Wondering if anyone knows what this might be and if its worth rehandling and sharpening up? I've never sharpened or rehandled an axe so i thought this might be fun (found it at the thrift store), but don't really want to spend time and money on it if its a crappy axe. Only marking I can find is "U.S.A. 3-1/2". It looked really really similar to a photo someone posted of a vintage collins axe head. Your help is appreciated!
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axe head identification/worth fixing?
- Thread starter jacobi
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Hickory n steel
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Looks close to the Collins blue ( my homestead Michigan pattern doesn't say Collins, so maybe there were others that didn't say collins ) maybe they made it for a hardware chain and just used a paper label.
Either way I'd take a file to it and if it seems hard it may be a good user.
Either way I'd take a file to it and if it seems hard it may be a good user.
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Yes but not exactly Jacobi. The file test is a good way to generally figure out if steel is hardened and to compare it to other axes. If you haven't worked on several different axes before and noticed a difference in resistance then the file test isn't helpful - or if you have sharpened a lot and didn't take note at the time. For example, the bit will be hardened and the poll usually not (unless it's purposefully hardened).
Not having experience to compare how much your file bites or slides off isn't a problem though.
Someone might recognize something about your axe that will help with ID of maker or maybe even a relative production time or quality.
Can you get a picture?
Being marked USA is usually a good sign :thumbup:
Square_peg
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You do need some experience use the file test. The oxidation layer on a mediocre axe can be fairly hard to file through. And if you're using a crappy file it would be next to impossible to file. The inexperienced might call that a hard axe where the experienced would quickly get through the oxidation layer and reveal the true softness.