Swedish hatchet?

B

Buck268

Joined
Nov 5, 2006
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Can anybody offer any id or info on this hatchet? Don't even know where I got it anymore but it's been on the garage for a couple years now. Takes a keen edge and works well. Thinking about replacing the handle due to some damage and a loose head.

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Hults Bruk hatchet, from when they were less boutique and more mass export. Good quality.
 
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Good to hear, thanks! One thing I noticed is that the handle is MUCH thinner than most any other hatchet I've seen? Suppose I can whittle/carve/file/sand a new one to fit... just find it odd.
 
I'd try to rehang it on the same handle. Quality handles like that aren't available off the shelf.
 
Other than the visible "chunking" damage of the haft, it also sports a long but shallow longitudinal split on the blade-forward side of the haft. With a loose head. I guess I could glue the split, paracord wrap over the chunk and try to add a wedge or even oil soak...

I'm pretty comfortable messing around either way but I don't have much practice to know what to expect. Suggestions?
 
If the head is loose now is a golden opportunity for disassembly and to assess/attempt to do a proper repair. Merely pouring or smearing glue around doesn't do anything substantial nor will an oil soak magically tighten up a hang.
It's a 1960s-80s vintage well made tool and worthy of attention. Nice thing about a hatchet-length handle is you can use the existing one as a template for whittling/carving/rasping/sanding a custom new one.
 
Well, it wiggles a little but doesn't come displaced at all, even using a wood drift to try. Interestingly, it doesn't seem to have a very common eye size (unless I don't understand how they are measured). I'm getting 1.75"x0.675" single-bit style eye. I'm going to try the local TCS and family farm and home this weekend if I can get there; just to see what options they would have.
 
Hi Buck.

The eye is larger on those. I can’t tell you exact measurements but 1 ¼ and 1 1/2lb heads like that are really close in size. Too large for a common replacement handle, too small a boy’s axe handle.

If yours is totally beyond repair then maybe shoot for larger one – Like a house axe size and work it down to near the original. It will be longer but not by much if you don’t want it to.
The full size tongue stays thicker down the handle. Maybe enough for you to be a couple of inches over the original?

I have only done this on full size handles taken down to boy’s axe size but there is a thread here that has some good examples of what you might end up with. Might be an option though?





 
Looks as if these axes start @ $100 and quickly go to $150. Quality forged head. If it were mine I would send it back to them and let them completely recondition it. You would be in it for much less than the cost of a new one but it would be like new. Just my .02
 
mdell49 said:
Looks as if these axes start @ $100 and quickly go to $150. Quality forged head. If it were mine I would send it back to them and let them completely recondition it. You would be in it for much less than the cost of a new one but it would be like new. Just my .02
Click to expand...

You're talking recent 'boutique' jobbies not 40-50 year old Swede products such as the one that is featured in this thread.
 
Update with some photos. Beaver tooth handle, hickory of course. It arrived with a light varnish coat, haven't sanded that down yet. Photos below compare original to new- definitely a size difference but it's the closest I could find to fit the eye.

Ended up sanding too much length off the top, but it sits nice and tight with just hand pressure. Should I keep going to seat it further or does that look pretty tight?

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Where is the spokeshave when you need it. That particular handle overwhelms the head but then again it's back in use and you can be rightfully proud to have done so.
 
Haha, I know. Its huge. I actually think the length will be nice but I might attack it with some extra course sand paper... not that sandpaper will make much difference.
 
That's the drawback with Beavertooth (Tennessee Hickory) hafts. They come too fat and need to worked down. But I don't mind. The wood is first rate and there's plenty to work with. The extra wood probably saves them from taking back returns from morons who break their axe handles the first day.

You and I have to shave down our hafts because of those morons.
 
Well I left it pretty fat. 30 minutes sanding was all i could take and I didn't want to screw the shape up with a wood file. Not too upset about it, as I'm not sure how well my first hang will hold up. There was a lot of slack at the tapered end of the eye. Good practice, I'll post final pics after a few days of linseed oil and if/when it loosens up I'll try to update the thread. FWIW I didn't use any glue, epoxy or swell seal. Just BLO on the wedge before insertion.
 
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