My Next Project - LEGITIMUS

[Brian Andrews]

This just showed up today.

I can't wait to get at it. As typical, one side is thicker, one is thinner.

It is coarsely sharpened with a file. It will look nothing like this when I am done with it

If you can't make it out, the head is stamped "legitimus."

Anyone have one of these?

B

 

[tonym]

Man, I know that thing is gonna look beautiful when you get done with it!

 

[ejes]

Can't wait. Legitimus is a cool brand name. I know they used to make machetes too; lots of WWII machetes by them on ebay usually. I think it was Legitimus Collins & Co; very old company.

 

[j williams]

Dang Brian, Thats a short handle!

Not many grip options on that one


Seriously, I cant wait to see what ya do with it!

 

[kgd]

Looks like a great project. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

When I saw the title an old joke came to mine, the first child was born out of wedlock, the 2nd child was Legitimus....

 

[Fiddleback]

Now that looks fun. I like to ebay old hatchet heads. I've got 4 or five down in the basement now. Dang if I haven't had any time to do squat with em

 

[Brian Andrews]

Now that looks fun. I like to ebay old hatchet heads.

This is the real reason for me wanting to upgrade my grinder. This is what I have been waiting for.

I really want to do some single bits, but have to wait until I can come across ones that I want.

When I saw the title an old joke came to mine, the first child was born out of wedlock, the 2nd child was Legitimus....

HEY.............Don't be jinxing me now. I don't need any more trouble

 

[siguy]

brian,
nice axe there. good old collins and co. i have lived two miles from the original factory for the last three years and am ashamed to say that i have yet to try poking around.

they were the world's leading producer of axes and machetes until the 1950s i think when they couldn't hold it together after several floods and economic problems. there are still axes made under the name but they have filled the role of "hardware store axes"...cheap soft mystery metal.

i have a thickly ground collins single bit that i hafted on a short handle and i use similar to a splitting maul, but smaller. someday i might thin it out some and use it for a chopper.

 

[omniviking]

Looks like a good project, Are you done yet. we are ready to see the results. I probally, truely like/love hatchets and axes more than knives. Man I need to get a semi-serious belt sander/ grinder for things like this. Pat

 

[jpr9954]

I have bought a few axe heads on Ebay and will be rehandling them. I notice you say that you'll be modifying this Collins double-bit. I've read others saying some stuff about changing the profile of their axe heads.

What do you plan to do to this axe head? And how does one go about finding out more info on reprofiling of axe heads? The extent of my knowledge about sharpening axes is to go by what I learned in Boy Scouts 35-40 years ago - file and then maybe a coarse stone.

I don't mean to hijack your thread but I sure would like to know more about modifying the ones I have.

Thanks.

John

 

[Brian Andrews]

This particular axe, I am not going to re-profile. I am just going to clean it up, put the appropriate edge on each side, with a high polish.

The good thing about vintage axes, besides generally being good steel have good profiles too. That depends on the maker of course. But why is that? Because they were actually used back then.

Today, there is not an American axe company that even knows how to make an axe with the correct profile anymore. That is where the re-profiling come in, to get the performance that you really need.

I have a whole box of Snow and Nealley's coming that I plan on modifying. I can do a step by step of what I am doing if you are interested.

In the meantime, if you need help with a particular axe, let me know. You can always send pictures, trace the head profile, etc, and we can work it out. Of course, even with good tools, it can be hours of work to get one right.

B