Estwing Sportsman’s Axe E24A Review

In the spirit of lawyer speak, I did say "could take a long time". :) Cheap files will not work on a good axe. Thanks for the correction, I would not want to guide someone to a noisy, messy, dangerous tool if there is a hand tool that works right. Creating an extension of the eastwings natural convex shape and extending that profile forward into the cutting edge seems difficult to me using a flat file, but I was thinking along the lines of totally reshaping the last inch or more of the blade, in a sense, eliminating most of the "bevel" and working towards a much thinner profile before the cutting bevel starts.
 
M3mphis said:
Get a couple good files and a file card and you can really get down to business.
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I think one thing that deters would be filers from giving it a real go is the oxidation layer (patina) found on many axes. That layer is notably harder than the underlying steel. But once you've cut through it you've got smooth sailing. Work through a tiny patch. Then work out from that patch. The file's teeth will bite under the oxidation layer and lift it from below. Use the file card often during that stage. Once you're in clean metal a firm tap of the file against the back of your calf will usually clear any chips.

Another important point is experimenting with different speeds and pressures. Sometimes you need to bear down, sometimes you need to lighten up. If your file is skipping or chirping then you need to stop what you're doing. You'll only dull your file that way. Slow down, speed up or change pressure. If nothing works then maybe you have a dull file or too coarse of file.
 
I have two Estwing 24A's and a blue handled Estwing camp axe.
While i generally prefer wood handles the Estwings are solid reliable axes.
And i finally found a 14A , its currently in the hands of the post office and will be at my doorstep soon!
 
I had a little 12" Estwing hatchet that I got for cheap from a flea market last year. It had a really thin profile, and didn't take much to make it real sharp. It actually chopped really well for it's size, at least until the leather fell off the handle! (mine was probably 50 years old, so I wasn't surprised) Still, I was impressed. Not a great bushcrafting hatchet because it's not comfortable to choke up on, but as a general purpose hatchet around the yard or camp, it was great.
 
RockyMtnBushcraft said:
I had a little 12" Estwing hatchet that I got for cheap from a flea market last year. It had a really thin profile, and didn't take much to make it real sharp. It actually chopped really well for it's size, at least until the leather fell off the handle! (mine was probably 50 years old, so I wasn't surprised) Still, I was impressed. Not a great bushcrafting hatchet because it's not comfortable to choke up on, but as a general purpose hatchet around the yard or camp, it was great.
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Cool! What did you do with it? Rehandle it?
 
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