All about the Axe

[BWCA66]

 

[Canotrouge]

A bit of a shame to take the grinder to an axe IMO, especially an axe of that quality,if it si a GB axe, but that is just me lol.

 

[Iskweo]

That it was a Granfors was almost too much to hope for. Imagine my chagrin when I saw the remains of that stamp.
It was in horrible condition sad to say with the head all mushroomed and a Lot of rust that really needed to be cleaned up with a grinder. The rest I may sandblast. If you had seen the blade you would hae cringed. Suffice to say, I will try to return it to usable condition and be gentler with it than it has been treated in the past. I hae no recollection of where I got it or how long ago, just that it has always sort of been around with that broken handle

I had to grind the face a bit too and then filed it back into shape. I was thinking of using a stone on it now.

Since I already hae a 24"one, I think this will get a longer handle, 30 or 32. My girly little old wrists need all the help they can get.

 

[Canotrouge]

Some time you have to do what it takes to have it done!! Good plan on the longer handle!!

 

[Boreal Birch]

Iskweo........
Back in the early 70's when I first moved to Alaska, a friend asked me if I could finish a cabin for him. The cabin was only one round of logs high. The original builder had left in a hurry, leaving a bunch of stuff. One of the things he left, was a double bit axe with a painted blue head. You could just see stamped into the head "Made in Sweden." This axe turned out to be really good, one edge with a long thin taper and sharp, the other not so thin. steeper angled, also sharp. I really like the axe, a few years later I met the guy that had left the axe. I offered to buy it, he didn't remember leaving anything at the cabin site, seemed a little embarrassed by quitting one job to take a better one. He told me to keep the axe. I asked if he could remember where it might have came from. He thought, that if it was his at one time, then he would have bought it in his home town of Nenana, AK in the Coghill Store. On my next trip down the Parks Highway, I stopped in the store, In a back corner were a handful of these axes with the heads painted blue. I bought two, one double bit, for spare and a single bit.
Fast forward 40 years, one day I found the single bit axe out in the woods near my home, next to a small fort that my one of my children must have built, maybe 20 years ago. The axe head was really rusty and the handle was rotting away. I bought a new handle for it, but before I hung it, I soaked the head in vinegar & scrubbed it with steel wool. To my surprise, stamped on one side was MADE IN SWEDEN above that in a stamped circle was a crown and GBA. On the other side, was stamped 38/3 no idea what that means). I had been reading about how great Gransfors Bruk axes were, on some of the forums on the interweb. Well, these axes have been really good for a long time, long before the bushcrafters found them. When I bought them they were cheap in price, just like the made in the USA axes of that time, but the quality was better. Now GBA commands a really hefty price tag, still worth it though. I still prefer to use a double bit for working in the forest getting in my winters firewood. I use a old Collins Hudson's Bay axe for camping, if I didn't have it I would get a Gransfors Bruk Forest axe, knock out the short (25 inch) handle and replace it with a 28-30 inch one. This is the length of handle that i grew up using and am most comfortable & accurate with.
Many happy whacks with your new axe, let us know how you like it, once you get a nice handle on it!!
BB

 

[Canotrouge]

Great story BB!!

 

[Guest]

The axe head was really rusty and the handle was rotting away. I bought a new handle for it, but before I hung it, I soaked the head in vinegar & scrubbed it with steel wool.

The vinegar bath soak really does do wonders. I start with that, with some table salt added to the vinegar mix. I usually let it soak for a day, hit it with a wire brush and/or rough steel wool, put it back in the bath to re-soak and repeat.

It is always amazing how much rust and crud comes off with a vinegar bath and scrub. If I’m not planning to immediately move on to the rest of the cleaning, hanging and sharpening I do a final soak in clean water and baking soda, otherwise the set aside piece will develop a fine red re-rusted patina from the residual acetic acid.

About a new handle. I’ve had good luck taking the axe head to my local farm-country hardware store. They carry House Handles, and even so there is a good deal of variation, with some showing the wrong grain orientation or edge run out, or one hickory handle being suspiciously lighter than another. Even the size of the throat varies a bit in otherwise identical handles, and I’d like to have it fairly close to fitting the eye before I start filing it down.

I just received a new Snow and Nealy Hudson bay axe from CSP. This Maine company supposedly has a good reputation. The axe was very, very dull unlike a Mueller axe I recently bought, as well as having BIG NICKS , and I don't mean St Nick, in the blade edge ( I use the word "edge" reluctantly) as if it were dropped or whacked on something hard. That I can fix although I shouldn't have to be filing nicks right out of the box. Then I checked the grain on the handle: 90 degrees off!!!!!

Dave, I know the above dates from 2013, but dang. Did they at least manage to hang the head rightside up?

So, did you fix it, take out the nicks, sharpen the blade, install a proper handle. . . . or return it with a WTF complaint.

I don’t much like having to take the time and expense to return something, but the axe you received was unacceptable, especially for a supposedly reputable company. I’d like to believe that they would make it right and send you a proper axe, and perhaps appreciate knowing that they had serious quality control issues.

 

[lowangle al]

This is a good thread guys. I was at an antique store this week and found two double bit axes. One was a Kelly the other was a Collins, both needed new handles and were priced at 50 bucks each. My questions are; are these hand forged and are they priced right? I have some GB products and like that level of quality, How would these compare?

 

[Guest]

This is a good thread guys. I was at an antique store this week and found two double bit axes. One was a Kelly the other was a Collins, both needed new handles and were priced at 50 bucks each. My questions are; are these hand forged and are they priced right? I have some GB products and like that level of quality, How would these compare?

That seems a little antique store pricey for an old axe that needs re-hung, and maybe cleaned and sharpened. Who knows how they were made; if you could ID the date or style that might provide a clue.

I do have an affinity for older axe craftsmanship, especially considering what the market forces of Lumbersexual trends have done to the quality and finish of some modern day axe manufacturers. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Council Tools.

That said I have no affinity for tripping with a double bit axe. I know some folks love them, but the advantage of having one blade for chopping and limbing and one for nasty grubbing and knots doesn’t outweigh the lack of a pole, or the inherent dangers of carrying, swinging or setting that second sharp end.

There is some good and funny axe stuff on Canoe Tripping, including here:

http://www.canoetripping.net/forums...nal-gear/20199-​refurbishing-an-axe-questions

And here

http://www.canoetripping.net/forums/forum/general-paddling-discussions/diy/24092-new-axe-project

And for a real oddity here

http://www.canoetripping.net/forums...ions/diy/27269-double-double-toil-and-trouble

 

[lowangle al]

Thanks Mike and thanks for the links. I wasn't planning to take them on a trip, I just wanted to add to the stuff in my garage that I might need someday. If they are not a great value I have higher priorities for my next axe purchase.

 

[Guest]

If they are not a great value I have higher priorities for my next axe purchase.

Al, when I was researching the Mann Knot Clipper and the Hytest Boys axe I googled the manufacturer name and axe pattern. Among the results were lots of Ebay listings for those or similar axes.

If you can ID the axe pattern of the antique store Kelly or Collins that might give you a reasonable estimate of the “value”. For many of those I saw the final bid was in the $10 to $20 dollar range.

 

[Odyssey]

Okay, this is getting carried away. Our son suggested as a stag and doe party going to an axe throwing event. I laughed and thought he was kidding. I chuckled at the thought of tossing a certain family marital ex I harbour some un-love for.
"No. AXE dad, not EX. Try to keep up."
So I was introduced to this latest hipster lumbersexual dude/dudette games idea.
https://badaxethrowing.com/

If I get voluntold for this I'll be sure to take pictures. I only fear it may be more fun than it should be.
I wonder if there's still some way I could include an Ex into this?

 

[Guest]

So I was introduced to this latest hipster lumbersexual dude/dudette games idea.
https://badaxethrowing.com/

If I get voluntold for this I'll be sure to take pictures. I only fear it may be more fun than it should be.

Brad, if you are ready for that I think you are ready for night horseshoes.

Rubber band a Cyalume glow stick to each shoe. Different colors help for easier “closest” determination.

Rubber band a Cyalume glow stick to the stake.

Wait ‘till well after dark. Break and shake the glow sticks and chuck the glowing shoes at the glowing stake.

The in-air revolution of the shoes, the bounces, leans and ringers are all much more interesting.

Maybe the funnest nighttime game ever.

 

[Iskweo]

Wait ‘till well after dark. Break and shake the glow sticks and chuck the glowing shoes at the glowing stake.

The in-air revolution of the shoes, the bounces, leans and ringers are all much more interesting.

Maybe the funnest nighttime game ever.

If that had started with....first open a beer....then it would be in the running for funnest nighttime game ever.

 

[Iskweo]

So I check the stamp on my regular tripping axe and lo and behold it is a Hultafors Bruk 2 1/2 lb. The nice obvious "Made in Sweden" stamp is what got me looking a bit more at it.
I am feeling pretty good about that happy llittle accident.I will have to put one of them in the living room with the Chestnut snowshoes and the GE radio.