What did you rehang today?

[JPA88]

Haha, i did not spend the $13 on it. They all appeared to be mexicans. What is "c" and "I"??

 

[Agent_H]

I was thinking China and India but that was just what I thought reading it.

Connecticut or Illinois would be better.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Those Mexican Collins axes are junk ( I've eyeballed them a few times at my local ace, and will never buy one )
I do on the other hand have an India made HF hatchet ( bought to experiment with, and learn hatchet use ) that holds a razor sharp edge extremely well. I expect there's probably only 1 good one in every 50-100 that they make, but they're worth the 12$ gamble.

 

[Square_peg]

The ridges in the eye mean it was likely made by Kelly, since they had the patent. As explained in the thread quoted below, I think it's likely that unstamped axes with ridges in the eye were originally labelled as Woodslasher or Flint Edge, and made during the period between 1960 and the early 1980s. Kelly Woodslashers made during this period typically had red paint, while Kelly Flint Edges typically had a black finish.

I'm curious, has anyone found a Flint Edge with a sticker but no stamp? I've seen Woodslashers in both red and black. But I haven't seen a no stamp Flint Edge. So I would suggest that paint color is less valuable in determining the product than the stamp or lack thereof. My current operating principle is "no stamp equals Woodslasher." But if someone can show a no stamp Flint Edge I will revise my thinking.

 

[Square_peg]

This was last weekends project. An old Vaughan-made Craftsman 3.5 lbs head on a 33 inch octagon handle. This is my first octagonal handle and was the most pleasant handle making and hanging experience i've had to date. You know how sometimes you're in the shop and things just seem to flow, and go how you intend them to? This was one of those. No screw-ups to correct and I got a real good hang and wedge. I was torn between a straight handle and a curved one, so I decided to make one with just an ever so slight curve. I really like the way it feels. This one polished off my hickory board, so I suppose I'll be visiting the woodshop soon. Thanks for taking a look.

Holy cow! That is REAL NICE! Love that opposite diagonal wedge.

 

[Steve Tall]

I'm curious, has anyone found a Flint Edge with a sticker but no stamp? I've seen Woodslashers in both red and black. But I haven't seen a no stamp Flint Edge. So I would suggest that paint color is less valuable in determining the product than the stamp or lack thereof. My current operating principle is "no stamp equals Woodslasher." But if someone can show a no stamp Flint Edge I will revise my thinking.

Here's one example of a NOS Flint Edge (in a museum), probably no older than from the 1960s (due to the ridges in the eye), and from the description information, the only marking (other than the label) is a stamped "4".

NEXT TO CENTRE IS STAMPED '4'/ LABEL READS 'TRUE TEMPER, KELLY FLINT EDGE, HEAD LOCK, FORGED STEEL RIDGES INSIDE HEAD GRIP THE HICKORY HANDLE SECURELY. MADE IN U.S.A.'
http://techno-science.ca/fr/collections-recherche/collection-point.php?id=1972.0687.001

 

[Square_peg]

Thank you, Steve.

So they're out there.......

Here's a black Woodslasher to solidify that color isn't indicative.

 

[Steve Tall]

...Here's a black Woodslasher to solidify that color isn't indicative.
...[/img]

That black Woodslasher is without eye ridges, right?

I was wrong to think that all post-1960 Woodslashers were red (see next post).

Kelly's price list from 1913 had Woodslashers that were black.

 

[Square_peg]

That black Woodslasher is without eye ridges, right?

I think it's a safe bet that post-1960 Woodslashers were red and post-1960 Flint Edges were black.

Sorry. Black with eye ridges. And the black paint extends under the remnant of the original sticker.

 

[Steve Tall]

Sorry. Black with eye ridges. And the black paint extends under the remnant of the original sticker.

Haha, there goes my theory. Wait, maybe somebody at the factory applied the wrong label?

 

[jblyttle]

I have not done anything in a while and finally got the urge to do a few again. Here are the first two, an ACME 2.5lb sledge and a Warren 1.75lb large hatchet. Both are on old NOS replacement handles that I sanded, oiled and beeswaxed. The hammer has a poplar wedge, the hatchet has a purpleheart wedge. The hammer is 2.75lbs total and is 15.5" long, the hatchet is a bit under 2.5lbs total and is 17.5" long.

I really like the unusual curly figure in the hatchet handle.

 

[cityofthesouth]

This was last weekends project. An old Vaughan-made Craftsman 3.5 lbs head on a 33 inch octagon handle. This is my first octagonal handle and was the most pleasant handle making and hanging experience i've had to date. You know how sometimes you're in the shop and things just seem to flow, and go how you intend them to? This was one of those. No screw-ups to correct and I got a real good hang and wedge. I was torn between a straight handle and a curved one, so I decided to make one with just an ever so slight curve. I really like the way it feels. This one polished off my hickory board, so I suppose I'll be visiting the woodshop soon. Thanks for taking a look.

Daaayum I agree with all the others, that is really nice. It's got a signature look to it and I can relate to the feeling you're describing. Not only that, it's obvious that you had it going on with this project.

 

[300Six]

Looks like a million bucks to me! Unless someone tells me softwood wedges remain 'springy' as compared to hardwood I suspect softwood was used because of it's compressibility and void-filling traits.

Something I forgot to mention: use of hardwood wedges and driving them in hard within a factory setting resulted in cracked heads every now and again. Using softwood (apparently Yellow Poplar is favoured for this), by virtue of being much more forgiving, avoided this. Us mere peons without hydraulic presses, or paid by piecework, can be considerably more careful in setting a wedge.

 

[jprime84]

I finished my first rehang - this presumed old woodslasher. I had to shape the handle I bought pretty extensively. Unfortunately it did not quite have the width to fill the eye. I don't chop often, but it seemed to pass the test afterwards though.

 

[jblyttle]

I finished my first rehang - this presumed old woodslasher. I had to shape the handle I bought pretty extensively. Unfortunately it did not quite have the width to fill the eye. I don't chop often, and it seemed to pass the test afterwards though.

Your first rehang is excellent.

 

[tobiism]

I finished my first rehang - this presumed old woodslasher. I had to shape the handle I bought pretty extensively. Unfortunately it did not quite have the width to fill the eye. I don't chop often, and it seemed to pass the test afterwards though.

Heck yeah!

 

[Square_peg]

I finished my first rehang - this presumed old woodslasher. I had to shape the handle I bought pretty extensively. Unfortunately it did not quite have the width to fill the eye. I don't chop often, and it seemed to pass the test afterwards though.

Looks great! I like it.

 

[the possum]

Dad gave me this older Swedish made hatchet head last summer, and I finally got around to hanging it. The eye is quite a bit larger than American made patterns, so I couldn't find a ready made haft anywhere to fit it. A guy I work with gave me a chunk of Black Locust firewood, and I managed to split out a suitable piece. I spent several months slowly shaping it & letting it dry indoors; hopefully it's done shrinking.

Since the neck of the handle is broader than usual, I figured it needed a bigger butt to lend balance, and also because this head is just a little on the heavy side for a 15" handle. I already have a nearly identical head mounted on a 18" haft, but that one is too long to fit in my pack, so I wanted something a little more compact, but would offer more chopping power than a smaller scout axe.

I had to remove quite a bit of steel from inside the eye fore & aft, since it was hourglass shaped not only on the sides, but front and back as well. Still didn't get it quite even, so there's a small gap in front of the haft. If the hardwood wedge won't keep it in place, I may resort to using a metal wedge.

The bit on this one is on the harder end of the range for what I'd expect from Swedish hatchets, more like vintage American made ones. And the high centerline is more American too, so hopefully this one will make a good packable user.

 

[the possum]

This one came from an estate sale for less than a dollar. Not sure if this would be considered a Jersey pattern head, or something else? The vintage replacement haft was just sorta stuck in the eye, so I carved it down to fit better & rehung it.

I don't think the red paint is original, and it looks pretty bad, but it actually did a good job of protecting the steel.

The bit/edge on this one is much thinner than any other (full sized) axe I own. Not sure if my others are just worn that much, or if there was a particular reason for it. Once I finish polishing & honing the edge, it aughtta cut deep.

 

[the possum]

This post concerns two different hatchets I've had for a while, that needed different handles. The fist is a Keen Kutter flooring hatchet that's like the True Temper Dynamics. It came with a curved handle that was really too small for it, but I couldn't pass it up for only a dollar. I asked about it earlier in this thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1340990-Should-this-Keen-Kutter-tomahawk-have-a-straight-handle?highlight=possum

The second one is a small Flint Edge that someone else had rehung. It was hung really open (worse than the picture shows).

The handle was fat and straight, and the perpendicular grain orientation meant I wouldn't be able to put any curves into it without serious grain runout. While this haft was serviceable, it just pissed me off every time I picked it up. The head is really sweet with great geometry, and I thought it deserved better.

So, I finally broke down and ordered a straight 16" haft for the Keen Kutter through my local hardware store. It was the longest they could get, and I didn't like the head enough to go through the effort of carving my own from scratch. I salvaged that slender curvy haft it came with, and put it on the Flint Edge, and now it feels awesome.