Help with old ones on auction sites

[Shotgun]

So I'm really interested in getting an axe for car camping and would like to restore an older one. But of course I want a good one so are there certain brands I should look into or maybe brands I should stay away from? I'm not well versed on older axes.

 

[Vanguard41xx]

True Temper and Plumb have been nice users for me. You may want to look into old Swiss axes as well.

 

[tltt]

So I'm really interested in getting an axe for car camping and would like to restore an older one. But of course I want a good one so are there certain brands I should look into or maybe brands I should stay away from? I'm not well versed on older axes.

Collins.

Kelly.

Plumb.

Norlund.

Mann.

American Axe and Tool.

Sager.

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Foreign-

Arvika.

Hy-Test.

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Those are good older American and foreign names that shouldn't be hard to find and are still reasonably cheap for a nice useable example(<100, many times less than $50).

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Next, find an old catalog showing the original lines-

http://www.roseantiquetools.com/id6.html .

http://www.roseantiquetools.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/americanaxeandtool.pdf .

Those are two good ones. It's easy to get stuck with a worn out head on Ebay, so study those.

Also, if a axe looks to good to be true, google the full name if you can read it, and see if they are being reproduced. Much like old knife brands, old well known axe brands are reproduced sometimes.

Good luck.

 

[Shotgun]

Thanks guys. That's a start.

 

[cooperhill]

Woodtrekker's blog post on axe restoration is a good reference as well. It goes into some of the things to look for - actually defects to avoid when looking for an axe to restore.

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2011/09/axe-restoration-selecting-axe-head.html

For me, Plumb, Collins, True Temper, Kelly, Sandvik, Hults Bruk (HB).

 

[G-pig]

I get top notch axe heads for under 20 dollars all the time. You just need to keep your eye out. Restoration isn't that hard. Vinegar soak, dry, sand and oil and thats that. just hang and sharpen and its ready to go.

To play devil's advocate, an old timer who lives right down the street was showing me some axes of his, his "go to" axe was an old mann with a mushroomed eye and poll. He said he'd been using it for 30 years. This man was no chump either, he had some *perfect* looking snow and nealley axes that he had carved handles for and whatnot, and he took meticulous care in his shop.

I've had some axes come to me in pretty poor shape and I think they still work fine after being filed good. If there is a lot of deep pitting right near the edge its not good, but if the first inch or two is free of pitting your good to go. Further back is only use to wedge the wood apart when splitting and really doesn't need to be that smooth.

 

[Operator1975]

Dont get into axes. Go do something else.

 

[Shotgun]

Dont get into axes. Go do something else.

Hehe, too late. I think I like axes more then knives but up to this point I have only bought new ones.

 

[markv]

Dont get into axes. Go do something else.

this should be a sticky.LOL

ain't gonna happen for most guys
gotta have a chopper

buzz