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New to old axes.. Help with ID/ places to start

Hey Garry, thanks for the info. I'm still very new to vintage axes and differentiating between patterns.
 
olybears57 said:
It came from my old boss' 100 year old ranch in Olympia, WA.. Lots of logging around the area and rafts in the port, so it's definitely a possibility! The only stamp I can see is a very faded Collins stamp I believe.
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The heat treat on the poll is also a unique feature of good rafting axes.
 
DarthTaco123 said:
Here's a Rafting Pattern with a stamp:
Collins%20branding%20axe-1.jpg
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That one's mine. Loggers turned it into a branding axe.

Collins%20branding%20axe-2.jpg
 
Hey guys, thanks for all the help! Another question... So far I've been using steel wool, and then sandpaper to clean up my axe heads after the vinegar bath, but would like to try using a wire wheel. What wire wheels do you guys use for your restorations?
 
olybears57 said:
Hey guys, thanks for all the help! Another question... So far I've been using steel wool, and then sandpaper to clean up my axe heads after the vinegar bath, but would like to try using a wire wheel. What wire wheels do you guys use for your restorations?
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I use a brass bristled cup brush on a angle grinder. Not at all sure its the best way to go. Been thinking about trying a steel cup brush. Either way its better than steel wool. I like to be a little conservative on restorations. What some may say is a poor clean up job, I might call it patina.
 
Thanks Garry. I've got another question for you guys.. Ive read in different places, your banana grind should reach back like 3-1/2 inches from the edge.. Yet many pics of reground axes I see on here are only ground back an inch or so. Is this because the axes don't need to be aggressively thinned? Does thickness matter much farther back than 3 or so inches for an axe to be used for bucking and falling?
Thanks again guys.
 
I like the banana grind to go back about an inch or so. Beyond that I want some fullness left in the cheeks to pop the chip. How much I take off will depend on the shape of the axe.

Steel or brass cup brushes on angle grinders both remove rust from an axe very well. Steel is faster. Brass is a little more gentle on the patina. If you use steel then get a knotted wire wheel not a crimped wire wheel. Crimped wire wheels throw wires much more easily. And never bear down hard on a wire wheel. That's a recipe for making wires go flying everywhere - your face, your chest, your neck....... Take it slow and let the wheel do its job.
 
Thanks again pegs. How thin do you grind your cheeks? at the point on your grind furthest from the edge of the bit? Also, I went ahead and bought a 3" brass cupped wire wheel for my drill, and tore into the four single bits I had... Turned out great! Hard to show what the finish really looks like on camera, but it is much better than it was post vinegar bath, and I like it more than just sanding. I really think leaving as much of that patina as possible makes for a gorgeous axe. Here's what I have so far:













 
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Banana grind may be a perfect ideal to achieve and wonderful if you use an axe for a living or for competition purposes but I've blindly used consistently sharp (ie no pronounced banana) blades for decades and been none the worse off for it. 99% of the battle is getting and keeping a blade sharp!
 
I actually work on a trail crew, so I use my axes for bucking and limbing, as well as fire building 8 days out of 14. So I do use an axe for a living.
 
Is the eye really crushed? Or are the edges just peened over, in which case you could file back the lip?

Sorry, referring to post #15.
 
olybears57 said:
I actually work on a trail crew, so I use my axes for bucking and limbing, as well as fire building 8 days out of 14. So I do use an axe for a living.
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Then you sir are a perfect candidate to report back if there is an appreciable difference between an ordinary sharp edge and banana grind edge. When I was young and swinging one all day 5 1/2 days a week all that mattered, and was immediately noticeable, was edge sharpness. I know that we were 'public servants' at the time (just like you) but having to hand-file a blade into a banana curve would have drawn nothing but angry curses from the 20 other guys that were mostly only looking foreword to 5 o'clock and Saturdays nights.
 
2-Banana%20grind.jpg


Sweden%20Axe%202.JPG


Those first two are no longer in my possession so I can't measure the angles.


Grind.jpg


This True Temper A6 is has a rolled grind. A bevel square closed on the top of the grind reads 15°. Where it rolls down to the very edge it reads 22°

5-Grind.jpg


My Plumb rafting axe also reads 15° at the top of the banana grind but this one rolls down to 25° at the bit. These last two both chop splendidly. I don't think I'd go below 25° at the bit unless I was pretty confident in the quality of the steel.
 
Alright guys... First attempt at rehanging. Tried to rehang my swamping pattern warren... Turned out okay I guess... The head is not perfectly in line with the handle though, as the portion of handle meant to go through the eye was pretty off center. I'm sure if I was more knowledgable I could have fixed it, but it is what it is. Just need to re profile and sharpen now, make a sheath, and get this guy back on trail. Also found an old plumb hammer in my grandmother's garage yesterday.







 
Finished the rafting pattern... and I'm VERY happy with it. I think it looks gorgeous...Damn I love these old tools, and bringing them back to life.. such a joy.







 
300Six said:
Then you sir are a perfect candidate to report back if there is an appreciable difference between an ordinary sharp edge and banana grind edge. When I was young and swinging one all day 5 1/2 days a week all that mattered, and was immediately noticeable, was edge sharpness. I know that we were 'public servants' at the time (just like you) but having to hand-file a blade into a banana curve would have drawn nothing but angry curses from the 20 other guys that were mostly only looking foreword to 5 o'clock and Saturdays nights.
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I hear you there... I am the resident "sharpening guru" of our trail crew, and just have everyone sharpen our pulaskis with a "normal" bevel.
 
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