Plumb Champion & Norlund

F

Fox940

Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Messages
71
Found these beauties, just calling me to go to a new home. The Norlund is only lightly used in great shape and still some factory paint remaining. The Plumb has seen some use, but is also in great shape will need a handle. I think I'm going to clean them up, but I'm still on the fence of whether to leave them as is and just sharpen them.

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I'd take a wire wheel and remove the rust , other than that the norlund could be hung a bit farther onto the handle of it gets loose .
 
Yeah, I don't like how they hung the Norland. It is a brand new handle and the fit is tight and good, but it sure doesn't look right.
 
Fox940 said:
Yeah, I don't like how they hung the Norland. It is a brand new handle and the fit is tight and good, but it sure doesn't look right.
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It could use a bit of cant to it as well. At least there's plenty of room to correct that if it ever becomes an issue.
 
That Plumb Champion is a fine axe. Too bad the stamp isn't nicer, it would have more value.
 
Square_peg said:
That Plumb Champion is a fine axe. Too bad the stamp isn't nicer, it would have more value.
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I thought that as well when I found it, but for what I gave for it I have no worries. It was a bundled deal with the Norlund, and both won't be leaving my collection any time soon. The Star on the other side is in fine shape. From what I've read the Plumb Champions with the Star were supposed to be marketed in Australia and far many more ended up there than in the States.
 
Hickory n steel said:
It could use a bit of cant to it as well. At least there's plenty of room to correct that if it ever becomes an issue.
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I've been doing some research on the Norlund and am thinking it was considered a Hatchet by Norlund back in the day. I am still trying to find what length of handle it would have had new. I'm thinking an 18-20" handle would work very well. The only Norlund Hatchets I have ever seen are Hudson Bay pattern. I'm pretty happy with this, it's a unique one.
 
Fox940 said:
I've been doing some research on the Norlund and am thinking it was considered a Hatchet by Norlund back in the day. I am still trying to find what length of handle it would have had new. I'm thinking an 18-20" handle would work very well. The only Norlund Hatchets I have ever seen are Hudson Bay pattern. I'm pretty happy with this, it's a unique one.
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It looks a little big to be a hatchet, how does it compare in size to a typical 1-1/4lb hatchet ?
To me it seems like a 26" haft would would be most appropriate if it's a 2-1/2 maybe as short as 24" if it's a 2lber.
If you can fill a gap in axe size by hanging it on a non standard length of haft then I'd go for it. ( that's exactly my plan by hanging a 1-1/4lb hatchet on a 20" haft )
 
Hickory n steel said:
It looks a little big to be a hatchet, how does it compare in size to a typical 1-1/4lb hatchet ?
To me it seems like a 26" haft would would be most appropriate if it's a 2-1/2 maybe as short as 24" if it's a 2lber.
If you can fill a gap in axe size by hanging it on a non standard length of haft then I'd go for it. ( that's exactly my plan by hanging a 1-1/4lb hatchet on a 20" haft )
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That's what I think as well, but the only information I can find for the size/shape of it describes it as a hatchet, and it's a 2 pounder or thereabouts. Maybe back in the day 60's/70's small axes were called hatchets? I do agree with you that a longer handle would be more practical and usable after thinking about it. It will essentially be the same size as the GB Scandinavian. Thanks for your insight.
 
Fox940 said:
That's what I think as well, but the only information I can find for the size/shape of it describes it as a hatchet, and it's a 2 pounder or thereabouts. Maybe back in the day 60's/70's small axes were called hatchets? I do agree with you that a longer handle would be more practical and usable after thinking about it. It will essentially be the same size as the GB Scandinavian. Thanks for your insight.
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2lb is definitely a boys axe, and 28 would be perfect.

Remember that norlund is weird, they're Hudson bay axe is a hatchet while they're tomahawk is a hudsen bay pattern boys axe. They also have a little tomahawk that looks like stone which I don't actually think they even call a tomahawk.
 
Great find with that Plumb, what's wrong with the handle? It should clean up nice.

The Norlund is definitely not set all the way down on the shoulder. Of course if you are happy with the handle and hang you could always just take a rasp to it and bring the shoulder up to the head rather than the other way around.
 
Hacked said:
Great find with that Plumb, what's wrong with the handle? It should clean up nice.

The Norlund is definitely not set all the way down on the shoulder. Of course if you are happy with the handle and hang you could always just take a rasp to it and bring the shoulder up to the head rather than the other way around.
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The handle isn't in really good shape where it goes into the eye/exit the eye. It will work for now, it's got some character. I wire wheeled the head and cleaned up it with some WD-40. I left the WD-40 on it tonight and will clean it up some more in the morning. I'm not going to do anything else with it for now.
 
I rehung the handle on the Norlund today. I also ended up cleaning the head up more than I had planned. I was just going to wire wheel the head, but the right side had some file marks where someone had tried to clean it up and left some big swirl marks. They weren't coming out so I broke out the sandpaper and polished the head up some. I think it looks pretty nice the way it came out. I'm certainly happy with it anyway. Getting the head off the handle was a chore, and I feel fortunate I was able to salvage the handle. A lot of rasping and sanding got the head where I wanted it. It came out better than expected all things considered. This one will be a user, it just begs to be used. From head to end of the handle comes out at 25 inches. A couple coats of tru-oil on the handle and she's all finished up.

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