What Did You Sharpen Today?

If my memory serves David you use regular stones right? Not diamond stones?
I've mentioned the other ones that have been difficult to file and hone. 3 of them are almost impossible with hand tools.
Another 3 or 4 are almost that hard and this is near that hardness. So I'd say in the middle of the really hard ones.
For me there's average hardness, quite hard, really hard, damn hard and almost impossible! This one is the middle of really hard. It took SO long because it's a fairly large bit. I used a mechanized dremel, non orbital, 2" palm sander (just spinning) for most of it.
This is a pic of how it looked before I touched it;
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Those grooves are deeper than they appear.
This was after a couple hours per side with files and diamond stones;
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Probably have to zoom in to see the depth of the grooves from the factory. I like a challenge so this was a worthwhile and fun undertaking. You should see this thing slice into wood.. I'll have to do a "how sharp this is post"! It's almost sickeningly sharp. It slices through 2" branches with a wwhhTInnggggg.

Is that the Rinaldi you scored from FortyTwoBlades FortyTwoBlades ?

The picture from last night, the slice pic by the pond/lake, hot knife thru butter man!

Most excellent sharpening skill.
Love your pics and work YJ
 
Yankee Josh Yankee Josh , yes, I use mostly a coarse & fine Norton India.Then finish it off on a x fine India at about 500 grit. Sometimes I'll finish a ax or
2 off on a Washita. I haven't noticed any difference on the finished edge from that stone. It's just that the Washita stone is a 4"X8" stone. Making it a dream to work an ax on. I wish I had one more 4"X 8" stone that was a coarse & fine SiC grit. DM
 
I think it'should a straight quench and that residual heat pushes the line forward in the center. With the thin cheeks the edges cool very quickly and can't push the line forward.
I can't figure out how to share a link. So I'm just replying to this hoping that it will pop up at the beginning for Blackcloud.
 
I only WISH i could take one look at (photos,at that;notoriously hard to judge from photos,thanks Josh for making an effort to make the best of it).
IF:The hardness changes as abruptly as it looks(does hardness follow that line?),then chances are it's been heated using an Induction coil...(unless it's a bi-metallic juncture).
But it's fairly natural for many types of heating,whatever's closer to the edge would heat easier/faster,having more area from which heat will penetrate inside the plane of blade.Especially so if the edges are also thinned down some relative the field of blade...

It's extremely difficult to unravel the HT sequence as judged by outwardly visual factors,post factum...
Sometimes easier to call the company and ask...But then other risks are involved...(i once had an entire office at Caterpillar in an uproar,some lady hollering over the phone at me...:)

I don't think the line was caused by the heating but rather by the queching. My reasoning is that I think modern axe factories heated their axes for quenching in salt baths. These baths bring the entire axe up to a uniform temperature. There's plenty of time with this method to ensure that everything is exactly at the required temperature. It's the sudden quenching which doesn't act equally upon the axe. Thinner areas and areas near the edge will cool quickest.
 
Limbed up some low branches with this one, it was file sharp at the time, it cut good but I wanted to take it up a notch. Used a blue artic fox from Baryonyx, its soaks up water and stays wet a long time, still had some deep file marks but they are polished over now, great stones :thumbsup: slices cash register receipts easily.

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Limbed up some low branches with this one, it was file sharp at the time, it cut good but I wanted to take it up a notch. Used a blue artic fox from Baryonyx, its soaks up water and stays wet a long time, still had some deep file marks but they are polished over now, great stones :thumbsup: slices cash register receipts easily.

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7TfMeL1.jpg

aUGskfC.jpg
Very nice! Nice to see someone taking the time to do a good grind on one. I enjoy filing a lot so 90% of mine have banana grinds on em. Makes a good axe a great axe! (Or hatchet).
Although I've found that the vast majority of hatchets don't have the same heat treat as their larger counterparts. So I generally just do a radial grind on them. But sometimes I find it appropriate!
Is your hatchet fairly hard?
Great little sing-song craftsman by the way! :thumbsup::thumbsup::D
 
Yankee Josh Yankee Josh I enjoy filing too so I'll go for a banana grind on a hatchet. This sing song isn't as hard as some of my other hatchets, it files a little easier and hones to a razor edge faster than this American Ax which I honed right after the sing song. The bit is a little thinner at 20 degrees vs 22 on the American Ax, in use not a noticeable difference for me.
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I have a couple of different plumb hatchets, an old marbles #6, more craftsmans etc. They all seem to vary in hardness a little. By far the hardest of my hatchets is the Marbles and an unmarked blacksmith made hatchet with the American Ax coming in 3rd. I had to take the bit back on the blacksmith hatchet to fix a worn toe, wore out a good pferd file and it's still at 30 degrees, I file sharpened it at 30 and used it and the American Ax hatchet at 22 degrees to bust up some mesquite limbs for the smoker. It's a thinner hatchet as you see but despite it's lighter weight it outperformed the American Ax at splitting the dry mesquite which is a very hard wood. For what it's worth comparisons online say it's 2.5 times harder than oak. So I'm thinking I'll leave it at 30 degrees as my designated smoker hatchet :thumbsup:

Thanks Josh

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Yankee Josh Yankee Josh I enjoy filing too so I'll go for a banana grind on a hatchet. This sing song isn't as hard as some of my other hatchets, it files a little easier and hones to a razor edge faster than this American Ax which I honed right after the sing song. The bit is a little thinner at 20 degrees vs 22 on the American Ax, in use not a noticeable difference for me.
C5gZsOh.jpg


I have a couple of different plumb hatchets, an old marbles #6, more craftsmans etc. They all seem to vary in hardness a little. By far the hardest of my hatchets is the Marbles and an unmarked blacksmith made hatchet with the American Ax coming in 3rd. I had to take the bit back on the blacksmith hatchet to fix a worn toe, wore out a good pferd file and it's still at 30 degrees, I file sharpened it at 30 and used it and the American Ax hatchet at 22 degrees to bust up some mesquite limbs for the smoker. It's a thinner hatchet as you see but despite it's lighter weight it outperformed the American Ax at splitting the dry mesquite which is a very hard wood. For what it's worth comparisons online say it's 2.5 times harder than oak. So I'm thinking I'll leave it at 30 degrees as my designated smoker hatchet :thumbsup:

Thanks Josh

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I'm at work and I'll write back more later. I just HAD to comment. HOLY SHIT that AmericanAx is stupid cool... I have been looking for either a lugged hatchet or boys axe for a long time! Man if you ever see something I post of roughly equivalent value that you may be interested in trading please let me know!! K back to work! ;):D:D
 
If my memory serves David you use regular stones right? Not diamond stones?
You should see this thing slice into wood.. I'll have to do a "how sharp this is post"! It's almost sickeningly sharp. It slices through 2" branches with a wwhhTInnggggg.

I've always wondered how practical these style axe heads perform ? What would this thing be best used for in regards to types of wood you'd cut with it ? Felling small OD trees ? Delimbing ? I thought they were more functional Viking cosplay axes.
 
Yankee Josh Yankee Josh Haha! :) Thanks Josh, I really like it so it's a keeper, but if I see another pop up I will shoot you a PM. As you know it's super hard to find a lugged vintage American made hatchet or boys axe. Quinton posted a lugged boys axe awhile back and another guy posted one sevaral years ago but I don't remember his screen name. I picked mine up in December of 2016 on ebay just in time for Christmas, popped up on a Saturday morning reasonably priced as a buy it now, my hand was shaking trying to get it paid for quick, I was scared someone woud beat me to it. I hesitated on a near mint plumb super scout with original handle at a sub 100 buy now and it was gone in the blink on an eye so I didn't want it to happen again. I saw this blue grass hatchet with original handle run at auction last year, If memory serves me it went for north of 200.

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Here is mine as it came to me. I don't believe the handle that came with mine was original, it had a piece busted off the shoulder just behind the poll so I put in on a longer haft. 1.25# head. True Temper stamp on the other side.

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Yankee Josh Yankee Josh I enjoy filing too so I'll go for a banana grind on a hatchet. This sing song isn't as hard as some of my other hatchets, it files a little easier and hones to a razor edge faster than this American Ax which I honed right after the sing song. The bit is a little thinner at 20 degrees vs 22 on the American Ax, in use not a noticeable difference for me.
C5gZsOh.jpg


I have a couple of different plumb hatchets, an old marbles #6, more craftsmans etc. They all seem to vary in hardness a little. By far the hardest of my hatchets is the Marbles and an unmarked blacksmith made hatchet with the American Ax coming in 3rd. I had to take the bit back on the blacksmith hatchet to fix a worn toe, wore out a good pferd file and it's still at 30 degrees, I file sharpened it at 30 and used it and the American Ax hatchet at 22 degrees to bust up some mesquite limbs for the smoker. It's a thinner hatchet as you see but despite it's lighter weight it outperformed the American Ax at splitting the dry mesquite which is a very hard wood. For what it's worth comparisons online say it's 2.5 times harder than oak. So I'm thinking I'll leave it at 30 degrees as my designated smoker hatchet :thumbsup:

Thanks Josh

dKELTFq.jpg
It sounds like our experience with hatchet tempers has just been different. I have some that I've mentioned here before that are just ridiculously hard. Chisel hard. Stupid hard!! But the majority of the several dozen hatchets that I have are almost always pretty soft. And being fairly thin already I just usually file a simple 25° convex radial grind on them and call it good. You know something safe so it'll cut and you can limb with it and do other things without fear of a rolled edge or ding etc.
Uses play a big part in it too. If I used hatchets more than I do I'd probably want them a little keener.
My side hatchets and bench axes are generally comparable in hardness to full size axes in my experience so those get thinner grinds.
I do have a Stanley sweetheart 4 square house axe that I put a banana grind on.
Great job spending the time on 'em man. Provided your edges last it makes the whole experience that much better to have them filed and honed properly. Plus, and this is no small consideration, it makes them look really good too! :D:thumbsup::thumbsup:
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My Marbles I would call crazy hard, brand new pferd 10" bastard was the only file to bite, several usa Nicholsons just skate, None of my craftsman or plumbs are like that, the little blacksmith hatchet is close. Great looking Stanley :thumbsup: , I've admired your rehangs for awhile, great tight fits every time :thumbsup:

It sounds like our experience with hatchet tempers has just been different. I have some that I've mentioned here before that are just ridiculously hard. Chisel hard. Stupid hard!! But the majority of the several dozen hatchets that I have are almost always pretty soft. And being fairly thin already I just usually file a simple 25° convex radial grind on them and call it good. You know something safe so it'll cut and you can climb with it and do other things without fear of a rolled edge or ding etc.
Uses play a big part in it too. If I used hatchets more than I do I'd probably want them a little keener.
My side hatchets and bench axes are generally comparable in hardness to full size axes in my experience so those get thinner grinds.
I do have a Stanley sweetheart 4 square house axe that I put a banana grind on.
Great job spending the time on 'em man. Provided your edges last it makes the whole experience that much better to have them filed and honed properly. Plus, and this is no small consideration, it makes them look really good too! :D:thumbsup::thumbsup:
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I enjoy filing a lot so 90% of mine have banana grinds on em. Makes a good axe a great axe!

Couldn't agree more. It makes such a huge difference in how they cut.

And as I've said before the shape of the cheeks will determine the shape of the banana. Thin cheeks will make a half banana while highly convexed cheeks will make a full banana. These latter are my favorite choppers. You've done a bunch of them lately and I like them all.
 
Couldn't agree more. It makes such a huge difference in how they cut.

And as I've said before the shape of the cheeks will determine the shape of the banana. Thin cheeks will make a half banana while highly convexed cheeks will make a full banana. These latter are my favorite choppers. You've done a bunch of them lately and I like them all.
Wait till you see my Spiller....;):D:D:D
It was only about 10% harder to file than my best E&S axes. But the steel has another property to it that I'm finding it difficult to explain. It's just tougher. Very resilient and I can tell it's the best quality steel I've ever put a file to! I already know from past experience that this edge will last for a very long time.
It is the benchmark in my collection hands down. I cannot recommend finding one highly enough for any of you.
The company started in 1926 and Mark Spiller died in '45. In between he supposedly tempered every axe that left his shop.
So you want to look for one between those years. If it's lacking a date than look for Oakland, Maine instead of Oakland, ME.
I can almost promise it'll be the best steel you've ever come across!!
 
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Decided to spend a little time touching up some edges yesterday. First is a small hatchet I got in NH years ago; it's filed down almost to the temper line but I still find something to appreciate about its form and it'll be a good one to keep in the truck without having to worry much about taking care of it.

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The second one is maybe an old wedge pattern. It would make sense if it came from Maine, the poll was just thrashed from being used as a hammer. Still sharpens up nice though. Maker's mark is deep but still manages to be hard to read. I think the last name is Putnam... maybe. Obviously it could use a little clean up, but yesterday I was just focused on the sharp end.

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Decided to spend a little time touching up some edges yesterday. First is a small hatchet I got in NH years ago; it's filed down almost to the temper line but I still find something to appreciate about its form and it'll be a good one to keep in the truck without having to worry much about taking care of it.

ot0Gt3s.jpg

Fe3B1Ql.jpg


The second one is maybe an old wedge pattern. It would make sense if it came from Maine, the poll was just thrashed from being used as a hammer. Still sharpens up nice though. Maker's mark is deep but still manages to be hard to read. I think the last name is Putnam... maybe. Obviously it could use a little clean up, but yesterday I was just focused on the sharp end.

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Well it's definitely a wedge! Haha. Can you take a closer photo of the makers mark? I've never been good at seeing a typed word and trying match it. I do much better if I can see the stamp. Putnam doesn't ring any bells for a Maine maker. But there could be one!!
 
It’s been a real long time since I posted, and I have touched up my skill over the years. I wanted to post up my axe that I’ve been religiously working on for over 12hrs of work or so. I got it to razor sharp. Not much to do, and I’m tired of sitting around watching Netflix so I decided to get off the chair and do something that I haven’t in a while. The axe has one small bad spot at the bottom tip from my poor judgement. Luckily I only did that spot as a mistake.
 
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