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Purchasing Vintage Axe - Your advice welcome
- Thread starter mako20ft
- Start date
Another question for those of you familiar with Double Bit Axes. The one I have coming to me is a vintage Plumb with a 2lb 7oz head. I figure I'll be around the 3-1/2lb range once the Hickory handle is installed. Using a 32" Hickory Handle, does this strike anyone as a bit to light for woods carry and felling? I went to the lighter side on purpose however it seems most of the Double Bit axes are in the 4-1/2lb to 6lb range.
I think they call the one I've bought a cruiser weight? Sort of along the lines of a Battleship vs. a Cruiser regards weight and what they can do in service...fair example or no?
I think they call the one I've bought a cruiser weight? Sort of along the lines of a Battleship vs. a Cruiser regards weight and what they can do in service...fair example or no?
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Most Cruiser D-bits (2.5 Lb) use a 28" handle. The eye of a Cruiser is smaller that a 3.5 - 4 Lb. D-bit. They make a 28" Cruiser helve with the correct size for the eye.
Measure your eye before you order or buy a 30" to 36" helve.
Approximate sizes....
Cruiser Eye Size: 2 1/4 x 5/8
Double bit eye Size: 3/4 x 3 (3 - 5 lbs.)
Tom
Measure your eye before you order or buy a 30" to 36" helve.
Approximate sizes....
Cruiser Eye Size: 2 1/4 x 5/8
Double bit eye Size: 3/4 x 3 (3 - 5 lbs.)
Tom
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Tom,
That's great advice. The eye is indeed just shy of 2-5/16. I'll start my search post haste...I want to clean this one up and put it to work.
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House Handle... https://www.househandle.com/
Click on Double Bit Axe Handles and scroll up one place, you'll find a cruiser handle there.
Tom
While you writing that I was ordering it :thumbup: Last Friday I also ordered the 28" Boys Axe Handle from them as well. That axe head showed up yesterday and cleaned up rather nicely. As soon as I set up somewhere to host image though I need to get a pic up. There is a crack in the head where the handle enters. It's at the front (toe?) towards the sharpened edge. The odd thing is although the crack is wide (about a 1/32" by caliper) it is very short and does not extend into the shaft. If it were not for the shape it could be mistaken for a very small chip.
Like I said, I really need to get a pic up so those much more in the know could tell me if they believe it to be a major concern. I have a 14 window to return the item so it's not pressing yet. To it's credit, the axe head cleaned up with a vinegar bath extremely well and the stamp is very legible. The temper line is dead on 1-3/4" uniform across the face which tells me the axe saw very little use. With maybe 25 minutes in the vise and a bastard file I have the edge profiled and it's quite beautiful.
While you were probably writing that I was ordering it :thumbup: Last Friday I also ordered the 28" Boys Axe Handle from them as well. That axe head showed up yesterday and cleaned up rather nicely. As soon as I set up somewhere to host image though I need to get a pic up. There is a crack in the head where the handle enters. It's at the front (toe?) towards the sharpened edge. The odd thing is although the crack is wide (about a 1/32" by caliper) it is very short and does not extend into the shaft. If it were not for the shape it could be mistaken for a very small chip.
Like I said, I really need to get a pic up so those much more in the know could tell me if they believe it to be a major concern. I have a 14 day window to return the item so it's not pressing yet. To it's credit, the axe head cleaned up with a vinegar bath extremely well and the stamp is very legible. The temper line is dead on 1-3/4" uniform across the face which tells me the axe saw very little use. With maybe 25 minutes in the vise and a bastard file I have the edge profiled and it's quite beautiful.
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Following a fairly easy cleaning with a vinegar bath and scrub pad the head looks terrific. However at the haft I discovered the small crack shown below. The important thing is (for right now anyway) the crack does not appear to extend down into the shaft. It is just what you see here. Any thoughts about if I'm simply putting good money after bad by mounting a handle?
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I wouldn't worry about that little crack. It most likely happened during the forging process when a drift was used to size the eye.
Tom
Tom
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I just looked at 9 of my cruisers and none of them had a crack like yours? I was sure I would find at least one or two with a crack. But I still stand with I wouldn't worry about it. I have seen a similar crack on other D-bits and no one has ever mentioned that they had a problem because of it
Tom
Thanks, I really appreciate that. I spent some more time with a new file and steel wool then a final vinegar bath. This is as far as I wish to take the cleaning or rust removal. It wasn't at all hard and the finished head is quite something (at least to my eyes). Take a peek at the last photo though and you'll see something that has me irked. The eye is pretty far from perpendicular to the head.
Side A with the Stamp - Very legible but my cell phone leaves a lot to be desired.
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Side B - How about that tempering line! 1-15/16" from the leading edge and very consistent.
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Used Vinegar Bath - I'd say it did it's job!
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Disappointment with the fit and finish. The eye is out of square pretty badly
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Side A with the Stamp - Very legible but my cell phone leaves a lot to be desired.
Side B - How about that tempering line! 1-15/16" from the leading edge and very consistent.
Used Vinegar Bath - I'd say it did it's job!
Disappointment with the fit and finish. The eye is out of square pretty badly
Yeah, the eye does appear a bit off. Luckily that can be addressed when hanging it, especially if you ended up with a haft that needs a lot of material removed from the eye portion. I think some tweaking and rasping should get it to line up nicely. It'll be more work, but I am sure it'll be fine. I recently hung an axe with a deformed eye...I got lucky and it sort of seated itself decently, but I had to remove a lot of material, which allowed me to tweak the fit as I hung it.
Square_peg
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I agree with SC T100. You can correct for that eye with your hang. Just rasp the haft so that it matches the alignment of the eye.
Boy you aren't kidding. Comparing the 3 week old Council USA made Boy's Axe to the vintage USA made Plumb couldn't be more different. Please don't get me wrong... After cleaning that crappy red paint off the Council, sanding down the haft to bare wood, 5 coats of BLO with 220 grit between each, forcing a patina on the bare carbon steel and finally, filing until I got an edge that I think most folks would be quite satisfied with...I'm actually very pleased with this modern Boy's axe in both appearance and performance.
So that compliment aside... The Plumb Victory Boy's Axe is one tough sum' bitch. In the following comparison pics you can plainly see the design differences and the blade shape markedly different. I really do like them both.
I'll go on record with the following though. I'm excited to have received a Plumb Double Bit Cruiser Axe. If you take away the patina the axe head is virtually unused. No mushroom and nothing I can see regards file marks where it may have been sharpened. On Tuesday I have a similar Plumb 3.2 Double Bit Axe that (this one I'm going off pictures) also looks unmolested. House Handle has another couple of haft pieces inbound to me and I'm truly looking forward to tweeking those to my liking. After that I'm taking a break.
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In the comparison pics below the new Council Boy's Axe has the darker Hickory handle. I stained it in American Walnut but I doubt I'll choose that color tone again. I definitely sanded every bit of the factory finish off so it's not any contaminants but I don't care for the speckled appearance. I'll go with Ebony for the next round.
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So that compliment aside... The Plumb Victory Boy's Axe is one tough sum' bitch. In the following comparison pics you can plainly see the design differences and the blade shape markedly different. I really do like them both.
I'll go on record with the following though. I'm excited to have received a Plumb Double Bit Cruiser Axe. If you take away the patina the axe head is virtually unused. No mushroom and nothing I can see regards file marks where it may have been sharpened. On Tuesday I have a similar Plumb 3.2 Double Bit Axe that (this one I'm going off pictures) also looks unmolested. House Handle has another couple of haft pieces inbound to me and I'm truly looking forward to tweeking those to my liking. After that I'm taking a break.
In the comparison pics below the new Council Boy's Axe has the darker Hickory handle. I stained it in American Walnut but I doubt I'll choose that color tone again. I definitely sanded every bit of the factory finish off so it's not any contaminants but I don't care for the speckled appearance. I'll go with Ebony for the next round.
Mako20ft
Nice looking hang. Just a comment, I think you will be happier with the axe performance if you get a little closer to the shoulder of the haft. It takes a little extra rasp work but will slide through your hands better.
I like mine about 1/2". Above the widest part of the haft.
Nice looking hang. Just a comment, I think you will be happier with the axe performance if you get a little closer to the shoulder of the haft. It takes a little extra rasp work but will slide through your hands better.
I like mine about 1/2". Above the widest part of the haft.
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Yeah that crack is typical of an axe so no worries there.
Sort of the trickery of photos there. In the pic where they are laying on their sides the Plumb looks bigger, but it's clearly not as long in the shot from above. Or it could just be me - it's always hard for me to get a real feel for an axe from pictures. So do the CT axes come with the big metal wedge?
On the topic of metal wedges, you probably want to have a wood wedge in there first (those little metal wedges are meant to be driven crossways). But it could be interesting to see if it works out like that, or for how long it stays tight. Because metal wedges are a constant source of mental conflict for me I recently had a shot at using 2 wood wedges instead. Worked great, but next time I will drive the cross wedge first, then the standard wedge.
crosswedge by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
Yeah that was definitely a stream of consciousness post there ... just ignore me.
Sort of the trickery of photos there. In the pic where they are laying on their sides the Plumb looks bigger, but it's clearly not as long in the shot from above. Or it could just be me - it's always hard for me to get a real feel for an axe from pictures. So do the CT axes come with the big metal wedge?
On the topic of metal wedges, you probably want to have a wood wedge in there first (those little metal wedges are meant to be driven crossways). But it could be interesting to see if it works out like that, or for how long it stays tight. Because metal wedges are a constant source of mental conflict for me I recently had a shot at using 2 wood wedges instead. Worked great, but next time I will drive the cross wedge first, then the standard wedge.
crosswedge by city_ofthe_south, on FlickrYeah that was definitely a stream of consciousness post there ... just ignore me.
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CityoftheSouth,
Regards the great comments and advice you made about hanging the Plumb Boy's Axe. The new handle from House Handle came with both a Hickory wedge and an Aluminum wedge. I had a brain squeeze and went without the wood shim...I just used the metal one without thinking since the new Council Boy's axe from Omaha Knife and Tool came to me that way...no wood shim at all. Also, I spent maybe 1 hour 15 minutes on Sunday "attempting" to split choke Cherry for the fall and our outdoor fire pit. The good...the axe head stayed true and no signs of twisting or becoming loose. The bad...the axe is completely outclassed trying to muscle that variety of wood. The edge is razor sharp but for lack of a better description it simply bounced off the logs (12-18" sections). I admitted defeat and used the Stihl to kerf 1/4 of the length. From there an 8lb maul I borrowed from the farm and a 5lb sledge did the rest. Choke cherry burns nice but what an absolute bitch to harvest.
So, all that said, I'm disappointed in my effort at hanging that single bit Plumb. I've figured out (hopefully) a way to press out the handle with a hydraulic jack as I really want to try this again. I don't care if it's saddled tight...it looks like crap. The other Vintage axe, a Plumb Double Bit Cruiser, took a new handle perfectly. I used the supplied Hickory wedge, found there was no need for the additional aluminum wedge and the old girl looks lovely (yup, I said lovely). Sadly, even with a scary sharp edge and correct bevel...it also just bounced off the Cherry wood. Lesson learned the old fashion way I suppose.
I'll flash up a few pics of both when I'm done rehanging the single bit today.
Not for nothing, but I've learned more from you guys on this one thread than most of the advice received on other sites (all combined :thumbup: ).
I just want to express my gratitude. I'm not known for patience and all of you have saved me a tremendous amount of time, money and energy. Thank you
Regards the great comments and advice you made about hanging the Plumb Boy's Axe. The new handle from House Handle came with both a Hickory wedge and an Aluminum wedge. I had a brain squeeze and went without the wood shim...I just used the metal one without thinking since the new Council Boy's axe from Omaha Knife and Tool came to me that way...no wood shim at all. Also, I spent maybe 1 hour 15 minutes on Sunday "attempting" to split choke Cherry for the fall and our outdoor fire pit. The good...the axe head stayed true and no signs of twisting or becoming loose. The bad...the axe is completely outclassed trying to muscle that variety of wood. The edge is razor sharp but for lack of a better description it simply bounced off the logs (12-18" sections). I admitted defeat and used the Stihl to kerf 1/4 of the length. From there an 8lb maul I borrowed from the farm and a 5lb sledge did the rest. Choke cherry burns nice but what an absolute bitch to harvest.
So, all that said, I'm disappointed in my effort at hanging that single bit Plumb. I've figured out (hopefully) a way to press out the handle with a hydraulic jack as I really want to try this again. I don't care if it's saddled tight...it looks like crap. The other Vintage axe, a Plumb Double Bit Cruiser, took a new handle perfectly. I used the supplied Hickory wedge, found there was no need for the additional aluminum wedge and the old girl looks lovely (yup, I said lovely). Sadly, even with a scary sharp edge and correct bevel...it also just bounced off the Cherry wood. Lesson learned the old fashion way I suppose.
I'll flash up a few pics of both when I'm done rehanging the single bit today.
Not for nothing, but I've learned more from you guys on this one thread than most of the advice received on other sites (all combined :thumbup: ).
I just want to express my gratitude. I'm not known for patience and all of you have saved me a tremendous amount of time, money and energy. Thank you
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Anytime!
Don't worry too much about the little Plumb. There are lots of variables when it comes to splitting wood, but I would probably go for a more substantial tool if I was splitting rounds or worse yet, green rounds. Two and a quarter pounds if iron is probably anemic in that case, but you may find that it's a pretty handy tool when you switch from rounds to splitting fuel sized wood day to day. I mostly only get dead standing/leaning wood to burn and a 3 or 3.5lb axe will do for most wood up to say 15 inches across or so, maybe bigger. Like you did in this case, if I have to work on bigger and/or tougher I'll probably get a maul and wedge involved.
I probably wouldn't get too concerned about the wedge either .... if it comes lose, redo. Depending on how particular you get, or already are, about how things fit, then like anything else, you will get better at it and look back at your older work less than satisfied by it. Like you said, you can always pull the handle and take another shot at it, and for sure you can use it as it is to learn just exactly what it takes to keep an axe together. I have taken some of mine apart just to see how hard it was to get the handle out. I think the learning involved will only increase your confidence with your work and the tool. My first axes don't meet my standards now but what do you know, they are still splitting wood without issue.
Don't worry too much about the little Plumb. There are lots of variables when it comes to splitting wood, but I would probably go for a more substantial tool if I was splitting rounds or worse yet, green rounds. Two and a quarter pounds if iron is probably anemic in that case, but you may find that it's a pretty handy tool when you switch from rounds to splitting fuel sized wood day to day. I mostly only get dead standing/leaning wood to burn and a 3 or 3.5lb axe will do for most wood up to say 15 inches across or so, maybe bigger. Like you did in this case, if I have to work on bigger and/or tougher I'll probably get a maul and wedge involved.
I probably wouldn't get too concerned about the wedge either .... if it comes lose, redo. Depending on how particular you get, or already are, about how things fit, then like anything else, you will get better at it and look back at your older work less than satisfied by it. Like you said, you can always pull the handle and take another shot at it, and for sure you can use it as it is to learn just exactly what it takes to keep an axe together. I have taken some of mine apart just to see how hard it was to get the handle out. I think the learning involved will only increase your confidence with your work and the tool. My first axes don't meet my standards now but what do you know, they are still splitting wood without issue.
Well, the hydraulic jack idea started well but fizzled badly. Any tips for removing that new handle from the Plumb axe head? Since it's a new hang I honestly don't know if that makes it easier or harder to not only get it out but hopefully without destroying the relatively new Hickory.
Help would be great
Help would be great