain aside). You are on fire right now with your axe passion!

Jasper33 · Oct 16, 2018

Yankee Josh said:
I hung this one a couple weeks ago. Thought I'd share it cause i feel it's another quality craftsman(vanadium). Funny how your tastes change the longer you collect! The grain sucks on this handle. It was the correct length though so i used it.

Have a good day!

Perfect fitment on the shoulder, beautiful hang!

Jasper33 · Oct 16, 2018

Found this for 3 dollars, it was pretty rough but for that price I couldn’t leave it there.

I removed about 1/4” of the middle of the bit to even things out and smoothed out the rest of the head.

I did a vinegar soak just to see if there was any tempered material left. I’m not sure, but I think what I saw is the line where the bit was forge welded in. It was still somewhat hard when I filed it.

And the best part was that I used a handle I had sitting around for a long time because the tongue was way to undersized to do a nice hang with. You can see that it’s mostly wedge from the top of the eye. Is it actually useful? No, but I did enjoy working on it, and who knows, maybe the Black Prince will be the new Black Raven!

Shimo · Oct 16, 2018

What a beautiful splitting hatchet! I'm envious.

Jasper33 · Oct 16, 2018

I’ve been wanting a nice flint edge jersey for a while but I just can’t justify the price with duty and shipping. But I did find these two in really rough shape for much less than what one nice one costs.

A Keen Kutter and a Mann True American, although it’s hard to tell with all the pitting.

The Keen Kutter had pretty thin walls around the eye and when I was test fitting the handle a crack developed. So I used a TIG welder to melt and join the material back together, no filler rod.

I intend to use this one for a splitter so I put it on a 34” straight haft which I octagonalized.

I won’t be surprised if I see those cracks reappear, but I will find out one way or another, I’ve got a few rounds to split!

The true American I hung on a 35” vintage Canadian handle I had sitting around. The end had a massive crack, it was warped, and someone had removed a lot of material from the tongue to jam it into a smaller head, even though there was no kerf cut? I glued the crack, immersed the handle in boiling water then straightened it, and got creative with the wedge to make sure the eye was filled. It’s the pitted and polished look, and as rough as it is, it’s one of my favorites because I put it together from a cast off handle and head. Cheers!

Jasper33 · Oct 16, 2018

Shimo said:
What a beautiful splitting hatchet! I'm envious.

Thank you, I thought it may work for splitting if anything.
I tend to use a larger head for splitting kindling. With a large head you barely have to swing it, the weight of the head does the work and I find it much safer.

jblyttle · Oct 17, 2018

IMG_20181017_143319 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

IMG_20181017_143345 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

IMG_20181017_143403 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

IMG_20181017_143410 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

IMG_20181017_143425 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

jblyttle · Oct 17, 2018

IMG_20181017_163653 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

IMG_20181017_163830 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

IMG_20181017_163801 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

IMG_20181017_163818 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

IMG_20181017_163729 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

Jasper33 · Oct 17, 2018

jblyttle said:
IMG_20181017_163653 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20181017_163830 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20181017_163801 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20181017_163818 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20181017_163729 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr

Nice! I like color of your handles. Is that hatchet beveled on both sides?

Yankee Josh · Oct 17, 2018

This was the first axe i posted to the forum.

And while it was a very good hang it was a 36" haft and the axe weighs in at #3-11.5oz. Handle was just too long for this axe in my opinion. So....

This haft is 30-1/2". I love the way white ash looks. Yankee pattern is my favorite to use, but jersey has to be my favorite to look at! This one appears to be an actual "Kelly perfect" patent axe. The newer ones have much flatter cheeks and the bevels aren't very deep like on this one. This one is forge welded and has an over laid bit. Must've been made right around 1930 i think? Thanks for looking!

Square_peg · Oct 17, 2018

It's a fine axe and in exceptional condition. And you're right, the ash is fetching.

phantomknives · Oct 17, 2018

Yankee Josh said:
This was the first axe i posted to the forum.

And while it was a very good hang it was a 36" haft and the axe weighs in at #3-11.5oz. Handle was just too long for this axe in my opinion. So....

This haft is 30-1/2". I love the way white ash looks. Yankee pattern is my favorite to use, but jersey has to be my favorite to look at! This one appears to be an actual "Kelly perfect" patent axe. The newer ones have much flatter cheeks and the bevels aren't very deep like on this one. This one is forge welded and has an over laid bit. Must've been made right around 1930 i think? Thanks for looking!

damn, i knew something was off, it's a bit too crisp to be a TTKP, that thing is beautiful, puts my KP to shame.

Jasper33 · Oct 17, 2018

Yankee Josh said:
This was the first axe i posted to the forum.

And while it was a very good hang it was a 36" haft and the axe weighs in at #3-11.5oz. Handle was just too long for this axe in my opinion. So....

This haft is 30-1/2". I love the way white ash looks. Yankee pattern is my favorite to use, but jersey has to be my favorite to look at! This one appears to be an actual "Kelly perfect" patent axe. The newer ones have much flatter cheeks and the bevels aren't very deep like on this one. This one is forge welded and has an over laid bit. Must've been made right around 1930 i think? Thanks for looking!

Nice hang, both times! Did you make the handle yourself?

jblyttle · Oct 17, 2018

Yankee Josh said:
This was the first axe i posted to the forum.

And while it was a very good hang it was a 36" haft and the axe weighs in at #3-11.5oz. Handle was just too long for this axe in my opinion. So....

Tree killer! Lol.

Agent_H · Oct 17, 2018

Yankee Josh 's hang:

What are the chances of the poll being hardened?

jblyttle · Oct 17, 2018

Jasper33 said:
Nice! I like color of your handles. Is that hatchet beveled on both sides?

Thanks, double bevel but favors one side. These days I am giving a few coats of boiled linseed oil cut with raw turpentine finished with pine tar. Still, the final color is determined by the wood. Fresh light hickory remains mostly unchanged in color, while older NOS handles have a great golden or nut brown color even when treated identically.

Yankee Josh · Oct 17, 2018

Jasper33 said:
Nice hang, both times! Did you make the handle yourself?

I didn't make this one! It's the one pictured here. I have some more ash and oak blanks drying now but its not quite ready.

Agent_H said:
Yankee Josh 's hang:

What are the chances of the poll being hardened?

Good question! I don't think so. I can't bring myself to file very hard on that almost perfect poll but i did give one spot a try and I'm pretty certain it is not hardened. The old fella that owned it before me must've owned a sledge and known when to use it. Unlike half the country it seems. Lol.

Square_peg · Oct 18, 2018

Many Perfects did have hardened polls. Perhaps you could test by striking the axe lightly with a center punch at bit, eye and poll. The resulting marks would give you an idea of the relative hardness of these areas.