What do you check for with damaged steel/chips?

C

Chignecto Woodsman

Joined
Aug 2, 2014
Messages
746
What do you guys look out for when an axe has minor damage? I generally assume toe damage is abuse or accidents, but is there a way to tell by the look and feel of the steel? I guess if it feels too hard or soft, but I'm wondering if there is a difference in appearance, as in the smoothness or grain in the chip.
 
I just look for no chips. Or small ones that come out easy, but I will never buy an axe that has an over ground toe/heel. Or shorts bit(s) for that matter. A chip is a chip.
 
Small chips ok by me, axe probably chopped dirty or sandy wood. The chips should be round like a half moon. If they are angular, then that may be a poor heat treat.
 
I was thinking more along the lines of what the steel looks like inside, as in (not my axe, just one of the few images I could find):
IMG_1287_zps96cd9dde.jpg


This looks clearly like a problem of the steel to me, but I have never really had bad chips to know what the steel looks like inside. Is there something in what I would call the 'grain' that you should look for? The above looks like concrete almost, but perhaps it should have very small grain or be almost smooth?

I know a few people have chipped their axes from grinding too thin. The steel should be good, so perhaps they can explain how the steel looked.
 
If it's a round or semi-circular chip it's from abuse - striking an inapporpriate object. If it's an angular chip it's a heat treat problem. One of the large makers - I think Warren- put out diagrams explaning the difference. If I was at home I could pull up an image of that.

I bet Steve Tall could pull it up in a jiffy.
 
This axe I found has a small chip in the edge. Not too bad though.

226509d3e33d44e016e3e26c7803ff6a.jpg
 
those chips are very common Yar, they can arise from any sort of small debris or bump into a hard surface. even a hard knot at the right angle. i have found many like that, especially when they were filed and sharpened to a fine, acute edge.
 
The biggest problem to look out for is an axe that has been annealed in a fire. So often ignorant people burn the handles out of the eye, and ruin an axes temper. I always look for the bluish grey oxide/scale caused by heat. Also look for extremely blunted/flat edges, and rolls instead of chips.
 
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