Correct size handle and steel quality question

W

weidmark

Joined
Feb 22, 2012
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Hi,

I have an old axe of my father's I have no idea when he got it or where he got it from. I was going to try my hand at re-hanging it. My two questions are,

1 . how can you tell whether or not it is decent steel. I guess this is only worth doing if the head is made of half decent steel. Could someone tell me if it looks to be decent steel just by the photos?
2. If I weight the head then go to a hardware store and buy any handle that is about right for the weight, will it fit okay with some work? Or do I need a specific handle for a specific head?

Thanks for any help

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You can re use that same handle if you want.
Will the head slide off as is? If not, drill with a small bit about an 1-1/2 down all over the wedge being careful not to get outside the wedge. Pick it out then slide the head off and clean what you will then re hang it with a new wedge. Looks like a boys axe handle. 25-28"?
 
.30WCF said:
You can re use that same handle if you want.
Will the head slide off as is? If not, drill with a small bit about an 1-1/2 down all over the wedge being careful not to get outside the wedge. Pick it out then slide the head off and clean what you will then re hang it with a new wedge. Looks like a boys axe handle. 25-28"?
Click to expand...

Hi,

Its hard to tell from the pictures but the top of the handle was not flush with the top of the head it was about 1/4 inch lower. The head was not sliding off, but it didn't seem like it would be safe to use it that way. I was able to hit the head down with a hammer slightly, so now the top of the handle sticks out about 1/4 over the head. I measure the handle and it is 31" top to bottom.
 
Looks like it might be a cast head, based on the circular marks on either side.
 
The head doesn't look particularly old of very high quality, birthed only way to tell if the steel is good is to take a good file to it and another head of known quality to compare the two.

You'll probably just have to go for it and determine its quality from your experiences with it ( ie. weather the edge dull or rolls easily, or even chips out )
 
The circular marks look like someone had used a C clamp to clamp it down likly for sharpening. Looking down from the top it does appear to have a slight high centerline making me think it was not cast. I would guess that it's a decent quality axe. I can't be for sure but it almost looks upsidedown in the pictures. I would take the above advice and drill out the wedge and rehang after determining the proper orientation and setting it a bit lower on the handle. Don't hit an axe with a hammer, from about an inch or two back behind the edge is left soft and will readily deform, especially the eye. I've spent some effort on a number of axes that were abused in this way. If the eye is damaged it can also affect the process of hanging it on a handle.
 
Hacked said:
The circular marks look like someone had used a C clamp to clamp it down likly for sharpening. Looking down from the top it does appear to have a slight high centerline making me think it was not cast. I would guess that it's a decent quality axe. I can't be for sure but it almost looks upsidedown in the pictures. I would take the above advice and drill out the wedge and rehang after determining the proper orientation and setting it a bit lower on the handle. Don't hit an axe with a hammer, from about an inch or two back behind the edge is left soft and will readily deform, especially the eye. I've spent some effort on a number of axes that were abused in this way. If the eye is damaged it can also affect the process of hanging it on a handle.
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Cast axes can have high centerlines. And the marks look like the spitting image of ones I've seen on cast modern Truper axes. Being cast isn't necessarily a sign that the axe is low quality, though. It's just there are good ways and bad ways to cast an axe head. Jauregi Basque axes are cast and have a high centerline, and by all accounts they're considered excellent axes.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Cast axes can have high centerlines. And the marks look like the spitting image of ones I've seen on cast modern Truper axes. Being cast isn't necessarily a sign that the axe is low quality, though. It's just there are good ways and bad ways to cast an axe head. Jauregi Basque axes are cast and have a high centerline, and by all accounts they're considered excellent axes.
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Didn't mean to imply that cast = low quality. Like you said it all depends. I have not seen casting marks like that personally so my mind jumped elsewhere. The high centerline led me to believe that it was ground after being forged, but you are right, no reason it couldn't be done with casting.
 
It's probably not the original handle. Pull the head as suggested, and seat it lower using rasps/sandpaper to slim the handle a bit and re-wedge it. The profile will require a good bit of profiling with a file though unless it'll only be used for splitting.
 
weidmark said:
. . .
2. If I weight the head then go to a hardware store and buy any handle that is about right for the weight, will it fit okay with some work? . . .
Click to expand...
You cannot count on the weight for fit, measure the eye. DAMHIK :o

Bob
 
The more I look at your bit it reminds me of this West German hatchet in shape, also take the bit to a hardware store and check for size.

 
Whatever 'flat slab' handle is on this at the moment is a 1990s-thru 2010 phenomenon from when producers were chintzing on everything. If all this is original (and probably is) you have a 10-25 year old axe.
This era was also the final transition from domestic-made to offshore production and the flat cheeks on your's don't make me optimistic. The blue paint colour is typical of Swede goodies for over half a century but they generally stamped their stuff. A file test on the blade will provide answers; if it's soft and easy to sharpen you don't have much of an heirloom.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I removed the head using the method post in this thread. The head weighs 4lbs. I have it sitting in some evaporust to see if i can clean it a bit. I will try the file thing next. Although it will be hard for me to tell if lots or little steel is coming off as I have never had to file an axe before. I would really rather not have to file one of my GB axes too just for a comparison.
 
Tractor supply had some axes on clearance today for $8.99. The handles looked just like that. I actually thought of this thread when I saw them.
 
weidmark said:
Thanks for all the replies. I removed the head using the method post in this thread. The head weighs 4lbs. I have it sitting in some evaporust to see if i can clean it a bit. I will try the file thing next. Although it will be hard for me to tell if lots or little steel is coming off as I have never had to file an axe before. I would really rather not have to file one of my GB axes too just for a comparison.
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If you're serious about maintaining 'sharp' tools it's time you learned to use an axe file! Running a file over one of your GBs will be informative and give you a good comparison. The 4 pounder is currently dull as 'all get-out' unless your intent is to use it for splitting instead of cutting.
Not sure where you are located but Garant Industries of Canada finally woke up and stopped manufacturing 'flat slab' handles. Via starting out with 6/4 blanks instead of 4/4 they are now back to offering generous swells and shoulders instead of the uncomfortable versions they made during the past 20 years.
Below are old flat slab (7/8 thick) VS their new (1 1/4") handles.

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