I was given a vintage Norlund Hudson Bay 16oz head...

R

Rancho5

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Feb 10, 2015
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I'm relatively new at refurbishing axes and hatchets and don't know much about the history of them.

I was given a 15.8 oz Norlund stamped Hudson Bay head. It about 5 inches long at the top. Plenty of rust but I don't think there's any pitting.

I'd appreciate any history lessons AND thoughts on the style of handle to purchase for it.

Thanks!
 
norlunds are late 60s to mid 80s and are generally near top shelf quality, that being a tad on the soft side according to users, thanks to wranglerstar, the value of the HB pattern has skyrocketed, who ever gave it to you has not only lost their marbles, but had a few roll under the fridge as well.
i'd go with the short council tool HB handle but any normal hatchet handle will work fine, just extende the kerf by a lot
 
From pictures I've seen, current link brand scout hatchet handles look pretty similar to what originally came on these norlund voyager hatchets.
Just look for proper grain orientation ( in line with the direction of the bit ) but for a small hatchet it's not a huge deal if the grain isn't perfect.
BTW to remove any rust, it's best to use a wire wheel in a drill, bench grinder, or angle grinder, and not just soak it in vinegar.
 
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phantomknives said:
...who ever gave it to you has not only lost their marbles, but had a few roll under the fridge as well...
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If you don't need an axe then you aren't crazy to give one away, right? ;)

The Norlund branding itself carries some weight for whatever reason - that iconic script being as important as the quality of the axe. The Hudson Bay models seem to be the most sought after. They do command a fair amount and definitely seem to have a following. Americana-flavored choppers. I think if you feel Norlund then you get it?

Any pictures?

There can be a lot of variety in their quality and the production ran across two or more makers and/or changes of hand. They are axes and work like an axe should but I think they carry some sort of nostalgia. I don't feel it to their perceived value - they are fun though.

Some of them are pretty nicely formed and then some look like a rough Mystery "M" axe on the other end of the dial. Svelt or blocky, many are very flat sided.

If you like Hudson Bay as a pattern then there are other options.

cDDHtPG.jpg
 
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This is a bit off topic, but I'm going to say it anyway.

I just saw a trailer for this new movie ( I think it's called " the house " ) where a family opens up a Casino in their home to pay for their daughters college.
In this scene they have a supposed cheater in their basement tied up who they're going to teach a lesson, anyways one of them grabs an old Hudson bay pattern boys axe off the wall for intimidation factor, and since they're weren't too many makes its probably either a Collins, a snow and neally, or a norlund tomahawk.
It really looked like a norlund to me though.
If it is and this movie ends up with a cult following or something, it could be yet another reason for norlund axes to go up in value.
 
I like it.

Since I'm new at this, what works best to polish this rusty thing up? In the past, I've soaked a head in vinegar for several days until the rust is gone, then I take an angle grinder with a 160 grit wheel and polish it up. I've tried to find wheels with finer grits but have had no luck, which stinks because the grinder is awesome. And whenever I have used a circular sander with higher grits, it just clouds up whatever I have already done PLUS I start to see little circles in the steel. I like the angle grinder option because it's quick and dirty, but it's also pretty aggressive. I've used a green scotch pad on the grinder after the 160, and that works OK. I'm not sure that I have the patience to spend hours on each grit to get this thing to a mirror finish... Any ideas or do I just suck it up and spend hours with a circular sander?

Any help much appreciated.
 
Rancho5 said:
I like it.

Since I'm new at this, what works best to polish this rusty thing up? In the past, I've soaked a head in vinegar for several days until the rust is gone, then I take an angle grinder with a 160 grit wheel and polish it up. I've tried to find wheels with finer grits but have had no luck, which stinks because the grinder is awesome. And whenever I have used a circular sander with higher grits, it just clouds up whatever I have already done PLUS I start to see little circles in the steel. I like the angle grinder option because it's quick and dirty, but it's also pretty aggressive. I've used a green scotch pad on the grinder after the 160, and that works OK. I'm not sure that I have the patience to spend hours on each grit to get this thing to a mirror finish... Any ideas or do I just suck it up and spend hours with a circular sander?

Any help much appreciated.
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How about you just don't polish it up, use a wire wheel to remove the rust and leave the patina, the patina is the history and character of the tool and it took a long time to get there.
 
Good info, I think I have one of these Norland hatchets sitting on the shelf at home. My grandpa gave it to me quite a while back and it has a pretty rough "hang" by my dad that doesn't quite go with it. Looks like ai need to get a new handle on it.
 
Hickory n steel said:
How about you just don't polish it up, use a wire wheel to remove the rust and leave the patina, the patina is the history and character of the tool and it took a long time to get there.
Click to expand...
So it's been soaking in vinegar for about 15 hours, which shouldn't make much of a dent in it. Perhaps I will take it out when I get home today and just wire wheel it. If I don't like the patina look, I can always soak it again. Thanks for the advice.
 
well, soaking for a long time will absolutely remove it, soaking for a few hours will leave a dark, "polished" finish, just dont push too hard when you brush it
 
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