Old Plumb hatchet head - worth $30 handle?

J

jayjaygee

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Mar 13, 2023
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I am more of a machete guy than an axe guy so don't really know what's useful, but I recently fixed up an old Warren fire axe and I also have an old plumb hatchet, 14" total 12" usable handle. But it wasn't usable, it was split and I could feel the reverberation so I removed the old handle. I didn't realize that the local hardware store would want $30 for a new hickory "scout" handle, and now I'm trying to decide if I should bother with it or just but some other hatchet.

I will probably also buy a small Marbles axe, so my first question is, will a grown man get any use out of a 14" (12" usable) "scout" hatchet if he already has an 18" Hunters' axe?

I wrote to some company in missouri that makes handles, but they don't have prices on their website and they were extremely rude when I emailed them, wouldn't answer my questions, acted like jerks, tried to push other stuff on me I didn't want, so forget them.

Has anyone used a vintage Plumb "scout" hatchet? This one was pretty rusty and when I polished it up it had lots of pocking in it. I won't buff those out because I'd have to remove too much metal, so my point is that this will never be a showroom piece, so that's no reason to get the $30 handle. I like the idea of having a vintage hatchet but only if I use it.

So I think the other thing I'm asking is - will this be more useful than a $30 off-the-shelf hatchet would be? I won't buy chinese but I don't mind El Salvador (marbles) or Fiskars or some decent company that treats their employees well. Will the Plumb be as useful as those newer ones? If it's the same either way I guess I might as well buy the new handle. Is the Plumb known to be good? Known to be bad?

Third question, is there any good use for an old hatchet head that you're not going to use? I don't actually need paper weights. Anything else they can be put to use as?
 
House handles has reasonable prices, and they will have a better handle than the awful link " scout " pattern handle at your local hardware store, I hate that particular handle.

In order to say if this is worth buying a handle for, we need to see it.
The answer should be yes and would only be no if the head is worn out and too far gone.

That marbles hatchet you plan to buy is it the Made in El Salvador by IMICASA?
Or One of the ones with the folding blade guard that's made in China or Pakistan?

the IMICASA made stuff is decent, but if this plumb is in good enough condition it'll be a significantly higher quality tool.
 
Hickory n steel said:
House handles has reasonable prices,
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Thanks for the recommendation but House Handles is the company I was mentioning from MO that had website issues, didn't show prices on the website, wasn't clear if they sold a replacement, and their rep was very rude when I inquired. Either I'm just getting old or it seems that in the last 5 years many US-based companies have started a "take it or leave it" attitude, like European companies always have. Not all of them! Some classic US companies are still going strong. But the guy at House Handles convinced me to avoid them. Bummer, since I also wanted to re-handle an old Warren axe and maybe some others in the barn that I haven't been out to since last summer. I'm considering writing a letter to HH but that would be admitting I'm a 100 year old, old lady, apparently. But I am over doing business with companies that don't value their customers. (Read my similar complaint about Canada's Grohmann - or don't, it's boring.)

Here are photos of the Plumb head. The black is just regular spray paint/primer. It'll probably rub off quickly, but hopefully give a little rust protection. I think you can see the pocking.

2j76ba.jpg

1auqrm.jpg


The Marbles is El Salvador. I wouldn't buy it if it was Chinese. I'll probably buy the Marbles anyway, just to play with it. Their 18" Hunter is longer and has a heavier head than the Plumb But I still wonder about the Plumb. You said "if this plumb is in good enough condition it'll be a significantly higher quality tool" and that's what I needed to hear. Basically I didn't know if these old Plumb heads were known to be any good, or maybe known to be crap. Does it look like it's "there" enough to rehandle it? I'd like to play with a useful, classic hatchet.
 
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Hickory n steel said:
the awful link " scout " pattern handle at your local hardware store, I hate that particular handle.
Click to expand...
Oh, interesting! It hadn't occurred to me that this would be a known commodity. But I guess it makes sense that it would be one common one that all hardware stores sell. Can I ask why you don't like it? I don't have any experience really with axes or hatchets. I've chopped wood, but I couldn't tell you what axe I used, and I had a hatchet that I bought when I was 16 that was basically new old stock when I turned 45, then I gave it to Goodwill. And that was after a few thousand nights camping. Just never been an axe man I guess. :)
 
Maybe it’s cheaper to buy a new hatchet.. for me value comes from how much I enjoy using the tool and how well it performs for me. Usually, having more invested in the tool (time/effort/money) means I want and enjoy using it more, since I feel more of a connection to it. Ask yourself where value comes from for you
 
jayjaygee said:
Thanks for the recommendation but House Handles is the company I was mentioning from MO that had website issues, didn't show prices on the website, wasn't clear if they sold a replacement, and their rep was very rude when I inquired. Either I'm just getting old or it seems that in the last 5 years many US-based companies have started a "take it or leave it" attitude, like European companies always have. Not all of them! Some classic US companies are still going strong. But the guy at House Handles convinced me to avoid them. Bummer, since I also wanted to re-handle an old Warren axe and maybe some others in the barn that I haven't been out to since last summer. I'm considering writing a letter to HH but that would be admitting I'm a 100 year old, old lady, apparently. But I am over doing business with companies that don't value their customers. (Read my similar complaint about Canada's Grohmann - or don't, it's boring.)

Here are photos of the Plumb head. The black is just regular spray paint/primer. It'll probably rub off quickly, but hopefully give a little rust protection. I think you can see the pocking.

2j76ba.jpg

1auqrm.jpg


The Marbles is El Salvador. I wouldn't buy it if it was Chinese. I'll probably buy the Marbles anyway, just to play with it. Their 18" Hunter is longer and has a heavier head than the Plumb But I still wonder about the Plumb. You said "if this plumb is in good enough condition it'll be a significantly higher quality tool" and that's what I needed to hear. Basically I didn't know if these old Plumb heads were known to be any good, or maybe known to be crap. Does it look like it's "there" enough to rehandle it? I'd like to play with a useful, classic hatchet.
Click to expand...
I would pass on that one because it looks heavily worn. It will be very thick in the cheeks.
 
garry3 said:
I would pass on that one because it looks heavily worn. It will be very thick in the cheeks.
Click to expand...
Interesting! Can you explain? I'm sure you're right, just don't understand. I know what cheeks are, but don't see why you say it's worn? You mean the pocking up? Or do you mean resharpened too many times? Something else?

Also can you think of any way to repurpose the head to be useful if I don't rehandle it?
 
The axe will get thicker as it is sharpened back and shorter, thicker in profile. You can thin it which is a lot of work or use it to split with, they make great kindling hatchets.

This one here has some wear but it's not bad. I hope you can see the difference.



It's thin at the edge.

 
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