Help identifying / restoring a Hults Bruk hatchet

[Hydrus]

I was helping my mom move today and I found the hatchet I used as a kid amongst a pile of my dads tools that have been unused since he passed. It is a Hults Bruk with a 0.8kg - 1 3/4 lbs. head that has some minor pitting and some mushrooming on the butt.

I am looking to restore it and make it as true to its original form as possible, but I have absolutely no experience in the domain. The handle is damaged, so I'm going to remove it and put the rusted head in a vinegar bath. Beyond that, any advice specific to this model / style would be greatly appreciated.

As far as I can tell, it's probably at least 30 years old, and I would guess it's 40+.

Pics of its current state:

http://imgur.com/a/CdxYT

Cheers!

 

[Steve Tall]

A thread about restoring a hatchet (with photos throughout the process):
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/802951-Project-First-axe-restoration

 

[Hydrus]

Thanks Steve. I've found a few similar threads floating about, but this one definitely helps. I'm mainly looking to identify it further so that I can restore it more to what it looked like when it was originally shipped if possible (is it a Hultafors?). For instance, I notice a cool blue coat of paint on the head, which I'd like to replicate if that was the original colour.

Any additional help towards this end would be appreciated.

 

[Steve Tall]

Hults Bruk was acquired by Hultafors in the early 90s (according to the Hultafors site). Their vintage axes and hatchets were commonly painted blue, similar to this (unless they were painted green for the military):

...

 

[300Six]

The Swede axe colours I distinctly remember in Ottawa Canada from the 60s and 70s are an orange and a sort of darkish sky blue. Somehow I think this was overall meant to ID export Swede manufacture rather than a specific maker. The orange one I have (2 1/4 lb) says Sandvik on it but I really don't think they made that axe head but rather subbed it out to another Swedish maker.
And of course Steve Tall and Operator1975, as seen above, have provided absolute proof that some Swede axe heads were dark blue.

 

[Hydrus]

Sweet - thanks for the help.

 

[300Six]

These weren't at all 'deluxe' axes at one time. Matter of fact (as imports) they sold largely because they were priced lower than domestic equivalents. Few n. Americans were aware of how good Swedish steel and industry was and hungry businesses over there purposely emulated American profiles in order to sell more stuff and try to keep their businesses alive. Quality was incidental and mostly taken for granted. This whole thing came to a head once second and third world products entered the fray and forced darn near every established maker to fold their tents and close up shop.

 

[rjdankert]

Can't help with the age. Wish I could. FWIW I have four HB's. The color on each is the same.

. . .a sort of darkish sky blue. . .

Color in a photo can vary because of different factors, but the left photo below is pretty accurate to what I have.

Bob

 

[300Six]

Age guesstimate is pretty much 1950 to 1990 with there being greater likelihood of 1960-1980 manufacture (majority of sales) than anything else. If you go forward claiming it was made in 1970 you'll be right in the middle!

 

[Grimalkin]

Age guesstimate is pretty much 1950 to 1990 with there being greater likelihood of 1960-1980 manufacture (majority of sales) than anything else. If you go forward claiming it was made in 1970 you'll be right in the middle!

I believe you have a pre Hultafors head there. Looks like it is many years before Hultafors took over, and also looks to have the more baby blue colour to it. Hults Bruks heads are very common in Alberta and the prairies in Canada for some reason. They were sold locally at hardware stores as their "stock" brand up here.

 

[Hydrus]

Appreciate all the input gents.

I was born and raised in Ottawa, my parents having moved here from the Niagara area in the early 70's, and it's definitely more of a sky blue (similar to the two leftmost axes in Bob's pics), so I think 300Six / Grimalkin are onto it. I remember the hatchet being around when I was wee lad, so it was purchased in the early 80's at the latest, but it never looked new in any way from my recollection, so it was more likely the 60's or 70's.

The vinegar bath is doing its thing and I sanded a good deal of the rust off last night, so I'll post some progress pics over the next few days and maybe that'll lend to a more specific ID. I kind of like the sky blue, but it seems that most people like to just let the steel shine.. guess I'll figure that out when I get there.

Any recommendations for a handle? I'm not against trying my hand at carving one from scratch either, so if you just have ideas for the pattern and type of wood I'd appreciate it. I have to say that the little fawn's foot handle has a nice simple aesthetic, but the thing doesn't sit in my hand very well. I'm on the small end of a large glove and my hands are thick through the palm if that helps.

Again, I appreciate all of the info and help in narrowing things down.

 

[Grimalkin]

Appreciate all the input gents.

I was born and raised in Ottawa, my parents having moved here from the Niagara area in the early 70's, and it's definitely more of a sky blue (similar to the two leftmost axes in Bob's pics), so I think 300Six / Grimalkin are onto it. I remember the hatchet being around when I was wee lad, so it was purchased in the early 80's at the latest, but it never looked new in any way from my recollection, so it was more likely the 60's or 70's.

The vinegar bath is doing its thing and I sanded a good deal of the rust off last night, so I'll post some progress pics over the next few days and maybe that'll lend to a more specific ID. I kind of like the sky blue, but it seems that most people like to just let the steel shine.. guess I'll figure that out when I get there.

Any recommendations for a handle? I'm not against trying my hand at carving one from scratch either, so if you just have ideas for the pattern and type of wood I'd appreciate it. I have to say that the little fawn's foot handle has a nice simple aesthetic, but the thing doesn't sit in my hand very well. I'm on the small end of a large glove and my hands are thick through the palm if that helps.

Again, I appreciate all of the info and help in narrowing things down.

Rona has a good selection of handles, and home hardware. Might be a good fit for a 21" handle that you can get at Rona. I would recommend a 24" handle, but you can't get them in Canada. I am buying one from Beaver-tooth.com, but I am only 20 minutes from the border, so I just pop over and pick it up at my shipping box.

 

[rjdankert]

I believe you have a pre Hultafors head there. . .

" In the early 1990s we acquired Tors Hammare and expanded our range of tools to include axes, hammers, sledgehammers and prybars. In addition, the purchase included Hults Bruk, whose roots date back to 1697."
http://www.hultafors.com/about-us/history/

. . . Hults Bruks heads are very common in Alberta and the prairies in Canada for some reason. . .

Maybe the reason was because the Canadians recognized good axes?

Bob

 

[300Six]

Appreciate all the input gents.

I was born and raised in Ottawa, my parents having moved here from the Niagara area in the early 70's,
Any recommendations for a handle? I'm not against trying my hand at carving one from scratch either, so if you just have ideas for the pattern and type of wood I'd appreciate it. I have to say that the little fawn's foot handle has a nice simple aesthetic, but the thing doesn't sit in my hand very well. I'm on the small end of a large glove and my hands are thick through the palm if that helps.

Again, I appreciate all of the info and help in narrowing things down.

WoodSource (formerly called Adams & Kennedy) out Manotick way in Ottawa south carries an amazing collection of n. American and exotic hardwoods. Within the large store there is an entire wall devoted to lesser priced dressed off cuts (anything under 36 inch) with whatever your heart desires in the way of Canadian woods. Sometimes you have to be patient to find 5/4 material and/or goodies like bastard sawn (grain parallel with the widest side of the board) Elm, Maple, White Oak or Hickory but axe handle-friendly material does show up there regularly, and they have commercial milling facilities and a huge inventory of wood out back in their hangar-sized out building.

 

[Hydrus]

WoodSource (formerly called Adams & Kennedy) out Manotick way in Ottawa south carries an amazing collection of n. American and exotic hardwoods. Within the large store there is an entire wall devoted to lesser priced dressed off cuts (anything under 36 inch) with whatever your heart desires in the way of Canadian woods. Sometimes you have to be patient to find 5/4 material and/or goodies like bastard sawn (grain parallel with the widest side of the board) Elm, Maple, White Oak or Hickory but axe handle-friendly material does show up there regularly, and they have commercial milling facilities and a huge inventory of wood out back in their hangar-sized out building.

Thanks for the recommendation. I actually grew up on the island and Adams and Kennedy sponsored the team of my enemies in novice hockey (we were the Osgoode Pipers, so I suppose it was a natural rivavlry of sorts in hindsight). I'm almost done sanding 'er down, so hopefully I can head out there and find something worthwhile in the coming days.

BTW - my mom looked through some old pictures and apparently they had it at their first place in '72, so you were probably dead on with your guess.

 

[300Six]

Thanks for the recommendation. I actually grew up on the island and Adams and Kennedy sponsored the team of my enemies in novice hockey (we were the Osgoode Pipers, so I suppose it was a natural rivavlry of sorts in hindsight). I'm almost done sanding 'er down, so hopefully I can head out there and find something worthwhile in the coming days.

BTW - my mom looked through some old pictures and apparently they had it at their first place in '72, so you were probably dead on with your guess.

Are you talking Long Island and the Hillside Gardens area? I just moved from there back to where I grew up at Blacks Rapids after 29 wonderful years revelling in Manotick Village lifestyle.

 

[300Six]

" In the early 1990s we acquired Tors Hammare and expanded our range of tools to include axes, hammers, sledgehammers and prybars. In addition, the purchase included Hults Bruk, whose roots date back to 1697."
http://www.hultafors.com/about-us/history/


Maybe the reason was because the Canadians recognized good axes?

Bob

"Swede heads are common in Canada for some reason" 40-50 years ago hardware stores such as Beaver Lumber, Cashway, Laurentian Trading Post, and Canadian Tire, stocked them more or less as today's equivalent of made in China or India items. Swede stuff did not have cachet back then and were significantly lower priced than domestic and/or imported American. I know this because I bought some for house-warming gifts during the mid to late 1970s. Even Garant et fils PQ axes cost more, even though their heads were sourced from Europe (Germany/Austria?) at the time!

 

[Hydrus]

Are you talking Long Island and the Hillside Gardens area? I just moved from there back to where I grew up at Blacks Rapids after 29 wonderful years revelling in Manotick Village lifestyle.

Yes sir - along the river on the southern side. Spent the first 14 years of my life mucking about with my buddies up and down the river between Manotick and Kars. Great place to come up, though it seems to have been swallowed up by the city a fair bit since I left. Doesn't quite have the same feel, and I wouldn't want to make the drive into the city for work the way things are these days.. damn if I don't miss it though.