Did I do a really bad thing?? (Axe Newbie here) Pic of Collins Axe added.

Col Defender

Col Defender

Joined
Nov 11, 2011
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1,398
Hi
I've been a gun and knife guy for a while but not axes etc. But lately I've been hanging around on the axe sub-forum and have begun to learn just a little.

24 years ago we bought this place in the country with an old farmhouse and barns and stuff and I found an old axe on the property. I used it until the handle broke and not knowing any better, about 15 years ago went to the hardware store and got a fiberglass handle for it and have used it that way ever since. But I did not know anything about axe history.

This morning, armed with a tiny bit of knowledge, I went out to the shed to look at it and it turns out to be a Collins. So did I screw up by putting fiberglass on a vintage axe?

And just a couple of other newbie questions:
1. What is the right tool to sharpen an axe which gets used? I have everything from right angle grinder, belt sander, a whole variety of knife sharpening stones etc.

2. Is it a no no to paint a vintage axe head? This collins has remnants of grey paint on it and I cannot honestly remember if I did that to it years ago or that is actually original.

Thanks.
 
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You can use whatever handle you want. I like the feel of wood for the handle but it's certainly a preference thing. Fiberglass is certainly less worry and maintenance. As for sharpening I use a file and stone. Start with the file to work out the chips and even the edge and get it as sharp as you can with the file. Then move to the stone. That old Collins is a great axe. You can paint it if you want. It'll work either way so whatever you like best go for it. That's part of the fun of using axes is the ability to kind of customize them to your liking.

Throw a pic up of that axe sometime :)
 
It's all personal preference on what type of handle. For me a wooden handle works and looks best on a vintage axe. There are plenty of online companies (House handle and Hickory Handle store being two) where you can get wooden handles.

Personally, I use a mill bastard file and arkansas and japanese stones to re-profile and sharpen. An axe to grind (google it) is a good resource on how-to.

Paint is a personal preference as well. Personally I've found it doesn't stay on an axe head that sees use.

pics?
 
Thanks for the quick answers guys - I did throw a pic up - any ideas about its age? Is this collectible at all? Whether collectible or not it will continue to get used around here but I'll now try to take better care of it.:)
 
I don't know much about fiberglass handles, but it doesn't look like the one you used fits the head you used. What is the weight of the head?

Personally, I'd only use the handle you have until you can get a nice hickory one that is cut to fit the eye in your head. I think Collins were usually blue and your picture shows a little blue in it. Painting the head will provide a certain level of protection.
 
The blue paint left over on it would most likely mean its post 1966 probably, so made my Mann - might be a homestead but they usually said homestead on them.....

Oh, and use whatever handle you want, or paint it, its your axe, do what you like! There is no absolute right or wrong, though some will tell u there is. Do whatcha like.
 
I use a wire wheel "cup" shaped brush on my angle grinder to clean up axe heads, works great.
Also use a small table top bench grinder to do rough sharpening, if I have alot to remove.
Just be careful not to heat up the blade.
 
cooperhill said:
It's all personal preference on what type of handle. For me a wooden handle works and looks best on a vintage axe. There are plenty of online companies (House handle and Hickory Handle store being two) where you can get wooden handles.

Are handles from these companies better than what is available locally in the big hardware chains?
Click to expand...
 
Col Defender said:
cooperhill said:
It's all personal preference on what type of handle. For me a wooden handle works and looks best on a vintage axe. There are plenty of online companies (House handle and Hickory Handle store being two) where you can get wooden handles.

Are handles from these companies better than what is available locally in the big hardware chains?
Click to expand...

in general, I'd say yes - those handle companies have much better quality. The hardware stores around me (Ace and others) carry some decent O.P. link handles. I find the full sized O.P. Link handles to be of poor quality. Their cruiser and boys axe handles seem to be decent. Lowe's double bit axe handles seem to be ok but I haven't seen any single bit axe handles at Lowes or Home Depot worth what they are asking.
Click to expand...
 
I've only seen House and OP link. With House you can order "hand select" and no varnish,
I've gotten good grain orientation this way. I liked the profile of the OP Link handles I've seen
but the grain orientation was bad.
 
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