Which Sub $50 Axe?

kvaughn said:
Now is a good time to hit those flea market/garage sales and pick up old AMERICAN made axes and hatchets and give them a new life.I've got Collins,Vaughan's, Tru-temper's etc. for less than 5$. Clean em up,sharpen em,re-haft if necessary and you've probably got something better than you could buy for 50$.:D--KV
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I was going to say. I have done that to a number of vintage axes. Don't pass up on the rusty heads. Some people just threw the head in a corner after breaking a handle and bought a new axe. The rehafting job is somewhat tedious to do, but in the end, the experience if worth it. Google up "An Axe to Grind" for some good informatiion. You then have the fun staining the handle to your liking and making a axe sheath for it. Money well spent. One of these days I will have to post all the axes I have done so far. Make sure they haven't put the head aggresively on a grinder. They may have messed up the temper. Try and soak loose heads in kerosene or linseed oil and be careful about fires. Don't use water.
 
My wetterlings small forest axe is my favorite for camping, with a proper edge, it will bite deep. I can go through a 3 inch round log in about 1m
 
took my wetterlings large hunting axe out last night for the first proper test...this is the first axe i have ever personally owned....i took it out shave sharp, chopped through a couple small trees (anywhere from 3-8 inches, and it did it without flinching.) After i did that it was no longer shave sharp, but it was still pretty dang sharp (and it held that edge for the remainder of the evening.) I chopped through a bunch of logs for the fire, after a couple hours of chopping i made some 'feather-sticks.' As i said earlier, this is the first 'proper' axe i've ever owned....but the thing seemed to do a damn fine job.
 
I don't know why people wont even consider a Sears Craftsman hatchet.
They are warrentied for life and can be brought back for ANY reason.
You can buy one for sub $20 and hack it, beat it, grind it, file it, sand it and if you
screw up and burn it, break it, your grind looks like crap or you leave it outside in the rain and it rusts, you can take it back and get a brand new one with NO questions asked.
With a little work it can even look like mine
head.jpg

edge.jpg


Not too bad I think!
BTW....I too have a Wetterlings and a GB :D

Consider it.....
 
markhait said:
I don't know why people wont even consider a Sears Craftsman hatchet.
They are warrentied for life and can be brought back for ANY reason.
You can buy one for sub $20 and hack it, beat it, grind it, file it, sand it and if you
screw up and burn it, break it, your grind looks like crap or you leave it outside in the rain and it rusts, you can take it back and get a brand new one with NO questions asked.
With a little work it can even look like mine
head.jpg

edge.jpg


Not too bad I think!
BTW....I too have a Wetterlings and a GB :D

Consider it.....
Click to expand...

Its made by Vaughan!
 
I haven't purchased yet. Still weighing my choices, thinking about visiting the swap meet this weekend to see what I can find.
 
You really can't go wrong with a Wetterlings or a Husqvarna but I have to say I really like this Plumb hatchet I found at a yard sale for $5.

IMG_1096.jpg
 
akennedy73 said:
also check out vaughan and council

http://hammernet.com/vaughan/pages/products/hatchets-axes.php

http://www.counciltool.com/DisplayCategories.asp?pg=displaycategories&category=10
Click to expand...
Snow and Neally used to be made in the USA. Now their axe heads are imported and assembled on an American hickory handle here in the states.

I have the older USE made Collins version of the Hudson Bay axe - a couple years ago they sold out to Truper of mexico. Here's that axe (also at Bailey's for less than half the price of the nearly identical Snow and Neally)
http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=15888&catID=

personally, I find this to be an excellent "light axe" for hauling out into the brush. 1.75 lb head on a 24" handle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top