SHOW ME YOUR AXES

[XP_Slinger]

It’s a pleasure sharing all this stuff it keeps all these different axes alive and wanted and as you say my friend the Collins axe company made some fantastic axes and the steel they used and the care they took in hardening and finishing
There products

I gotta get me a Collins camp axe now

You’re right, it does keep them alive and fill some gaps in their history. As you know, it’s dificult to really nail down when or how most axes were made and it’s the experiences such as yours that help decipher the riddle. Wouldn’t it be nice if all the axe companies stamped the date on their products like Sager Chemical axes? Of all the axes I own that’s the only one that I know the age of, made in 1946.

 

[XP_Slinger]

Took my Sager Chemical ax out for a trail trimming walk yesterday. Had a 6” white ash hung up across the trail and half way through it something didn’t feel right. The original handle that seemed tight as all hell loosened up and the ax was walking off the handle.


Here’s how far it reseated, but it needed a new wedge to hold it there.



Pulled out the 2 roofing nails used as step wedges



Then carefully picked and pried out the old wedge. The handle on this ax is one of my favorites so I didn’t want to damage it. It took almost 30 minutes to get the wedge out.



Got her out without ruining the handle.

 

[XP_Slinger]

I trimmed the shoulder back so the ax would draw up further for a fresh tight fit. Someone must have put resin or something on the end of the handle because it is very hard. As seen in the pic, the wedge was actually shaved by the handle wood as I drove it in. Every little contour of the wedge slot was carved into the wedge, including one of the holes from a nail. It took some careful trimming here and there to keep the wedge from breaking but I got about 2.5” of wedge in the eye.



Ready for action again. The step wedges went in HARD, felt like I was driving them into seasoned oak. I hope the hardness of the wood didn’t prevent a good pinch in the eye. I’ll be taking it for a walk again today, let’s see if I really know what I’m doing...lol

 

[RI Chevy]

Nice job and nice save Josh.

 

[ARPILOT]

Nice job and nice save Josh.

agreed ! he's quite a handy fellow ! and I saw in the background of one of those pics what looks like another freshly made handle.....which he is also talented at making !
maybe I can hire him to build me a handle for one of my hatchet projects ????

 

[XP_Slinger]

agreed ! he's quite a handy fellow ! and I saw in the background of one of those pics what looks like another freshly made handle.....which he is also talented at making !
maybe I can hire him to build me a handle for one of my hatchet projects ????

That little handle is a piece of poorly fit factory garbage from my nieces hatchet. I’m making her a new one.

If you would like a handle I’d be glad to hook you up bud. Just need the hatchet on my bench so I can fit and hang it properly. Don’t know how my handles would stack up against all your Wetterlings, but I’ll do my best to deliver the quality I know you appreciate.

 

[XP_Slinger]

Nice job and nice save Josh.

Thanks Jeff. I’m very glad to have saved it.

 

[ARPILOT]

That little handle is a piece of poorly fit factory garbage from my nieces hatchet. I’m making her a new one.

If you would like a handle I’d be glad to hook you up bud. Just need the hatchet on my bench so I can fit and hang it properly. Don’t know how my handles would stack up against all your Wetterlings, but I’ll do my best to deliver the quality I know you appreciate.

That would be awesome ! and I would hope you'd include that cool makers mark you do ??? Your handle would stack up better in my opinion, hand made by a craftsman anybody would be proud to call "friend" and specifically made for my hatchet.....don't get any better than that !

 

[XP_Slinger]

I hung my True Temper, Kelly Perfect splitting ax on a hardware store handle today. I’ve been dying to try it and haven’t had the chance to make one for it yet. I am really impressed with how well it split wood. I’ve been using an 8 pound Woodings Verona maul for the last 15 years and I was skeptical about how the ax would perform, even in straight grain wood. I’m hooked on splitting axes now! Soooooo light and nimble. I normally do the old wrist flick with my maul to pop off chunks and leave the wood standing for the next swing. It was even easier to use with this technique with the axe and it was just as effective.

This was a 26” piece of ash, yes ash splits Nice but I was still surprised I was able to open a block that size with an ax, and it took the same number of swings as the maul, 1 far side, 1 nearside and one in the center in line with each other. Of course the maul still wins when the wood has a giant knot in it like the sugar maple block to the right.



And then, despite my enthusiasm for my new found favorite splitting implement disaster struck. This happened about 50 swings into a 6 hour day of splitting. The end grain in the handle is perpendicular to the ax, I know it’s wrong but it’s the best they had. What I find interesting is how it cracked across the grain. I guess the bone dry hickory didn’t like the wrist flick move. It may have lasted much longer if I had sanded the poly off and put on a few coats of BLO but I wanted to swing it today. One thing is for sure, making a handle for this ax is now a priority.

 

[jakethesnake]

I hung my True Temper, Kelly Perfect splitting ax on a hardware store handle today. I’ve been dying to try it and haven’t had the chance to make one for it yet. I am really impressed with how well it split wood. I’ve been using an 8 pound Woodings Verona maul for the last 15 years and I was skeptical about how the ax would perform, even in straight grain wood. I’m hooked on splitting axes now! Soooooo light and nimble. I normally do the old wrist flick with my maul to pop off chunks and leave the wood standing for the next swing. It was even easier to use with this technique with the axe and it was just as effective.

This was a 26” piece of ash, yes ash splits Nice but I was still surprised I was able to open a block that size with an ax, and it took the same number of swings as the maul, 1 far side, 1 nearside and one in the center in line with each other. Of course the maul still wins when the wood has a giant knot in it like the sugar maple block to the right.

View attachment 127702

And then, despite my enthusiasm for my new found favorite splitting implement disaster struck. This happened about 50 swings into a 6 hour day of splitting. The end grain in the handle is perpendicular to the ax, I know it’s wrong but it’s the best they had. What I find interesting is how it cracked across the grain. I guess the bone dry hickory didn’t like the wrist flick move. It may have lasted much longer if I had sanded the poly off and put on a few coats of BLO but I wanted to swing it today. One thing is for sure, making a handle for this ax is now a priority.

View attachment 127703

I’m with you on all the above. I’ve got a five pound plumb I split with now. I didn’t believe an axe would have a chance. They’re actually better sometimes. Not always. I broke three handles so far.... I put a heavy maul handle in it from tractor supply. I need to wrap some sorta handle protector just under the head. I’m fairly skilled at swinging an axe but overstrikes are inevitable. And the handle will get banged randomly you may consider finding something just to protect the wood It’ll get frayed under that head.

 

[XP_Slinger]

That would be awesome ! and I would hope you'd include that cool makers mark you do ??? Your handle would stack up better in my opinion, hand made by a craftsman anybody would be proud to call "friend" and specifically made for my hatchet.....don't get any better than that !

Your compliment is greatly appreciated, I’ll do my best that’s for damn sure.

 

[jakethesnake]

I think the brand I bought was truper. I think?? The links brand is what I broke.

 

[XP_Slinger]

I’m with you on all the above. I’ve got a five pound plumb I split with now. I didn’t believe an axe would have a chance. They’re actually better sometimes. Not always. I broke three handles so far.... I put a heavy maul handle in it from tractor supply. I need to wrap some sorta handle protector just under the head. I’m fairly skilled at swinging an axe but overstrikes are inevitable. And the handle will get banged randomly you may consider finding something just to protect the wood It’ll get frayed under that head.

Completely agree with ya on the handle protection. I think the single down fall of the ax is that the handle WILL get beat up if you’re busting up a knot that’s down inside the block. The cheeks don’t open the block as wide as a maul and the handle hits the block when it’s inside it.

I like the feel of the straight maul handle I put on mine also, it hit very square and felt natural.

 

[jakethesnake]

Completely agree with ya on the handle protection. I think the single down fall of the ax is that the handle WILL get beat up if you’re busting up a knot that’s down inside the block. The cheeks don’t open the block as wide as a maul and the handle hits the block when it’s inside it.

I like the feel of the straight maul handle I put on mine also, it hit very square and felt natural.

Yeah. I used mine a good bit last winter. That’s exactly what I experienced. I wish I was handy with paracord I’d do a cute wrap of some sort. I may try it.

 

[RI Chevy]

You gotta try a GB Splitting Ax Josh. Super nice to swing. The wood explodes as soon as the ax cuts in. Swing speed is super fast.
I think you would really like it.

 

[jakethesnake]

Maybe something like that. Not sure how well it would hold up

 

[p61 western]

View attachment 127725
Maybe something like that. Not sure how well it would hold up

I think something is better than nothing. I need to figure something out for this as well. It sucks marking up a new handle splitting with them.

 

[jakethesnake]

I think something is better than nothing. I need to figure something out for this as well. It sucks marking up a new handle splitting with them.

I’m fairly certain it couldn’t be that difficult to do but you know Some sort of leather would work well

 

[jakethesnake]

Good chunk of leather and a nail or leather punch. Decent leather boot lace. I think that would be easier than me fiddling with string.

 

[p61 western]

Good chunk of leather and a nail or leather punch. Decent leather boot lace. I think that would be easier than me fiddling with string.

That's what I was thinking as well.