Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Any axe lovers here?

I say Plumb cause I got 3 of them with the exact same head but with fiberglass handles

My mother in law was a tyrant but I outlasted her. She witnessed the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Metal Rescue from Home Depot is great stuff. I did a motorcycle gas tank and it looks new inside 2 years later. I did a few rusty tools too and then plasti dipped the handles. It is safe for paint and it didn't bother the rubber tool handles. All it takes is a 24 hour soak.

I found an old old axe at a yard sale. Had "E Borden" carved into the handle.

It was touch and go with my MIL for a couple years but my wife realized she could just jump in her car and go home. She was really hell on my wife. You would think that as an only daughter with 4 sons it would be different. I never cared what my MIL had to say, just went on with whatever I was doing. My wife seemed to think she needed to referee between us.
Anyway, when she died she was cremated since we knew it worked for witches.

For the rust, somebody on another forum pointed me to Evaporust for rust removal. You can buy it lots of places, I got it at Harbor Freight. I used it to derust some lower unit parts for my son's boat motor that he neglected to put oil in for several years and it worked slick as snot... just put it in a container that will hold your parts, pour it over, and follow directions for time... rinse it off with water when enough rust has been removed... worked perfectly and now the motor is back together and ready to g back in the water...
I find it harder sometimes to remove the paint than the rust. As far as sharpening, I often use a file to clean up the edges, especially if they have dings or need to have the bevel reformed. Then I work down with a block and different grits of sandpaper or a set of stones I have from coarse to very fine- depending on how sharp an edge I really want on the axe. I've found that a really razor sharp edge doesn't really work well on some types of axes, but does on others. Splitting kindling with a small camp axe works great with a razor sharp edge, but splitting wood doesn't require that level of sharpness IMO... others may have different experiences...

My son got me into the high end, hand forged axes and I've looked at them many times at Sportsman's shows, on line, and other places. They are beautiful and I would love to have one, but I just can't swallow the price tag for an axe that will be picked up by some of my camp mates and handled like a sledge hammer instead of the fine tool it is... however, I have looked at the old Plumb and other collectible axe heads at Antique shows and other places and it is jaw dropping what the asking prices are for some of them now.... makes me wish I had picked up every one I saw laying around at garage sales and flea markets when I was young...

Bob

Check out Vintsgeaxeworks on Instagram. Worth the visit.

BC30cal,


Thanks for the info.

Battle axe count?

I like an axe better as a keepsake than chopping with one. I split firewood with a maul.

wabigoon;
Good afternoon to you my friend, I hope this last Tuesday in August finds you and your fine family well.

If I was the admitting sort, I'd say that it never occurred to me to attempt splitting firewood with anything other than a maul until I was watching a youtube channel of a chap from the Island who does a lot of arbor work around Nanaimo, as well as tutorials on chainsaw sharpening.

One of his sicknesses as well appears to be axes and he'll split some pretty big wood with an axe.

Honestly wabigoon, I pulled out the two double bits I have to play with it as I didn't really think it would work that well AND ONCE AGAIN - I was wrong!

Here's the proviso however, of the 2 different double bits I have, one which is sharpened with the cheeks ever so slightly different is markedly better at it. Odd that, but there it is.

Anyways I cracked the handle on the one I liked - it was old and on the way out like me wabigoon - but I had the devil's own time finding anything resembling a double bit handle up here for less than what I considered an absurd price.

Finally a local Home Hardware brought in something I thought should work and thankfully it does.

Lastly I'll add that I attempt to purchase Made in USA handles, so that leaves the Can Tire ones out as they're made in China. Putting an off shore handle on a fine old Swedish or Canuck made axe is just not done - well by me anyways sir.

There's my story wabigoon, but should add that I still bring a 6lb Maul, an 8lb Maul and two splitting wedges along wood cutting as it really depends upon how far up the tree, what type of tree and even where on the mountain the tree was growing as to what splits best.

Hope that made some sense sir.

All the best to you all.

Dwayne

Thank you Dwayne.

Rehung this guy today. Handle grain is terrible but didn’t want to wait for a new one.