New here from Virginia - got some old axe heads, school me

M

maddawg308

Joined
Dec 28, 2014
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Hi, I am new here, a bit of a novice in blades, esp. axes. I think in my 40 years I have owned 2 axes in total, maybe 1 hatchet, and now down to one maul for splitting firewood and that's it. Most times when I need to cut firewood it's with a log splitter and a chain saw, so exposure to axes and related wood splitting blades is minimal.

However, I'd like to change that. I love firewood heat and I love old tool, so an outgrowth of that is old axes. I also have a displeasure of things useless, and when I walk around the flea market or garage sales, and see an axe head all rusty and with no handle, well, nothing more useless than an axe head with no hickory on it. So for a buck or two I rescue them. Eventually I'll stick wood on them and make them whole again.

Found these two recently - top one is a Jersey-style head. No markings on it anywhere. Blade has a couple chips but nothing too bad, the pole is flawless - almost looks like it never struck iron in it's life. Bottom head is a long blade, very rusty but the pits aren't too deep. Once again, couple small chips in the blade, pole has some chips as well but they are small and no cracks I can see. Only marking is a small, sideways "S" stamped into one side of the face very deep-like.

Any info you guys can provide of these axes' makers is appreciated, or info about their design or rescue-ability. Eager student looking to get schooled.

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I think they're all pretty good to rescue! :) That bottom one is possibly a hewing axe...is it beveled to one side? The top one is in great shape...are there ridges in the eye?
 
Both of those look like they will clean up pretty nicely. I especially enjoy hanging the Jersey patterns.

Keep us up to date on progress!
 
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That Jersey looks great and I'd guess the chips are minor. Many of us just dunk the heads in vinegar and let it do its thing on the rust - couple days and you have a clean axe. The hewing hatchet is pretty rusty so it might want to soak longer. Wire cup brushes on the angle grinder or bench grinder wire wheels are also good. Nice thing about vinegar is that it will help remove scale from inside the eye. It's not vital but in my brain it feels right to get rid of it if it's heavy. Youtube can hook you up on videos to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWWnit0SEP4
this is a series of videos with lots of info - basically start to finish with some tips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz3rs-eaN3E
this video is go-to
 
SC T100 said:
I think they're all pretty good to rescue! :) That bottom one is possibly a hewing axe...is it beveled to one side? The top one is in great shape...are there ridges in the eye?
Click to expand...

It's not beveled, looks pretty straight to me. The Jersey head does indeed have ridges in the eye. A very stout head, and heavy, I'd say 4 pounds.
 
Lots of blade left on the Jersey and very little disproportionate wear at the toe or heel. Rare to find a 'poll' (not 'pole') that hasn't been deformed. That profile has a generous eye (unlike Hudson Bay patterns) for haft contact and ought to give you lifetime service and durability after it's carefully hung. One day I'll find one of those around here and give it a shot but seems like Dayton and Michigan are the mainstays where I am.
 
maddawg308 said:
It's not beveled, looks pretty straight to me. The Jersey head does indeed have ridges in the eye. A very stout head, and heavy, I'd say 4 pounds.
Click to expand...

Interesting. The Jersey may be a True Temper of some sort, as the conventional wisdom seems to be that many (but not all) of the unmarked, ridged eye axes are possibly True Tempers that came with paper labels. There were, however, other makers who utilized ridges as well.
 
Thanks for all the great info, guys!

After looking at the broad axe a little closer, it does indeed have a very slight curve to it, to the right. The right side is a bit more flat, so the left curves around to the right, but it's real faint. Maybe it is a hewing axe.

Any guess as to the vintage of the axe heads? Not sure if you can tell that by the style...
 
Well, I put the axe heads in the vinegar bath for a few days, wanted to share the results so far.

The Jersey axe head is not only clean, but amazingly sharp now since the rust along the edge has been removed. The pic shows a darker area toward the edge, than the rear of the head - that's not moisture, the head is completely dry, so the darker edge portion of the head I believe is a result of the vinegar having a different affect on the hardened part of the axe. Very interesting to say the least. Most of the rust is gone, the few spots left will be cleaned up with the wire wheel, before repaint. Yes, I am a firm believer in painting re-hung hammer, and now axe heads, mainly because 99% of the time my tools are stored outside in a non-climate controlled environment, and I hate rust. So while they are in storage, they will at least have a protective coating of paint to keep them nice and rust-free.

The Jersey head:

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The hewing axe head didn't fare as well - the lighter rust on the exterior of the head was removed, but the heavier pitting and dense rust was unaffected by the vinegar. I'll have to put it on the wire wheel and see how much gets removed, and then maybe try the vinegar bath again.

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Here's some more items I'm playing with at the moment, cleaning them up in a 5-gallon bucket of vinegar. After I day of soaking I take a toothbrush to them, see how many have to go back into the bath some more, and the ones that are good will be either coated with paint or with Johnson's Paste Wax. Here's a old pipe vise, an Armstrong C-clamp, an old Ford wrench, and a Craftsman combination square all taken apart and having the vinegar do its stuff.

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I like those plastic scrubby things or even red scotchbrite because after the first soak, the scaly rust knocks off pretty easy, then the vinegar only has to deal with the pits. If it is reeeeeally scaly, and that hewing axe certainly looked like it, you might have to get into power tools unless you have plenty of time on your hands.

I was given this strange home made hammer looking object - sort of a lump of iron with a hole in it. It was a ball of rust. I didn't want it for anything except maybe the iron itself and tossed it in a little cup of vinegar and left it. It was there for a couple of weeks or maybe more. One day I decided to take a look and it was clean as a whistle. It will work eventually but ... you know, it might take the rest of your life.

That Jersey is going to make a fine piece of equipment. Both of them are really.

ETA: You are right about the hardened steel up front. Just out of curiosity, I dip heads in vinegar just to see what that portion looks like even when the head appears to be in good condition. It will eventually show up on your hewing axe too.
 
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Cool heads. I just signed up today (also from VA) to ask about the "black" on the blade. I typically restore old crosscut saws and have never seen this. I am wanting to start restoring axes as well and figured the color is from the hardening process. Would be great to have some confirmation or refute to that thought. I'm totally jealous of the broad axe. I've been looking for one for about a year for a price I'm willing to pay.
 
As for painting the blade. I have put a coat of linseed oil on metal to preserve it. Keeps metal rust free for the most part. Darkens the metal a bit and gives a nice patina look.
Typically an axe is supposed to polished for best use. Oiled after use. Most come painted but should be removed before put into use. What ever is what ever... Not sure about the market is for an axe. Not even sure with saws either. That's probably why I still have all my crosscut saws. LOL I restore for me. Linseed oil is great for handles as well. Old school wood preserver. Supposed to be more comfortable on wood handles than polyurethane. Linseed oil has been used as "Loctite" for bike spokes. Metal on metal.
 
Thanks for the welcome Square-peg. I love anything about cutting wood, especially if its hand powered. There are crosscut saws for felling trees but I think the best way to fell a tree is with an axe. Less chance of getting the blade caught in the kerf. No wedges needed. A saw is for bucking. Natural progression for me is felling (with an axe). I split with a maul. Pic is of my first saw. Its a 1 man champion tooth (tuttle tooth) crosscut saw. Can be configured for 2 man use. I actually blued the blade with cold blue for guns. Not recommended for good blades with milling striations. NEVER hit them with a wire wheel. If they need a wire wheel, don't buy it. Also if no handles or hardware, don't buy it. Condition is key. Probably should be a different thread, I don't want to high jack the OPs thread. I have same concerns on restoring axes as well. AND he's in VA like me too. LOL

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