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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
SC T100's Axe Projects (Pic Heavy)
- Thread starter SC T100
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Square_peg
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I finally got The Cayuga re-hung. Tried out a hand-selected House Handle octagonal, with no lacquer. Turned out great I think, though now I think maybe a 32" handle would have been best. However, it's a heavy, compact head, so the balance is nice.
That's a great looking axe. I like it a lot!
Square_peg
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I believe it's a pre-1966 head, but not super old due to the label and flat cheeks. I'm sure the quality is good, but probably not stellar, but it at least has a nice stamp.
No, it's surely a post-1966 axe. The flat cheeks are one sign but the clincher is the label. That's a Lewiston PA label - Mann Edge Tool town.
Thanks! Yes, I try to keep my hobbies rolling along.
Thanks! Yeah I'm liking the Cayuga very much. I took my Bear & Son stockman to the handle a little more last night to ease the handle ridges a bit, and it feels really, really nice. I'm looking forward to using it here soon!
As for the Collins, thanks for the update! I'm not surprised it's not as vintage as I thought. I was looking at it closer, and the forging is pretty rough around the edges...cost cutting measures I'm sure. I was thinking it might be a good loaner, truck axe, or gift, as the steel didn't seem quite as good as some of my others. Now that I definitely know the non-value, I may take it down to bare steel and clean it up a good bit more, and have it purely steel, wood, and oil. Thanks again!
Some upcoming work for "The Hammer"
I saved the original handle on my Plumb half-hatchet, but I've never liked it very much. It's cracked, has permabond on the head, has a few not-so-nice feeling gouges, and it feels too short for the weight and size of the head. So I ordered up a 16" handle, no lacquer from HH. I plan to swap out the handles soon.
I saved the original handle on my Plumb half-hatchet, but I've never liked it very much. It's cracked, has permabond on the head, has a few not-so-nice feeling gouges, and it feels too short for the weight and size of the head. So I ordered up a 16" handle, no lacquer from HH. I plan to swap out the handles soon.
And here's a little project for a family member. It's a China-stamped boy's axe-sized head that they want hung on a hatchet handle. I have a Link one that should work well. I'll take care of the mushrooming and sharpen it up as well, and possibly make up a quick mask for it. The eye is a bit deformed, but I should still be able to hang it fine. It'll be used roughly, so details on this one aren't super important.
Square_peg
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I saved the original handle on my Plumb half-hatchet, but I've never liked it very much........ it feels too short for the weight and size of the head.
I've experienced the same feeling - handle too short for the weight of the head - on several small work hatchets like this. I think you're making a good decision.
Awesome, thanks for the confirmation. Yeah, it definitely feels a bit unwieldy as-is.
Finally got the China axe hung on a heft 16" hatchet handle from Link. It's one of the best Links I've seen, as it's basically figured hickory. Without aqua fortis and a lacquer I am sure it doesn't shine link it could, but it's a really neat handle all the same.
Here's the weird part. This bit steel is the hardest steel I've ever come across in the axe, including a number of my vintage American axes link my Plumb and Kelly. Hardly anything would cut it, and some of the edge was basically flat/chipped off. I'm wondering if the Chinese supplier used some super hard tool steel, or if the heat treat went awry, as the bit seemed to have different hardness ratings on different portions of the blade. Anyway, it was super hard...so hard in fact that my monster Heller Nu-Cut barely did anything. I didn't want to dull it, so I ended up using smaller files that I didn't care about as much, which allowed me to focus the pressure in smaller spots. It took forever, and I *almost* grabbed the angle grinder, but I eventually had it sharp again (even if it's a steeper bevel than I'd like). It'll be used for splitting so It should be good to go.
It's a beast of a hatchet...more like an older house axe.
Here's the weird part. This bit steel is the hardest steel I've ever come across in the axe, including a number of my vintage American axes link my Plumb and Kelly. Hardly anything would cut it, and some of the edge was basically flat/chipped off. I'm wondering if the Chinese supplier used some super hard tool steel, or if the heat treat went awry, as the bit seemed to have different hardness ratings on different portions of the blade. Anyway, it was super hard...so hard in fact that my monster Heller Nu-Cut barely did anything. I didn't want to dull it, so I ended up using smaller files that I didn't care about as much, which allowed me to focus the pressure in smaller spots. It took forever, and I *almost* grabbed the angle grinder, but I eventually had it sharp again (even if it's a steeper bevel than I'd like). It'll be used for splitting so It should be good to go.
It's a beast of a hatchet...more like an older house axe.
Square_peg
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This is a problem with recycled steel. It's likely an amalgam of numerous steel types and not well homogenized. Using a 'best average' hardening/tempering method will leave you with hard spots and soft spots. If it's part tin can and part old lawnmower blade then those steels are going to react very differently to the heat treat.
I would go ahead and use the angle grinder on that one.
That makes sense, and more of what I suspected versus some good tool steel...thanks for the info. It was weird how the file would skate then bite, skate, then bite. I may just grab the grinder to bring the bevel down a bit, and I'll just be careful to keep it cool.
Finally got around to making a sheath for my Norlund Cabin Axe..."The Rough." It's definitely one of my favorites right now. There had been a gap in the eye previously, so I filled it with another wedge slice, and cut the top of the handle down a bit to make it even with the head. This thing feels great, and saves me the hassle of trying to find a boy's axe handle with an eye large enough to fit this thing. I think it turned out great.
"The Norchet"
Funny how things work...just sort of finished my bigger Norlund, and ran across my first Husdson Bay which is also a Norlund. I am assuming it's an earlier one frome the 60s or 70s due to the lack of "Genuine" on the stamp. This thing is little, and the lady was happy to get rid of it so her grandson didn't get ahold of it. And of course, one booth over carrying this tiny hatchet I get called an axe murderer. People are strange.
Anyway, here's what it looked like when I picked it up...a good score for $5, but very linkely not the original handle as the fitting was okay, but not great.
Having the day off, I made a sheath for it first then went about the refurb. I didn't wire-wheel this one as it had some original paint still on it. One side was mostly a tealish metallic, but the other side had an almost orang color. Maybe it was just left over from the old label. The bit was a bit chewed up, with a little bit of mushrooming. And did I mention this thing is small?
I pulled the pine (I think) wedges, sanded the handle, and sharpened the blade up, though I think it still might need a bit more bevel removed to really make it cut.
So I then tried to reuse the old handle and slide it down a bit as the original fir wasn't great. But no matter what I did, it kept wanting to hang itself way, way too closed (i.e. head tilted down). I rasped and tried a number of fittings and eventually gave up on the haft...no biggie since the eye was pretty torn up anyway.
I had a very slender House Handle scout axe handle laying around from a while back, and lo and behold it worked great...head hung straight, nice and level, and very tight. No pics yet, as I left the hatchet soaking upside down in BLO. I'll pull it out tonight, polish the grain a bit with some steel wool, and maybe touch up the edge. But that may wait until I use it a bit to see how it does. This hatchet took an awesome edge, and feels very hard like mu other Norlund.
Pics to follow soon.
Funny how things work...just sort of finished my bigger Norlund, and ran across my first Husdson Bay which is also a Norlund. I am assuming it's an earlier one frome the 60s or 70s due to the lack of "Genuine" on the stamp. This thing is little, and the lady was happy to get rid of it so her grandson didn't get ahold of it. And of course, one booth over carrying this tiny hatchet I get called an axe murderer. People are strange.
Anyway, here's what it looked like when I picked it up...a good score for $5, but very linkely not the original handle as the fitting was okay, but not great.
Having the day off, I made a sheath for it first then went about the refurb. I didn't wire-wheel this one as it had some original paint still on it. One side was mostly a tealish metallic, but the other side had an almost orang color. Maybe it was just left over from the old label. The bit was a bit chewed up, with a little bit of mushrooming. And did I mention this thing is small?
I pulled the pine (I think) wedges, sanded the handle, and sharpened the blade up, though I think it still might need a bit more bevel removed to really make it cut.
So I then tried to reuse the old handle and slide it down a bit as the original fir wasn't great. But no matter what I did, it kept wanting to hang itself way, way too closed (i.e. head tilted down). I rasped and tried a number of fittings and eventually gave up on the haft...no biggie since the eye was pretty torn up anyway.
I had a very slender House Handle scout axe handle laying around from a while back, and lo and behold it worked great...head hung straight, nice and level, and very tight. No pics yet, as I left the hatchet soaking upside down in BLO. I'll pull it out tonight, polish the grain a bit with some steel wool, and maybe touch up the edge. But that may wait until I use it a bit to see how it does. This hatchet took an awesome edge, and feels very hard like mu other Norlund.
Pics to follow soon.
And here's the end result. Rehung on a House Handle 14" Scout Axe handle. Sheath made to cover the entire head.
Sheathed.
Again, it is quite small...in hand and compared to my Merit, which also has a House Handle 14"Scout Axe handle, but came thicker.
Next to The Merit and a Mora 180 farrier's knife for scale:
And the bit profile...I think I'll leave it as-is for now as it seems to have a darn good utility edge for the moment.
It's hung about as straight as I can get it with my novice skills, even though the swell on the handle is a bit twisted. It doesn't seem to affect it in hand, though this is by far the thinnest hatchet handle I've come across...dare I say almost too thin for my hands, but not really. This was a quick turnaround as I had some time to work on it this weekend. Fun little hatchet!
Sheathed.
Again, it is quite small...in hand and compared to my Merit, which also has a House Handle 14"Scout Axe handle, but came thicker.
Next to The Merit and a Mora 180 farrier's knife for scale:
And the bit profile...I think I'll leave it as-is for now as it seems to have a darn good utility edge for the moment.
It's hung about as straight as I can get it with my novice skills, even though the swell on the handle is a bit twisted. It doesn't seem to affect it in hand, though this is by far the thinnest hatchet handle I've come across...dare I say almost too thin for my hands, but not really. This was a quick turnaround as I had some time to work on it this weekend. Fun little hatchet!
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"The Rough"
I picked up this Norlund at a flea market for a good price, and I believe it is called the Cabin Axe. I was looking for a boy's axe as I didn't have one, and this was the perfect size. Excellent brand as well, so a great little score! No before pics, but it was covered in surface rust, and the non-original handle was dry as a bone, with a missing wedge. Cleaned it up with the wire cup first.
Here's the handle with the head removed. Very, very dry.
So I sharpened up the edge, which seems like good steel. It has a very thin bit. I also had to file off some minor mushrooming on the poll...wasn't too bad through. I then sanded and added a few coats of BLO to the handle, and temporarily re-hung it for use if needed.
I say temporarily, because this is clearly not the original handle, as there is quite a bit of space left in the eye, even when re-hung. Oddly enough, the eye on the head is almost full-sized, and the Link boy's axe handle I got almost slid all the way through! So I think it will need to go on a cut-down full-size handle, or on a House Handle house axe handle. Either way, it's good for now. It seems to be a great little axe!
My father has this exact same axe. The eye is full size and specifically requires a miner's type handle. It took me some time before finding a suitable one to work with. Got a straight miner'ss handle from Tennessee Hickory. Will add a pic if I can find them. It is a very handy axe.
Edited to add: I'm pretty sure it is called the "Camper Axe". http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears%20Tools/Norlund%20Co..html
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Thanks! Yes, I am keeping my eye out for a replacement (the Miner's handle is a great idea)...I've almost ordered one a few times, but this thin handle feels perfect and I have been hesitant to throw a thick full-sizer on there and then thin it back down. Also, I thought it could have been the camper axe, but the head has an upswept bit, so I think it's more likely the Cabin axe. Interesting to note it came on a 36 inch handle even with a head weight of 2.5 lbs.
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Here's the refinished product. I will take a pic of the old handle, but believe its straight and approximately 24" long.
All that said, I think yours looks great!
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Here's the refinished product. I will take a pic of the old handle, but believe its straight and approximately 24" long.
All that said, I think yours looks great!
Wow, that turned out really great. You've got me thinking now about a new handle again! Haha.