I see a lot of older axe heads for sale on Ebay in sizes and shapes that you don't see much anymore. Sometimes you can pick them up for $5 plus another $5 or so for shipping. Most seem to be in OK shape but will need a good sharpening and some burnishing to remove the crud. I have my Gerber and a small Vaughn sounding axe and they are OK but they don't have much "soul."
Was the old forged steel better than what we are seeing new nowadays?
I kinda like the idea of rehabing something that has a history and may have been by a long out-of-business US company. Other than the work involved, is there a downside? Will the steel have become brittle over all these years?
I know I'll have to rehandle all of these and I have seen www.househandle.com mentioned a here a lot. Has anyone ever used www.tennesseehickoryproducts.com? Does your average Home Depot or Lowe's even carry decent wood replacement handles? If I don't buy online, would I do well to find an old fashioned hardware store in a small town that just may have something stuck away in a back corner?
Thanks for any and all suggestions or comments.
John
Was the old forged steel better than what we are seeing new nowadays?
I kinda like the idea of rehabing something that has a history and may have been by a long out-of-business US company. Other than the work involved, is there a downside? Will the steel have become brittle over all these years?
I know I'll have to rehandle all of these and I have seen www.househandle.com mentioned a here a lot. Has anyone ever used www.tennesseehickoryproducts.com? Does your average Home Depot or Lowe's even carry decent wood replacement handles? If I don't buy online, would I do well to find an old fashioned hardware store in a small town that just may have something stuck away in a back corner?
Thanks for any and all suggestions or comments.
John