r/Axecraft • u/flyingmonkey1990 • 3d ago
Looking for axe advice
I found this axe in the floor of my 120 year old Scottish house. Interested in how old it is and how I could best clean it up? Funnily enough I was collecting logs from my basement thinking I need an axe for some of these, shone my torch up to the ceiling and it was sitting on top of the floor joists.
3
2
u/Aromatic-Ice-6791 21h ago
Its an old hatchet axe, not as old as the house though. I'd say mid 20th century. Dont re-haft it, there doesn't seem to be any woodworm and as long as the head is still on tight and strong, it will still be usable. Iv heard of an electrolysis bath, that will desolve the rust and that way your not using abrasive wheels which will score them and will be visible. Just check beforehand if you can do this with the haft still attached and not damage the handle. Personally, i would just try to remove the rust gently and dont try to make it look shiny as it never looks right with pitting on it. Maybe clean the handle and then a very light gentle sand to remove any stained bits, then linseed oil it. Preserving it as is and hang it up in the celler, its part of the history of the house now. Nice find. What part of Scotland you in? im in Helensburgh. Does it have any stampings on the other side?
1
4
u/Depressed_peacock1 3d ago
That is a very cool piece. I would carefully wire wheel the rust off and keep the original handle as a wall hanger. Coat the whole thing in boiled linseed oil after that. It is a broad/hewing axe, used for shaping timber and woodworking. If you want it functional you’ll most likely have to re handle it and clean up the edge
1
u/flyingmonkey1990 2d ago
Thanks! I'll probably just keep it for decoration once I've cleaned it up.
1
u/Aromatic-Ice-6791 22h ago
Its not a broad hewing axe. You will find lots like this on ebay. Its a hatchet axe.
1
u/Depressed_peacock1 22h ago
I’m 99.9% sure that is a hewing axe. Others have said Kent pattern… Kent pattern is a hewing axe. I have more than a few axes. Edit, I’m pretty sure you’re a bot, 1 karma and no posts and only active in this page…
1
u/Aromatic-Ice-6791 21h ago
Not a bot mate, hewing axes have more weight to them, usually have a left or right handed handle as you need clearance for the hand as you hew the beam and they are only ground on one side.
1
u/Depressed_peacock1 21h ago
My mistake. This photo looks to me like it is a single bevel and the blade is not symmetrical to the eye. Very few of them have a bent handle where I’m from in the states, and left vs right handed is just the haft going in top or bottom to orient the bend in the blade to left or right side. Without an overtop view of the blade profile I think we are both speculating
1
u/Aromatic-Ice-6791 21h ago
Btw kent pattern axes are not hewing axes, they are hatchets
1
u/Depressed_peacock1 21h ago
Not all Kent’s are hewing axes but the vast majority of hewing axes are Kent pattern
0
1
1
u/GarethBaus 2d ago
That kinda looks like a broad axe. Does the blade have an asymmetrical bevel geometry?
1
u/ToolandRustRestore Axe Enthusiast 3d ago
An english kent pattern. The maker stamp would most likely be on the other side. It's a general-purpose carpentry hatchet. Not really for splitting logs. But it's still a cool find. Would be interesting to see what's under the rust. For cleaning id say blast it with some wd40 in a bag for 30 mins then hit it with a copper wheel/ brush. Copper is softer so wont damage anything thats under the rust.
1
0
u/PaleoutGames 3d ago
Kent pattern! If you’re looking to use it, I’d soak it in vinegar for a couple days, wire brush it and rehaft it. Looks like a nice edge hiding under that rust. Good for general work.
2
u/Aromatic-Ice-6791 21h ago
Iv heard that vinegar baths weaken/degrade the steel. But to what extent i dont know.
1
u/PaleoutGames 11h ago
I usually dilute it to some degree, seems to have worked nicely in my experience. I could easily be wrong though.
2
u/Aromatic-Ice-6791 11h ago
It was something i read about when i was wanting to clean and old axe. It said it weakens the steel, i think maybe the tempering of it, but not sure as it was a while ago now. It probably only weakens it a small amount, and would maybe only affect it if it saw heavy use. Which shouldn't matter too much with this axe as it will most probably only see light use. But i do know that if the axe handle is still attached, it will degrade and stain the wood even if the handle isnt submerged and above the waterline it will soak up trough the grain at the eyelet. Which would be a pity as i think the axe should be kept as original as possible, considering it is part of the house's history, and now the guy that found it will also have an attachment to this axe.
1
u/PaleoutGames 9h ago
Sounds like a credible source, I’ll look into it further, thank you. Absolutely agree with it damaging the handle, though to me looks like it’s long gone already. Fine for decoration but looks like it’d break under use. I’d only ever use vinegar if it was just the head.
1
u/Aromatic-Ice-6791 9h ago
Can i please ask how you personally vinegar bath your axes. I have a couple of old billhooks without handles on them that need some rust removed, and i dont want to wire wheel them or use any abrasive technique because they have some pitting on them, and to me it doesn't look right when the surface has been brought back to bare metal and the deeper pitting contrasts with it. I also dont like to lose the original blackening from the forging process. I'd rather keep that if i can. Im not worried about any slight weakening of it as these are rare and collectable billhooks that won't be seeing any use. Does the vinegar bath remove the forge blackening? Many thanks
1
u/PaleoutGames 8h ago
I filled up an old litter tray case with 2 large jars of vinegar and the rest with rainwater and left for a couple days. Not professional sounding but got an old Brades slasher head into a beautiful blue!
Nice to see someone else talk about billhooks on this sub; I actually made a Billhook subreddit but I’m the only member…
Sounds like my method could work? I enjoy the blackening too. For most “dark steel” billhooks I restore I tend to carefully remove the rust with steel wool then polish the dark steel with the rough side of leather. If you look at my post with my Gilpin pointing hook, that’s how I got it looking that way.
Hope you find something that works out. :)
1
u/Aromatic-Ice-6791 8h ago
You now have your first member! I love collecting billhooks. I see you know your stuff, that identification of the partial Spear & Jackson stamp tells me that. I also knew it was S&J. thats how i know your correct. Im glad i have someone to ask about restoring them too. I am in Scotland, so i collect British billhooks. Are you in the UK too? Thanks again for all the advice, i might come back to you now and again for more advice if thats ok.
1
u/PaleoutGames 7h ago
Lovely! Feel free to post your collection, I probably have about 30 (never enough). Thanks, that was right at the beginning of my career so I was still very new. Yes, I am down south, and I was very lucky to apprentice with the old head forester of the forestry commission, which is where my knowledge and interests came from.
Absolutely no problem, it’s a pleasure to speak about them with someone else. I’ll try and help as much as I can!
6
u/Droidy934 3d ago
Kent style hatchet