COTS Project Thread

rockman0 said:
Turned out great COTS, the stain on the handle excellent!
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Thanks!


Square_peg said:
That is a very good approximation of Plumb color. Right in the range of classic Plumb axes. Well done!
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Square_peg said:
I actually prefer those handles that don't drink the BLO. I think they're sounder handles to begin with. Really good second growth hickory won't suck up much BLO.
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I always kind of wondered if it was some indication of possible quality, but I could never tell by "looking" ya know. Thanks Square!


daniel.sorrels said:
I know this is going waaay back, but these side by side "no names" have gorgeous handles! Presume they are original or if not where are they from? Really like the double curve look.
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I think maybe you are referring to the file name? The next to last pic? That is actually the same axe just two pictures spliced together. That is a new House Handle (32" if I remember correctly) that just happened to be pretty nice - in fact, today I would have actually thinned the upper half a little more. It was all heart wood just by chance. The top two pics show the same axe as it came to me. It's hard to tell if it is the original handle but I am betting it was. I still have it, and use it as a pattern. In pic #3 (with the double bit) you are seeing the handle from the worn out Keen Kutter just cleaned up a little. It ended up on a 1910 Douglas wall hanger. It's not quite as nice, but the nicer of the two was slightly damaged. Also in pic #3 is the no name head hung on the new handle. That was a really nice axe for having no markings on it. Daniel, why is your name so familiar to me?


jblyttle said:
That is a $100+ axe if I have ever seen one. I can't tell you how nice that is.
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Thanks jb! Mostly been fondling it around the house.
 
Yes, that's the pic I was referring to, and sounds like you got a gem from HH's...I don't seem to get that lucky. The originals have very nice lines/curves that you just don't see on new handles; glad you kept the old ones. I've been considering OX handles lately just b/c they seem to have nicer lines. You have any experience with them? I prefer the thin "elegant" look of the older handles.
Not sure about the name familiarity...Texan (East Tx) born and raised if that helps any?
 
I'm not familiar with the OX (is it Ox-Head?). I have always wanted to get a competition axe handle to try out though. I wonder if that is what they are? I notice they are listed as 28" (which I assume is what most competition handles are) but maybe that source doesn't have much selection. Where do you get them?

It's true that you can get hit or miss with the HH handles and I did get lucky on that one because it was pretty nice (actually probably one of the nicest finished handles I had received up to that point). All my other handles are HH but I have them sent to me rough turned. I have just mentally told myself that a ready-to-hang handle no longer exists and I just expect to have to do some work to them to get them right. I think it would be fun to take a crack at having to "mass produce" an old style handle at a place like HH. As far as I know their equipment is pretty much the same as the old days. But the quest for handles sculpted like they once were is pretty universal around here.

I'm terrible with names, but it's just probably that I know someone with the same name. I was thinking someone who ordered something from me in the past but who knows.
 
Bridger said:
Are these all made from first pass handles from House? I have a bunch of 8/4 hickory for making them from scratch, but a pre-made handle would save a lot of time for hanging my less valuable user heads. The finished handles have the knob rounded off by the sander and don't have wood where I need it at the knob.
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No idea how I missed your comment, apologies. Yes these are first pass handles and that is my experience as well - the finished handles just don't have the swell they should have.


And this project seems to want to carry on. The setup on the mask just wasn't suiting me so I scrounged another piece of matching lace and altered the design a little.
plumb_jersey_project2 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

plumb_jersey_project3 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
 
COTS, I'm curious how well wood stain would work, if you or anyone else has tried it I would like to hear pros and cons to wood stain vs leather stain. Thanks
 
rockman0 said:
COTS, I'm curious how well wood stain would work, if you or anyone else has tried it I would like to hear pros and cons to wood stain vs leather stain. Thanks
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In this case, this handle would not take wood stain. If you go back to the start of this Plumb project I talked about trying wood stain first and you can sort of see some red color on it before I put the leather dye on. I mean, I fully expected wood stain to work great. I feel like this is a good piece of Hickory. I don't know how to describe it but the wood feels hard and dense. Square_peg mentioned that his impression is wood that doesn't just drink BLO is probably the better wood, and I can see that here. So it could just be that hickory is not a good candidate for stain, or it was a poor quality stain. I know that axe handles have been colored in various ways for a long time and more industrial processes are capable of coloring just about anything in the natural world, but my handle just wasn't interested in wood stain. Ultimately, at least with leather dye, I can't see any cons. There is almost none on the handle - it takes so little to do the job and it's as thin as water, which you might expect to raise the grain but in this case, and probably because there is so little applied, it didn't. I think there is a correlation with the absorption rate of the wood. The wood stain is oil based, it wouldn't drink BLO either - oils just weren't penetrating - which suggests to me that the wood is dense. On the other hand, if it works, how could there be any cons to using wood stain on wood?
 
The wood stain is oil based, it wouldn't drink BLO either - oils just weren't penetrating - which suggests to me that the wood is dense. On the other hand, if it works, how could there be any cons to using wood stain on wood?[/QUOTE]

Appreciate the explanation. Sorry, I missed the part about you trying the wood stain. Makes sense. I'm going to try some wood stain on some handles I've got ready to hang. If any of them don't like it I'll move to leather dye, thanks
 
It's actually Oschsenkopf, OX is a line they produce. Baileys on-line carries a lot of their replacement handles, but you really have to refer to their main site in order to get the size details. Mainly ash though which is my only hangup. Figured it'd be worth a shot as they appear to have the lines I'm looking for. We shall see. Keep up the great work and if you come across some old graceful hafts keep me in mind :)
 
Square_peg said:
I would physically examine those handles before purchase. Many or most German axes have a different shape eye than American axes.
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Any idea of who might carry? I'm willing to spend a bit more to get the overall look I'm trying to achieve even if it has to be worked down a bit. I mentioned it elsewhere, but the Oschsenkopf knowledge section has the specific eye size info for each handle code if you need it. I couldn't figure out the coding otherwise. Note: it's all in mm's
 
But $42?!?!?! It would have to be spectacular in every possible way. SPEC - TAC - U - LAR!

Today's projects are brought to you by our man jb. I want to get more hands involved in wood collection/processing this year - more rounds being split at once - so I got set up with a couple more wedges, the 7lb sledge and a 6lb maul. Plus the 3-1/2lb unit for miscellaneous beating. Kinda went back and forth on the handle lengths but ended up making the smaller hammer 18" just to make it more multipurpose. 30" handles on the other two. Did some playing with the handle on the 3-1/2 pounder. I had seen some hammer handles in old catalog pages that showed them half octagon and decided it was something unique.


hammers_maul2 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

hammers_maul1 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

octagon_hammer by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
 
Very cool, especially the octagonalized portion of the 3.5#. That maul looks great as well. I've only used a maul with 34-36" handles. Come to think of it, they all have been axe-eyes.

Flat, sharp lines and really nice blending.
 
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Those are nice. Some of the stuff that I sell is top notch desirable and that stuff pays for all of my time and travel. Some of the stuff that I sell is lower end and priced accordingly for the bargain hunter. And some of the stuff is just like this- top quality diamonds in the rough that I don't have the time to deal with appropriately. Actually, most of what I find and sell falls into that category. Great quality tools from the past that need the right person to bring them back and make them what they are supposed to be. I don't have the skill for some of them and don't have the time for most of them. This is my favorite outcome, bargains for the skilled to make certain things great proud tools once more.
 
Thanks guys. JB, these are great - in really nice condition and much appreciated!

I have also only used 36 inch handles on mauls so we'll just see how this is. If something compels me to change it, then I'll switch it up.
 
jblyttle said:
Great quality tools from the past that need the right person to bring them back and make them what they are supposed to be... This is my favorite outcome, bargains for the skilled to make certain things great proud tools once more.
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I believe this and it's really great that you do this - appreciated. Hope you don't mind my chop on the quote.

COTS- you do a super job on those hammers. Well, everything you put together is great but the straight handles on these and the smith's hammers from a few updates ago are awesome as well. I am trying to hang a 2.5lb hammer (from JB as well) and it's frustrating me. Can't seem to "keep my eye on the ball".

Don't want to clutter your thread too much though.
 
Agent_H said:
I believe this and it's really great that you do this - appreciated. Hope you don't mind my chop on the quote.

COTS- you do a super job on those hammers. Well, everything you put together is great but the straight handles on these and the smith's hammers from a few updates ago are awesome as well. I am trying to hang a 2.5lb hammer (from JB as well) and it's frustrating me. Can't seem to "keep my eye on the ball".

Don't want to clutter your thread too much though.
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I'm happy to help if I can - fire away. Hammers are something else - no two eyes alike. That's what prompted me to move to the cross wedge.
 
Most of the Ball peen, sledges (small and large), and smith's hammers that I have experience with have little to no shoulder. In fact, a lot are straight tapered.

Is that purposeful? For example: grip it right under the head to swing at offset angles, hand fatigue with or without gloves, or for lighter strikes?

Kind of a silly question I know.

This one is a 2.5# Atha, oval more than round eye. I keep stepping away from it confused lol.

Too many axes maybe?

hPqJmPs.jpg
 
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