Old ish axe id and refurbish idea?

B

Basing110

Joined
Jun 1, 2016
Messages
6
I was givin an beaten up axe by a buddy of mine awhile ago and have just decided its time to give it some love and see if its worth the time or money. It needs a new handle for sure and to be sharpened..

anyone know anybody in San Diego CA that could help with this?

The only stamping I see on the head is MANN lewistown, PA and the other side is USA and number 4. The handle is 35 1/2". If i hold the head in my hand and measure up to my armpit its 21"

Not sure if this axe will fit my need yet but i would like a general camping axe that can process some wood for the weekend getaways(splitting, limbing,felling)etc...
 
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Pics for sure. Since you mentioned measuring to your armpit I think weight will be one important consideration. No reason you couldn't put a 3-1/2lb head on a 28" handle (of course there will be some issue finding a 28" handle that actually fits a full size head) but it might be a little odd if you go a whole lot shorter. Then again if the head is something smaller you might be good to go.
 
Mann made some fine axes, definitely worth the effort to restore unless it is in horrible shape. One of my favorite axes is a Mann.

Also to follow up with COTS comment, House Handle sells 28" handles both straight and curved for full sized heads.
 
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Im up in poway area.
 
Everything looks to be in decent enough shape to make an excellent user. Four pound is more of a splitting axe than a recreational camping implement though and a 36 inch handle is at the extreme end of comfy sizes. 30-32 inch (to me) would be a little more suitable. The blade is currently dull as 'all getout' and will require some serious attention and separating the head from the haft (which does appear to be sound) in order to properly re-wedge it is going to require some effort.
Hold the axe upright and tap the heel of the handle on something hard like a tree stump. This will seat the head. Then maybe you can drill a hole on either side of the wedge and try to withdraw it with a locked on needle nose vicegrip. There are numerous ways to get the wedge out, in order to get the head off, and that's just one. If saving the handle is not a concern then cut it off and tap out the remains through the back of the eye.
Good luck and thanks for posting.
 
300Six said:
Everything looks to be in decent enough shape to make an excellent user. Four pound is more of a splitting axe than a recreational camping implement though and a 36 inch handle is at the extreme end of comfy sizes. 30-32 inch (to me) would be a little more suitable. The blade is currently dull as 'all getout' and will require some serious attention and separating the head from the haft (which does appear to be sound) in order to properly re-wedge it is going to require some effort.
Hold the axe upright and tap the heel of the handle on something hard like a tree stump. This will seat the head. Then maybe you can drill a hole on either side of the wedge and try to withdraw it with a locked on needle nose vicegrip. There are numerous ways to get the wedge out, in order to get the head off, and that's just one. If saving the handle is not a concern then cut it off and tap out the remains through the back of the eye. Good luck and thanks for posting.
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I agree with what 300 said and I'm not that far away from you if you need some hands on or eyeball help. I would definitely pull the haft and drop the head down and re use same. IMHO it seems a bit much for a camping axe, but still it's a great gift and whatever you do enjoy it.
 
Anyone notice the signs of drop forging and the flat cheeks? I wonder about the vintage of this one.
 
Yeah, it does sort of have that 70s-80s vibe to it. Either way I'd clean it up, sharpen it, and use it after giving the haft a ton of BLO!
 
Basing110 said:
What angle of grind should i put on it?
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"An Axe to Grind", classic US Forest Service publication, ought to be available online for you to peruse. Failing that Old_Axeman (the author) is on board here on a regular basis should you want even more specific information.
Whatever you do to it is going to better for chopping than it is now. And remember that it's not a knife either.
 
It looks like the axes that Mann was turning out of their factory in the the late 80's when I visited them. It is a very good axe, glad you want to fix and use it. For me, I would put a 32" straight haft on it. I would sure remove the existing haft in a way that you can reuse it on another axe head. You can never have enough axes you know.
 
Old Axeman said:
I would sure remove the existing haft in a way that you can reuse it on another axe head. You can never have enough axes you know.
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Where the heck have we heard that before? In any case it provided a good chuckle for me.
 
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