Found dead axes and hatchets.

S

scottyj

Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
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I posted this in the photo thread, so I'll post it here too. You guys do beautiful restoration work on old axes/hatchets, and I come across old dead axes, and hatchets almost daily. I'm in the garbage business, and find broken handled axes and hatchets in the transfer station pile just about every day. If I save these old heads do you guys want them? Clean up, sharpen, and re handle them? You can have them for free. I just want these old tools to have a new life. I will post here on what I find. Let me know if this is cool. Thanks. :thumbup:
 
I'm positive someone will want them especially if you're offering them free. Some people may only be interested in ones with the identifying marks on it still as most unmarked axes don't sell for more than 30-40 bucks so if it needs a lot of work it's not worth it. But if it's someone looking for just any axes to use then that doesn't matter. I have quite a few lines up to restore at the moment but if there are any with makers marks on them I would be interested and would definitely pay shipping and some money for your trouble too. But I'm not looking to rip you off either, even in tough shape as long as the makers mark is intact and there's no cracks and the edge isn't badly chipped you can still get a good amount of money for some. So I would definitely be interested in what you find and I'm sure others on here would too. I scrap a bit of metal on the side for my customers and family, and I've always wondered what you guys come across, the tools that have been melted down that have been melted down kills me lol.
 
I'll keep an eye out for the ones with makers marks on them. It pains me to say this but I've probably seen dozens of broken axes, and hatchets in the last couple years alone.
 
Definitely save them. If nothing else your can sell them in groups on ebay. Cut the crappy hafts off for easier (cheaper) shipping.
 
Given the raging Internet Axe Boner & prices people will pay ( some of that stuff is apalling, yet some rube seems to always pay) I would salvage them too, offer up online.
 
Yes definitely, just save up a good little lot of them and post 'em up here with an email address to respond to. Folks here will definitely pay the shipping for them ( myself included )
Who knows maybe seeing what others are doing with the heads you save from the trash will entice you to rejuvenate one yourself.
 
Saving these from becoming truck rims and fenders is an admirable thing. As to how desirable they are (ie monetary value) that's something you'll have to study up on. Heads that aren't horribly rusted or misshapen (abused via use as hammers or splitting wedges) and have distinct stamps on them are generally more valuable. If you're only paying scrap value for these (what's steel going for these days: 25 cents/lb?) grab whatever you can and wire wheel the heads at home and then post photos for ID purposes, and maybe this will also get you some expressions of interest.
 
Yes, please just to keep them from ending up as scrap or worse in a landfill. Not just ones with stamps either. One of my all time favorites is a paper label TrueTemper, not a mark on it but the eye ridges are a dead giveaway. Thanks for thinking to do this it's an awesome way to make something useful again!
 
Hi guys. I'm glad that you are interested. I will definitely save all that I find. I was planning on cleaning them up a bit, and posting pics. Its a real waste when they get sent to a landfill, or melted down. This is gonna be a fun hunt! :thumbup:

Edit: Like I mentioned earlier these will be free. I don't want any money. Just seeing these brought back to life is payment enough. I will post pics, and if anybody wants them a couple bucks for shipping and they are yours. :thumbup:
 
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Your offer is great. I m sure that many of the heads you find can be reconditioned and used. :cool:
 
I think this is great. One of the facilities I work at shares a fence with a trash collection station. It is difficult not to look over there as one would soon accumulate more stuff than can be dealt with. When I started canning a few years ago I asked the worker there to save me some canning jars as I did not want to buy any. That first week I had the back of my truck full of boxes of old jars, someone had cleaned out there basement.

I am sure there will be plenty of interest in these. If you do not wish to sell these, you could do giveaway drawings or raffles. Make it fun.

-Slim
 
scottyj said:
Hi guys. I'm glad that you are interested. I will definitely save all that I find. I was planning on cleaning them up a bit, and posting pics. Its a real waste when they get sent to a landfill, or melted down. This is gonna be a fun hunt! :thumbup:

Edit: Like I mentioned earlier these will be free. I don't want any money. Just seeing these brought back to life is payment enough. I will post pics, and if anybody wants them a couple bucks for shipping and they are yours. :thumbup:
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When your computer screen lights up enough to blow fuses upon offering a 'freebie' old head that's marked Black Raven (or some one of any number of highly collectibles) you'll come to appreciate that there are some rewards you can ask for in exchange for keeping stuff out of the smelter or the dump. Something like this will be a 'once in a lifetime' find but at very least will make poking through the scrap bin much like playing the lottery.
 
I'm sure the axes will keep you busy enough but I'd bet that a lot of people on here would be interested in other tools you come across, chisels, sledgehammers/mauls, saws, spokeshave/drawknives, vises, etc. if I were you I'd keep an eye out for anything in decent shape, if you're allowed to take the stuff you could actually make a good amount of money and be doing a great service saving these great old tools from being melted into cheap Chinese products. I know your original intention was just for axes but any of the items I mentioned plus other if they're in good shape are worth saving, just for the sake of keeping them around but you could also make yourself some extra cash. Id be more than willing to pay shipping and give you some money for the trouble if I were to get something. I'm always on the lookout for axes but if you ever come across a bench vise in working order I would most likely be interested and if it happened to be one of the couple models that don't work with my work bench you could just get rid of it on eBay or Craigslist, or just someone else on here I'm sure would take it. But if you do come across anything if definitely be interested, as I'm sure others would so I'd say making a thread for it would be the fairest way and just have it first come first serve, or first to respond to this post which was me :p but thanks for posting this, you're doing a good thing saving these irreplaceable pieces of history that also kick today's tools asses.
 
Yeah, I'm interested in axes, chisels, slicks, adzes, etc. There is an axe for sale subforum on here now, recently added. You could snap quick pics and post a bunch at once, for low prices I think they would go pretty quick.
 
You post pictures and we can all fight over them when you find some amazing gem! I think most guys would be happy to give you something - pay for shipping at the very least.
 
I'd be happy to pay you for the axe heads and pay shipping. You should get something out of your efforts.:)

Chris
 
Hi guys. It might be beginners luck, but I found a complete axe today. It is an old Craftsman axe. The head is a single bit that looks like it was originally a light green color. It says Craftsman reg us pat off on the left side. The font on the letters is not what is on current axes. The "C" in Craftsman is made up of 5 separate lines. The handle is very dry, and thin contoured, and warped to the right side, but it is a complete axe. I can send pics to an email no sweat, or if I wasn't such a dumbass I will try to post them here. The hunt continues.....
 
scottyj said:
Hi guys. It might be beginners luck, but I found a complete axe today. It is an old Craftsman axe. The head is a single bit that looks like it was originally a light green color. It says Craftsman reg us pat off on the left side. The font on the letters is not what is on current axes. The "C" in Craftsman is made up of 5 separate lines. The handle is very dry, and thin contoured, and warped to the right side, but it is a complete axe. I can send pics to an email no sweat, or if I wasn't such a dumbass I will try to post them here. The hunt continues.....
Click to expand...

That's likely from 50's and should be of great quality.
 
scottyj said:
Hi guys. It might be beginners luck, but I found a complete axe today. It is an old Craftsman axe. The head is a single bit that looks like it was originally a light green color. It says Craftsman reg us pat off on the left side. The font on the letters is not what is on current axes. The "C" in Craftsman is made up of 5 separate lines. The handle is very dry, and thin contoured, and warped to the right side, but it is a complete axe. I can send pics to an email no sweat, or if I wasn't such a dumbass I will try to post them here. The hunt continues.....
Click to expand...

The key with old Craftsman axes is the centerline. High centerline are older axes made with better steel. The flat green ones are still OK but not as good as the older ones.
 
I found another axe today. Well....half an axe. The handle is snapped off in the middle. The head is the interesting part. It looks a lot older than the one from yesterday. My google foo tells me it was maybe a "splitting" axe, and it is of the "Jersey" type. I found this axe in New Jersey. On the Jersey heads I looked up it shows the lower portion where the handle goes in as a pointed section. This one is rounded at that area. It is thick. 3/4" thick just forward of the eye. The cutting edge is 4 3/4" long. It is 1/4" thick just behind the edge. There are no makers mark/words on it anywhere, but.....there is on the right hand side dead center about 2 1/2" in from the edge a deep triangular punch mark. The mark is about 1/8" deep. Maybe a proof mark? Maybe the guy who owned it put it there? Idk. The rear flat portion of the head looks nice and squared off, as to say that it wasn't hammered much. The hunt continues....
 
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