Is this Keen Kutter salvageable?

[Brian.Evans]

I've been eyeing this single bit fir quite some time and it's never sold. My gut tells me to run, that it's not worth the time, money, or energy seeing as how there are a bunch of better specimens out there for resto. Can you confirm my gut feeling for me so I can get this dang thing out of my head, or can you tell me to get it and then what to do next?

Thanks for looking guys. It's mostly the chip out of the heel I'm worried about. I don't know if it would even be worth it.

 

[Big Mike]

If the price was right I'd have no qualms about saving that axe head.

I looks quite serviceable to me.

Some work for sure, but the results would be well worth the effort.




Big Mike

 

[COAL CREEK FORGE]

Keen Kutter was the Caddy in it's day and probably still is,if it's priced right buy and sit on it for a few year's then triple your money.You go to an auction down here with anything related to KK you'd better be ready to bid to buy it

 

[Brian.Evans]

His price seems a bit high to me. What kind of work would the head take to salvage?

 

[Grease]

His price seems a bit high to me. What kind of work would the head take to salvage?

Get a 1/4 or larger drill bit and turn the old handle into swiss cheese inside the eye, then get a rod just slightly thinner than the eye opening and hammer it through to pop the old handle out. Then 10 minutes under a wire wheel to get the rust off, a bit of careful grinding to even out the edge, and sharpen it up with a file or sander and you're ready for a new handle. Shouldn't be more than a couple hours and $15 to get it looking all pretty again.

I've got a couple of old Keen Kutters that were like that when I got em. They're fun to fix up, and more so to use.

Just out of curiosity, what's the price on that one? My single bit was about the same, even the chewed up handled. I spent $21 shipped for it, if you want to try to haggle a higher price down and need a reference point.

 

[xrangerx]

Nope, better just to buy it and send it my way for proper disposal

 

[Brian.Evans]

So I shouldn't be worried about the chip in the heel? I've done a boys axe, and am working on a single bit now, but I'm not quite done with it yet. I'd love to add this one, I just wasn't sure if it would be worth it because of the chip. If you all say it doesn't matter, I'll go for it. I think he wants $35, but its been there a while. I may see if he'll come down. If not, I'll pass.

 

[Brian.Evans]

Btw, here's my meager collection.

The double bit I got from an old widow lady in return for delivering her groceries one day. That was probably 15 years ago now. The single bit and boys axe came from the same junk store that I'm headed to today to look at that keen kutter.

The hang on the boys axe:

How it started.

My big looking today is for a hatchet. I would like to round out my collection a bit, double, single, boys, hachet. Haven't found one worth restoring. He has a broad ax in there too, but the edge is deeply chipped and I think its unsalvageable.

 

[lmalterna]

Just me and everyone might handle it a little different. I'd grab it for no more than 20-25.00.

I would consider the chip to define the new heel and contour back from there towards eye. Thin back behind the edge, wire wheel and stick a handle in.
gringing the chip back and reshaping the edge would take alot of still out of the bit. Another option would be to just leave the chip and recondition the rest of the axe but the chips annoy me asthetically.

I just won a boys axe with chip at toe and will likely recontour on closer inspection.

My angle is less on preserving antique tools than returning them to good use.
Nice looking stamp on that axe by the way!

Bill