What did you rehang today?

[FortyTwoBlades]

Nice brush hook indeed, don't know anything about them and didn't realize both edges sharpened
Thanks for the pics

More specifically, it's a ditch bank blade. The blade is machete-like in thickness and conventionally double edged on a straight symmetrical handle with a three-bolt plate-reinforced attachment method. A brush hook/bush hook/brush axe is a heavier-duty eyed tool, and only some versions are double-edged, with most being single edged.

I'mSoSharp-- Brilliant job rehandling that strapped hammer!

 

[jblyttle]

An awesome all original Collins Connie, 3.5lb on a 28" handle. All I really did was clean/oil/sharpen. The hewing Hatchet is nice, I'm not done sharpening it. The hammer is a 3lb spalling hammer.

 

[I'mSoSharp]

1. When were strapped hammers made?

2. What was that type primarily used for?

3. Where did that one come from?

The first picture and the tongue of the removed handle make for a more closed hang.

You did a really nice job of cleaning that up I'mSoSharp.

Thank you.

Answers to questions 1,2 & 3 - I don't know

But I think many European countries had strapped tools & this is clearly a light duty claw hammer bought at a flea market in Spain. I don't know where it was produced as it has no markings, hard to say how old it is, it's not a particularly fine made tool or very functional for that matter.

The term "Strapped" covers quite a lot of types of tool, when I hear that term I think of Billhooks as that was the most common strapped tool as I was growing up in England, even then they were old tools & not in the style of this hammer, instead the straps formed an extended part of the handle socket rather than holding the head on.

 

[Twindog]

This is an old Collins & Co. Legitimus 3-pound axe head that I cleaned up and mounted on a new 28-inch haft.

I’m not sure how old the head is. The logo makes it seem like an early Legitimus, and the style of the head makes it seem like an export model to Central or South America. But I can’t find any match to the logo that would give me an indication of the age.

The head had a lot of extra space for the haft, which also made me think that it was an export model.

To fill in all that extra space, I decided to go with a double-cross wedge. I started to use black walnut, but the wedges I made just fell apart, making it difficult to clean them back out. In the end, I just went with standard hickory wedges. Doesn’t look all that great, but the head is good and tight.

It didn’t look like the head had ever been used or even mounted. I sharpened it up with a couple passes with a 1x42 belt grinder (320 grit) and hand filed the burr off with an extra-fine DMT stone. The edge did not get hot, and it’s now just short of hair-shaving sharp.

It still needs a bath in BLO.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Looks like what I've seen called a "media labor" pattern, used in Latin America. Most are hafted via the slip fit method, which explains the large taper to the eye.

 

[Twindog]

Looks like what I've seen called a "media labor" pattern, used in Latin America. Most are hafted via the slip fit method, which explains the large taper to the eye.

Thank you 42. That makes sense. I guess I was kind of clueless on this hang, but the top of the haft mushroomed nicely. I'll see how it holds together.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

It's totally possible to properly hang such heads on wedged handles, as you've demonstrated. They're just a little more fussy about it than ones designed with that hafting method in mind. :thumbup:

 

[jblyttle]

This is an old Collins & Co. Legitimus 3-pound axe head that I cleaned up and mounted on a new 28-inch haft.

To fill in all that extra space, I decided to go with a double-cross wedge. I started to use black walnut, but the wedges I made just fell apart, making it difficult to clean them back out. In the end, I just went with standard hickory wedges. Doesn’t look all that great, but the head is good and tight.

I think that it looks great. I have seen these before, but in a larger size. Maybe 4.5lb if I remember? Nice axe.

 

[300Six]

Thank you 42. That makes sense. I guess I was kind of clueless on this hang, but the top of the haft mushroomed nicely. I'll see how it holds together.

Twindog: You did a lovely job of rendering this 'hang'. The craftsmanship (along with the sound reasoning behind doing multiple cross-wedging) is superb. The classic Collins stamp, of generations past, has a 5 point crown which is authentic enough (with regard to all the export tool fakery that was going on 100 years ago) too.
Get on out there and enthusiastically put this 'baby' to work and report back on what it's like to use a blade-heavy axe VS a conventional polled version.

 

[Twindog]

Thanks, 300.

Your comments on the blade-heavy design of this Latin American export axe and 42's comments about the slip-through-haft design made me think that these South/Central American designs are borne of Spain's colonial influence. The Basque axe that I have is also blade-heavy with a slip-through haft. Latin America didn't just get a dominant language from Spain, but also a dominant axe theory. Unless I'm overthinking this.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Yes, Latin American tools are heavily influenced by Spanish patterns. Mexican and Spanish scythe snaths, as one example, are virtually identical to one another. The axes, similarly, are very close to Spanish patterns.

 

[Jlemay18]

Hung my black Raven head on a hickory handle I carved myself from a handle blank from Thrane Axe and Saw Co. Also used a black walnut wedge on it from the same company, looks pretty damn good with the contrasting colors. I still have a bit of sanding to do and some BLO but I'm very pleased with how it came out, its only the second handle I've carved so I'm still learning but definitely came out better than I expected.

 

[Curt Hal]

Twindog: You did a lovely job of rendering this 'hang'. The craftsmanship (along with the sound reasoning behind doing multiple cross-wedging) is superb. The classic Collins stamp, of generations past, has a 5 point crown which is authentic enough (with regard to all the export tool fakery that was going on 100 years ago) too.
Get on out there and enthusiastically put this 'baby' to work and report back on what it's like to use a blade-heavy axe VS a conventional polled version.

I am curious to know how the axe performs. Old Axeman says that the lighter, rounded poll causes the axe to wobble on the downswing, as opposed to the weighted square poll which does not.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I am curious to know how the axe performs. Old Axeman says that the lighter, rounded poll causes the axe to wobble on the downswing, as opposed to the weighted square poll which does not.

It should only be a potential issue with horizontal swings. If there were more offset in the neck it would bring it into balance during those strokes but you won't find off-the-rack handles made that way. During descending strokes it won't have any noticeable effect.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Thank you 42. That makes sense. I guess I was kind of clueless on this hang, but the top of the haft mushroomed nicely. I'll see how it holds together.

I hung a 3.5lb just exactly like it with the same eye. I also came to the conclusion that they were probably slip fit, but with your double cross wedge, I'm thinking you're probably good to go. I felt like the 3.5lb felt weird to swing, but the lighter the head, IMO, probably the better. The 3lb head might be better.

 

[Able_walker]

Hung my black Raven head on a hickory handle I carved myself from a handle blank from Thrane Axe and Saw Co. Also used a black walnut wedge on it from the same company, looks pretty damn good with the contrasting colors. I still have a bit of sanding to do and some BLO but I'm very pleased with how it came out, its only the second handle I've carved so I'm still learning but definitely came out better than I expected.

Nice work...don't see those heads in second hand shops for cheap anymore...word is out on their collectability.

 

[Curt Hal]

It should only be a potential issue with horizontal swings. If there were more offset in the neck it would bring it into balance during those strokes but you won't find off-the-rack handles made that way. During descending strokes it won't have any noticeable effect.

I may have mis-heard Old Axeman on the video the AFS made. I'd be interested in reading his comment in this regard. I hope he reads this and jumps into the conversation.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

He disagrees with my assessment of axe balance, yet can't cite why. It's ultimately a simple matter of where the axe wants to twist from. Get the handle along a line pointing towards the center of gravity and it doesn't matter if you have a poll or not--the axe will be rotationally balanced even when both hands are at opposite ends of the handle. When the handle is pointing away from the center of gravity, that's when you introduce the possibility of wobble, and the more off-target it is the worse the effect is.

 

[nzedge]

Hung my black Raven head on a hickory handle I carved myself from a handle blank from Thrane Axe and Saw Co. Also used a black walnut wedge on it from the same company, looks pretty damn good with the contrasting colors. I still have a bit of sanding to do and some BLO but I'm very pleased with how it came out, its only the second handle I've carved so I'm still learning but definitely came out better than I expected.

very nice. I would personally rasp off the little hump on the back of the handle just below the head.
Nice axe and nice handle though. good job. Post it up when you have some oil on it. also a closer up pic of the detail on the head would be sweet

 

[Agent_H]

This is an old Collins & Co. Legitimus 3-pound axe head that I cleaned up and mounted on a new 28-inch haft.

I’m not sure how old the head is. The logo makes it seem like an early Legitimus, and the style of the head makes it seem like an export model to Central or South America. But I can’t find any match to the logo that would give me an indication of the age.

Twindog, I think that looks terrific. The double wedge seems really appropriate and looks like it won't come off of there easily.

Poll or not, that is a fine looking axe :thumbup: