Question from a novice

J

jshelton2001

Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Messages
2
Hello,

I'm new to the forum, & I've registered to ask for assistance because I'm completely ignorant concerning hatchets & axes. Please forgive an uninformed question. To keep this brief, this tool belonged to my grandfather who passed away some years ago. He was a WW2 Veteran. Unfortunately, its one of the very few items that I have of his memory. It maybe a five dollar piece of junk, but it means the world to me. I would like to completely restore it, & obviously I'll have to pay for that. My question is what type of hatchet is it (style) & is there a guess on the age? Any answers are greatly appreciated. Hopefully I can attach photos correctly.

R/
Josh

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That's a full-tang hatchet. It used to have a rubber handle on it. The stamp once said "drop forged"
 
Adding to what WarnerB said, here are some photos from an auction listing that show what this hatchet once looked like:

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The sheath in the photo says Estwing, but the hatchet head doesn't look like an Estwing, nor does it look like the common Craftsman, Vaughan, or Bridgeport hatchets. Maybe it's a lesser known brand like Stansport.
 
The metal will clean up nicely but how to re-new or replace the handle is going to be a whole other story. This implement was not well cared for and likely has been left outdoors for extended periods so if you can figure out a way to wrap the handle with something suitable (leather?) to regain the shape you too will be able to get 50 nostalgic years out of it.
 
Kudos for wanting to restore your grandfathers hatchet. A worthy cause for sure.

You might be able to fashion a new handle from multiple coats of plasti-dip. Not sure how thick you can build that stuff up, though.
 
Heres an idea for ya...Cleaning up the metal is easy. Soak in vinigar untill the rust goes bye bye. It will leave it with a gun metal grey finish but you can sand/polish it from there. For the handle, how about stacked leather. Theres plenty of write ups on how to do it on knives.Basic idea is layer pieces of leather sealed together with epoxy then sanded/cut to shape. I think it would do your family hierloom justice
 
I would say find some leather washers and make an awesome new leather handle! The steel will clean up find, and I recommend doing it yourself! it won't take much tools wise and you will feel much better about restoring your grandpas axe yourself, I've been there, my grandpas axe is one of my favorites.
 
Thank you all for the replies, ideas, & kind words. The suggestions gave me some great ideas & I believe I can try my hand at a few of them. Thank you again!
R/
Josh
 
Nice project. I restored a Vaughan recently for the grandson of the original owner. I sandblasted and parkerized the metal and made a kydex sheath. Yours is in worse condition. I would find some examples in good condition and decide what you want to put into it. I see people using horse matts for handles, maybe you could use that . You also might want to buy one with a handle and see if it can be removed and put on yours.
In the end you may be let down by the performance of the head if that is important to you . Good luck with the heirloom
ry%3D400
 
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