first post/intro and flea market haul.

rockman0

rockman0

Gold Member
Joined
May 5, 2013
Messages
3,106
Hello everyone! Name is Robert and I signed up here a couple of years back and got sidetracked. I recently took an interest in axes and have learned a great deal of info from this forum which resulted in my axe fever. My wife thinks I'm crazy, she just shook her head when I drug these axes home. Oh well, she will get over it.

First up is this mess of a double bit, I really wonder why anyone thought it was a good idea to paint a rotten broken handled rusty axe. I'm hoping there will be markings under the paint, we will find out soon. 8.5" with 4" cutting edges. Spent 10 bucks.
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Next place I stopped I got this pair for 25 bucks, I really like the little Norlund and not sure if I should try to save the label or not, you can't read it so i guess take it off, opinions on that will be appreciated. The Norlund is 12" overall length. Bit is 5.25" with 3 1/8" edge. Original handle and it's still nice and tight. Just needs sharpening and a little tlc.
The ideal hatchet with nail puller is pretty cool too.




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Sweet haul, 25 bucks for just the Norlund alone is a massive steal, let alone that paired with another hatchet. Don't know anything on the ideal hatchet but the DB could be a TT Kelly Perfect but who knows till the paint is off. I'd recommend a couple hour vinegar soak, scrub it a bit with steel wool or even use a butter knife to chip some paint off. I had a first-run Craftsman rockaway pattern in similar shape, couldn't tell who the maker was due to the paint. Lucky for you it appears that the paint will come off fairly easy.

I'll leave it at that Norlund, even just the head, sells for about 70-100 bucks on Ebay, with a handle it's more. You could pay for your entire day's find twice, maybe even three times over with ONE of your finds. Keep the label on, don't touch the Patina on it, just put an edge on there and use it! Or sell it, up to you.
 
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Norlund looks to be in great shape. It will be interesting to see what the double bit is! Great finds.
 
I've been watching ebay prices and when I saw the $14.50 price tag on the Norlund that made my day! So grabbed the Ideal hatchet with a $16.50 tag and offered 25 for the pair and he took the cash. I appreciate the advice on the Norlund Darth and I think I'll sharpen it and leave the label on. I would like to stabilize the rust, it's crusty in spots, maybe fine steel wool with a little oil?

Thanks Tymowens, ill post pics of the double bit with the paint gone.
 
Coat it in some sort of oil, WD-40, 3 in 1, BLO, stuff like that. Leave it sitting over night to let the oil work into the crud and wipe it down and it should be stabilized. None of these require any real serious restoration besides oiling, maybe some steel wool, and sharpening. Great finds for an AMAZING value.
 
DarthTaco123 said:
Coat it in some sort of oil, WD-40, 3 in 1, BLO, stuff like that. Leave it sitting over night to let the oil work into the crud and wipe it down and it should be stabilized. None of these require any real serious restoration besides oiling, maybe some steel wool, and sharpening. Great finds for an AMAZING value.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll just work around the label.
 
The Norlund Hudson Bay hatchet is a prize if resale is what you're looking for. These short-eye implements have severe shortcomings for actual use but they do look pretty. The red-painted double bit is domestic and probably on it's 3rd or 4th coat of paint after being relegated to 'emergency tool' in a tractor or truck after the handle broke (deliberate or accidental) 1/2 century ago.
However; You are now becoming fixated on old implements and cleaning them up and learning to resurrect and use them is a worthy goal.
 
300Six said:
The Norlund Hudson Bay hatchet is a prize if resale is what you're looking for. These short-eye implements have severe shortcomings for actual use but they do look pretty. The red-painted double bit is domestic and probably on it's 3rd or 4th coat of paint after being relegated to 'emergency tool' in a tractor or truck after the handle broke (deliberate or accidental) 1/2 century ago.
However; You are now becoming fixated on old implements and cleaning them up and learning to resurrect and use them is a worthy goal.
Click to expand...

That's good insight. The little Norlund is a sexy little thing but not big enough to cut much. I bought knowing it was a steal but will just hang on to it awhile and see where the market goes. I've done that with a few custom folders in the past few years, flipped a few from the hot makers and turned around and bought from some undervalued makers with great quality and stuck em in my edc rotation. Just having fun with it and enjoying it tremendously.

Glad to be getting into breathing life back into some vintage tools, I used the the ideal hatchet today to help get the handle out of the red double bit. Good times!
 
Got most the paint off, that was some high quality paint! Found some watered down eco friendly graffiti remover under the sink and that helped speed up the process. Back in vinegar tonght. I don't see any markings.
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Top image looks like a line running down the mid, looks like it might be the beginning of this? (Not my axe)
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Good eye Darth. I thought that was possibly a line but just can't see it well enough yet. just hoping and waiting on the vinegar. I'll scrub it when I get home and update with more pics tonight.
 
Check out those temper lines.
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And it is a Kelly Perfect. I don't see any ridges in the eye but still got paint in there to clean out. So should I let it soak in the vinegar another day or will that fade the markings more?
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Those are some fine axes you posted Double Ott! Just adding fuel to the fire, I have to go hit more flea markets !
 
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