Hello and Today's Yard Sale Finds - GRANSFORS BRUKS and a COUNCIL

M3mphis

M3mphis

Joined
Jan 13, 2011
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Hello! As encouraged by Pipeman's thread from this morning encouraging lurkers to introduce themselves - HERE I GO...

I have enjoyed lurking through this subforum quite a lot. Thanks for making it so full of information. And without further adieu - today I went to a huge swap meet/yard sale thing. I picked up a few things.

First, this double bit axe. After noticing the "Made in Sweden" stamp, I looked closer to find a "GBA" stamp. This is a gransfors, correct???? I paid $12. The handle is shot, but who cares. What do you think?

I think I'll take off the paint, clean it up, sharpen it, rehandle, and probably force a patina.

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I also found this Counci. $5. What do you think?

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Lastly, this 36" belt/disc sander plus paper $25, and the ferrier rasps and hook knives were a buck a piece.

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Pretty good haul, huh? I'm curious to hear your feedback on the axes!!!! This was a lot of fun!

Thanks,

Matt
 
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Wow, great yard saleing day. The double bit is amazing for 12 bucks and looks very full. I imagine if you posted the measurements one of the GFB experts could tell you how full it is. Ya gotta love yard sales. Congrats Matt, hell of a haul.
Those some nice hook knives, love the handle shapes.
Best regards

Robin
 
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What a great score.

I got an identical Gransfors (but not as nice an edge as yours) at an antique store for $15 with an OK handle. It was repainted so heavily, I could barely see the "Made in Sweden" indentation Last week I removed the paint and gave it a vinegar bath. It had flaking red paint covering the presumably factory blue paint. You might find blue paint under that red.
 
Thanks All! Nice score, Steve.

Good call, Robin. Here's the measurements:

Bit to bit: 11 3/16"
Toe to heel (thinner side): 4 11/16"
Toe to heel (thicker side): 4 10/16"

What do you GB experts think? Need other info?

Also, should this have the smiths initials stamped? Maybe under all the ugly paint?

EDIT: Also Robin, on the hoof knives - they are cool, huh? They are Frost. They have lost quite a bit of steel but they were the best ones of the bunch.

Is there a good reason to order a handle from GB or should I just pick up a nice generic hickory?

Thanks, again.
 
Nicely done. Both axes are quality tools. Funny you found a good USA piece and European piece. Good haul indeed.
 
Great find. The owner must like paint. I suppose it won't be pitted if that was what he does to all of his tool. He might just paint them to make them easier to sell. Show us the finished product. I don't think you will find any initials on the double. I would be wrong.
 
I would say you had a very Good day at the yard sale....
Have fun and lets see some more pic's when you clean up the double bit !
 
Those old Gransfors Bruk double-bit swampers are very common around here. I never noticed the brand before they started making their boutique models but they must have had a good share of the forestry fire tool market two or three decades ago. Most axe heads were painted because they spent a lot of time hanging out in the weather on log trucks and forestry rigs. About the only way to protect them from rust. I once spent a couple of months in a timber company's "fire hall" painting axes and shovels in the tool cache.
 
Check out the handles from http://tennesseehickory.com/ I got a "generic" from the hardware store that works. I had to remove lots of extra wood and the varnish. I added some boiled linseed oil and it's pretty good.
 
I need to get my lady a better hoof knife--she's using a Chinese-made no-name at the moment and the blade is too long for her to get much leverage when exfoliating a hoof. The Frosts ones look a bit shorter so maybe that'll do for now before upgrading to a premium one. Nice snags!
 
Shotgun said:
Wow. Whoever the owner was sure knew their axes. Great score!
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That's actually pretty funny, because the old boy that sold it to me had probably 10 axes for sale - mostly True Temper. He used to own a used tool store locally. I told him that the axe was a Swedish made Gransfors Bruks. He looked at me like, "Who the hell cares." So I just gave him my twelve bucks.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I need to get my lady a better hoof knife--she's using a Chinese-made no-name at the moment and the blade is too long for her to get much leverage when exfoliating a hoof. The Frosts ones look a bit shorter so maybe that'll do for now before upgrading to a premium one. Nice snags!
Click to expand...

Based on the reputation of Frost's that I've heard, I'll bet they can hold their own. And they are only about $15.
 
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