How is the profile on this axe?

J

jimmyjwazup

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Sep 25, 2015
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Hello, I have recently obtained this axe from my dad. I'm thinking it's shaped more like a small splitting axe based on the shape and 26" handle. Is this a decent profile or should it be changed?
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Seems like the edge needs to be thinner/slimmer as to where the old filing marks are. I's call it a mid spliter if there is such a thing. I could be wrong though.
Better/clearer pictures would help though.
 
Looks like a splitter, hard to tell from a photo. You can easily make a gauge using this image and taping it to a piece of plastic, or cutting it out and drawing the outline:
Sharpening_gauge_002.jpg
 
Sorry about the pictures, the best I could seem to get with my phone. It is shaped northern king on the side if that helps at all.
 
Northern King is a Marshall Wells Hardware store line. Many of their axes were made by Welland Vale - the True Temper subsidiary in Canada. Northern King is a high quality axe and worth restoring.

It will be hard to file without a vise, a good sharp file and a file card.
 
Square_peg said:
Northern King is a Marshall Wells Hardware store line. Many of their axes were made by Welland Vale - the True Temper subsidiary in Canada. Northern King is a high quality axe and worth restoring.

It will be hard to file without a vise, a good sharp file and a file card.
Click to expand...

And a good bit of sweat...If it's to be used as a cutter it'll need a lot of filing. If it's destined to see only splitting duty I would hone the edge and run with it.
 
if you can lay your hands on a "C" clamp you can clamp the head to a table or deck rail or picnic table or whatever so you can file the bit or edge. be very careful filing towards the sharp edge.
if you will take a lok at "AN AXE TO GRIND" a free publication. this book or video will help you to get the desired sharpeness or edge profile.

buzz
hope this helps.
 
Since it is hard to put material back on an old axe head once it is filed off, maybe you want to try the axe for a while how it is, if it works for you then you are all set, if it doesn't work then you can try a different shape.
 
I'd put my vote towards a bench vice or C-clamp. As Markv said, be careful filing towards steel, I think I've hit every single one of my knuckles on the blade of an axe at least once by now. The profile is kind of thick as-is but try it as it sits and see if you want to thin it out at all.
 
Well I know my dad had put the handle on this axe, and he said it didn't fit that great, so maybe I should do that as well. He doesn't remember if he found the head or if it was his dad's. I hesitate to do much reshaping since it is a older head with possible nostalgia if I am the third generation to have it. I used this axe when I was younger, but couldn't tell you how it did. Maybe I should get a cheaper axe to practice reprofiling, thoughts?
 
More axes is always better! Grab a rusty head from a flea market and practice. If it's a decent head, you'll have a good one even if you have to re-haft it and file the bit a few times.
 
Maybe a house axe on a boys axe handle? It should be good for splitting kindling or smaller firewood like for a cook stove, but I think it would be useless for felling, bucking, limbing, or much of anything without reprofiling, and you are looking at a lot of work to reprofile!
 
Well that settles it, I'll keep it as is for small splitting duties. I'm looking at the council tool Hudson bay model right now for a multi use axe.
 
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Working on fanning out that edge and thinning the cheeks a tad. Hoping it will bite a little better after I finish.
 
idaho_crosscut said:
you will need to thin the cheeks quite a bit before that thing will chop! dont just take a tad, take a lot!
Click to expand...
Thanks, do you think the current profile, being so convex would be decent at splitting? Referring mainly to smaller logs, or breaking down already split pieces.
 
idaho_crosscut said:
you will need to thin the cheeks quite a bit before that thing will chop! dont just take a tad, take a lot!
Click to expand...

This is a photo of one that had similar wear (roughly):



If you want to bring it into a more original bit profile, you have to remove some metal:



There are better examples but just to illustrate.
 
I was working with some files that were past being able to do anything effectively. I have since then gotten some very nice files but got sidetracked with other axes and this one has been waiting it's turn
 
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