Black Raven value?

Status
Not open for further replies.
As per rules of the forum, if you are not a paying member of this site you won't likely get anyone giving you a clear answer with an exact dollar value.

That being said, with the embossing barely visible and the weld, you aren't looking at it being worth much at all.
 
Discussing potential value is verboten on here unless you're a gold member. Certainly looks to be a Black Raven but in lesser collectible condition than the majority of ones that show up at auction. Keep your eye out for what they're publically going for, cross your fingers and then have a go at it yourself.
Perfect examples go for large sums ($500+?) but collectors are fickle and everything quickly goes downhill from there.
 
Wow I didn't know about value questions being frowned upon unless you're a gold member. Based on both of your comments though, I'm assuming it's worth more to use than to sell so I appreciate it.
 
live2hunt72 said:
Wow I didn't know about value questions being frowned upon unless you're a gold member. Based on both of your comments though, I'm assuming it's worth more to use than to sell so I appreciate it.
Click to expand...

In this particular situation I don't think it matters. Horrible welds (and what they cover up) don't thrill anyone whether for physical use or for wall decoration.
 
There may still be some value in it. I'd clean up the whole thing real good with a brass wire cup brush on an angle grinder. Then carefully grind the weld smooth and flush with a flap disc being extra careful not to touch the stamp. Then patina the weld area with some mustard or a paper towel soaked with pickle juice. Alternately you could rust blue the whole axe.

The weld will still show but it won't be so obvious and look so bad. I wouldn't do anything with the knick in the blade or the slight mushrooming on the poll. The only thing you should remove is the excess weld.
 
Square_peg said:
There may still be some value in it. I'd clean up the whole thing real good with a brass wire cup brush on an angle grinder. Then carefully grind the weld smooth and flush with a flap disc being extra careful not to touch the stamp. Then patina the weld area with some mustard or a paper towel soaked with pickle juice. Alternately you could rust blue the whole axe.

The weld will still show but it won't be so obvious and look so bad. I wouldn't do anything with the knick in the blade or the slight mushrooming on the poll. The only thing you should remove is the excess weld.
Click to expand...

Your advice is sound Peg. But by the time that weld has been attempted to 'make disappear' (at what point do you quit?) you may wind up worse off than when you started. Tough call on whether you want to tangle with this or not. For sure you'll have 1/2 day's worth of effort (what's that worth to you?) into it if you're serious. Some stick welders are absolute masters at their craft but the majority hide ill preparedness and inexperience under a thick bead. Then all you're left with is sander/grinder marks that thoroughly expose a bad break.
 
There's lots of blade left on this one (many lower-priced Ravens are entirely worn out) so tangling with the weld and whatever damage is underneath is certainly worth a shot if you'd actually like to use it.
 
Although you might put in more money than the monetary value of the head, if the weld is poor, you can have it re-welded. I'd hang it on the wall as a conversation piece. And discuss the history of the Ravens. Or maybe a B.S. story about how great grandpa was chopping wood in the dead of winter when the ax broke:( Elaborate as needed. I do let those listening that it is a 'story'.
 
The presence of a weld that size and shape makes me wonder if it was merely a crack that was fixed, or did this head suffer some kind of massive failure?
 
wildernessknife&tool said:
The presence of a weld that size and shape makes me wonder if it was merely a crack that was fixed, or did this head suffer some kind of massive failure?
Click to expand...

Even if it wasn't a failure, the other possibility isn't really any better. Based on the skill demonstrated I would be willing to be that either the crack wasn't ground out and just gobbed over or it was a very sloppy grind job that needed a wide weld to fill in. The weld itself looks like it might have been done with gasless flux core with a little 110v buzz box.

It's liable to be a can of worms digging into that one unless you're just looking for a wall hanger.
 
wildernessknife&tool said:
The presence of a weld that size and shape makes me wonder if it was merely a crack that was fixed, or did this head suffer some kind of massive failure?
Click to expand...

I finally clicked the pictures and oh god that weld. What he said ^. That ain't the best looking weld either, whatever you find under it, have it welded properly if needed. That weld looks poor to me so that head was probably abused to hell. I'm willing to bet that chip is as old as that weld and the weld was done by some guy who happen to have his dad's welder around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If its truly too far gone to be an axe again, a guy could have fun cutting its embossed area to create some kind of "BlackRaven" art piece such as a paperweight or beltbuckle.
 
I bet someone just tested a bead on that head. I'd grind it off and mag it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top