New to me, need some help and info

[BP_]

What have I got here? And where can I get it cleaned up and a new handle put on it? Or is it even worth it..

Picked this up from a family member last week, it was from an old friend that needed some tree work done and was found while out at the property. Unfortunately I’m not really sure (didn’t get a good back story) who it used to belong to, I can only assume the late husband of our friend who owns the property. They know I enjoy knives and thought it would be nice to give them (I got two, the other being a double head) to me to use, but I am at a complete loss when it comes to identifying and restoring axes. Hopefully you guys can help me out with some info, and point me in the right direction. The handle is crap, but the head seems to be in restorable and useable condition (hopefully).

 

[A17]

Both the head and the handle look good to me, I'd de-rust the head, put an edge on it, and use it. The Homestead line was a lower-end axe, but still a good user. I'd guess that's from the 70's, personally.

 

[BP_]

Both the head and the handle look good to me, I'd de-rust the head, put an edge on it, and use it. The Homestead line was a lower-end axe, but still a good user. I'd guess that's from the 70's, personally.

Hey thanks And the only reason I said the handle was no good is because there’s about 1/4” of play on the head, the wood has got some pretty good rotting started, and the wedge just doesn’t give me the feeling of confidence at all.

Interesting that it’s a 70’s head. Makes me wonder about it’s life. It’s clearly seen some kind of use

 

[Brent Halverson]

You can drill out the old wedge and make a new one out of any dry wood you can find laying around and drive it in. If the handle is really rotted then you can go to most any good hardware store and just buy a new one, which will come with a new wedge, and put it on the head. You may have to do some whittling or sanding to get the handle to fit nicely to the head, but it will be close. You can also do a bit of whittling and sanding on the handle to get it to fit your hand better. Your hatchet still has paint and a decal on it, so it does not look like it was used hardly at all since it was new, someone just let it sit somewhere that it could be attacked by cycles of moisture and heat and it dried out the wood and rusted. No mystery there. The 1970s were 40+ years ago, so it is not old at all for a USA-made axe, but four-plus decades is plenty of time to degrade wood and rust steel a little bit. So you are in great shape. With regular use all of that rust, plus the decal and paint will all come off, these are self-cleaning tools just like shovels are. Keep the head and new handle rubbed down with some food-grade mineral oil and the problems with the handle and head should not repeat themselves in your lifetime.

 

[Hickory n steel]

You can drill out the old wedge and make a new one out of any dry wood you can find laying around and drive it in. If the handle is really rotted then you can go to most any good hardware store and just buy a new one, which will come with a new wedge, and put it on the head. You may have to do some whittling or sanding to get the handle to fit nicely to the head, but it will be close. You can also do a bit of whittling and sanding on the handle to get it to fit your hand better. Your hatchet still has paint and a decal on it, so it does not look like it was used hardly at all since it was new, someone just let it sit somewhere that it could be attacked by cycles of moisture and heat and it dried out the wood and rusted. No mystery there. The 1970s were 40+ years ago, so it is not old at all for a USA-made axe, but four-plus decades is plenty of time to degrade wood and rust steel a little bit. So you are in great shape. With regular use all of that rust, plus the decal and paint will all come off, these are self-cleaning tools just like shovels are. Keep the head and new handle rubbed down with some food-grade mineral oil and the problems with the handle and head should not repeat themselves in your lifetime.

It seems that 75% of the time you will find these 70's Mann made Collins homestead axes with a lot of the blue paint left, in fact I can't remember the last time I've seen one without a a lot of paint and sticker left.
I just got a Michigan pattern DB a few days ago with most of the sticker and blue paint left.
They were made not that long ago and at a time when axes were becoming less and less necessary for many people.

 

[flintman50]

All the above...Good advice. That is an old, gently used Collins. Definitely worth the effort to clean up, re-edge and rehang, if necessary. Keep in mind, if you use any axe on a regular basis, the handle will eventually give up...all handles are sacrificial....cheers all.