Hand forged axe shopping

[Legion]

OK! I got to some light sanding to try to see if there were any markings under the rust, and there was!

What we have here is a Made in England, Tasmanian pattern, Brades Cockatoo brand, 1571, 4 1/2 pound axe.

Same as this one.

Brades Cockatoo 1571 Axe Head Weighing 4 1/2 Pounds - Tool Exchange

Brades Cockatoo 1571 Axe Head Weighing 4 1/2 Pounds In Good Condition, Brades Cockatoo 1571 Axe Head Weighing 4 1/2 Pounds In Good Condition

www.toolexchange.com.au

And this.

That's worth getting up and running again, I think.

 

[Legion]

If anyone is remotely interested in such things, here is their 1934 catalogue with the very axe, though with a different looking stamp.

https://ia800105.us.archive.org/9/items/WilliamHuntAndSonsExportCatalogue1934/William%20Hunt%20and%20Sons%20Export%20Catalogue%201934.pdf

 

[cotedupy]

Oh cool! Sounds like it should be pretty nice. Look forward to seeing your process and methods for getting it back to working order. I’ve got an old axe of grandfather’s I need to restore, probably not rocket science, but always fun to see what others do. Doubt mine is particularly fancy though, more of a sentimental axe.

Yeah a pretty big rabbit hole I imagine. @stringer bean / Stringer on KKF is pretty hot on his axes. If you do a search - he’s posted some pretty swish looking restoration and polishing jobs on KKF from memory.

 

[cotedupy]

Oh cool! Sounds like it should be pretty nice. Look forward to seeing your process and methods for getting it back to working order. I’ve got an old axe of grandfather’s I need to restore, probably not rocket science, but always fun to see what others do. Doubt mine is particularly fancy though, more of a sentimental axe.

Yeah a pretty big rabbit hole I imagine. @stringer bean / Stringer on KKF is pretty hot on his axes. If you do a search - he’s posted some pretty swish looking restoration and polishing jobs on KKF from memory.

Ha... This was meant to be a reply to your message @Legion, rather than posting in the thread.

Hey ho - same thing stands. At least I didn’t say something incendiary or use any ‘colourful language’ eh!

 

[sidpost]

I picked this up today in a second hand shop as a bit of a project. It has no markings, but the thin handle and wide but fairly thin head makes me think it might be better than the average hardware store axe.

The head is a bit loose. Is there a way I might remove the handle without damaging it, so I can fix it up and rehang it after everything has been cleaned up?

View attachment 1614832View attachment 1614833

Be careful re-using that handle. The wood looks to be at the end of its "safe" service life.

That being said, I don't see a wedge. It likely had a wooden wedge so, it may have fallen out or simply disintegrated over time.

Take it to an open vice that catches the axe head and take a wooden rod or small piece of lumber and hammer on the pole of the axe handle. It will likely move pretty easily once it is broken free from rust and any roughness inside the axe head.

Let me re-iterate the safety aspect. An axe with bad wood is a hazard that should be avoided. Depending on where you live, a new handle could be cheaper than you think. Pre-COVID, $20~$25 at a good hardware store would get me a nice piece of hickory for an axe if I needed it.

 

[sidpost]

Yeah a pretty big rabbit hole I imagine. @stringer bean / Stringer on KKF is pretty hot on his axes. If you do a search - he’s posted some pretty swish looking restoration and polishing jobs on KKF from memory.

Bushcraft forums UK is where I would start with questions and recommendations. The USA Bushcraft site is pretty good too. The Axe forum on Bladeforums is a little slow but, has some really knowledgeable people there as well.

 

[rideon66]

I agree with sidpost on the handle. If it is dry rotted or compromised from not being oiled or taken care of for so long it could fail at any strike and you don't want a sharp axe head flying around. That being said if you can remove it without damaging it you maybe able to assess if it can be saved with oil, but from the look of the first two pics I would probably replace the handle.

Cool find though. I love old axes. No one ever sells them for a decent price around here though. It is cheaper for me to buy new and not have to restore with the crazy prices people want for a rusty no name just axe head.

 

[sidpost]

I agree with sidpost on the handle. If it is dry rotted or compromised from not being oiled or taken care of for so long it could fail at any strike and you don't want a sharp axe head flying around. That being said if you can remove it without damaging it you maybe able to assess if it can be saved with oil, but from the look of the first two pics I would probably replace the handle.

Cool find though. I love old axes. No one ever sells them for a decent price around here though. It is cheaper for me to buy new and not have to restore with the crazy prices people want for a rusty no name just axe head.

Totally agree! Around me, people want more for a rusty axe with a bad handle than it costs me to buy a brand-new one from Germany or Scandavia!

Even the premium Council Tool axes are cost-effective for me relative to an old rusty axe.

 

[Legion]

Be careful re-using that handle. The wood looks to be at the end of its "safe" service life.

That being said, I don't see a wedge. It likely had a wooden wedge so, it may have fallen out or simply disintegrated over time.

Take it to an open vice that catches the axe head and take a wooden rod or small piece of lumber and hammer on the pole of the axe handle. It will likely move pretty easily once it is broken free from rust and any roughness inside the axe head.

Let me re-iterate the safety aspect. An axe with bad wood is a hazard that should be avoided. Depending on where you live, a new handle could be cheaper than you think. Pre-COVID, $20~$25 at a good hardware store would get me a nice piece of hickory for an axe if I needed it.

I agree with sidpost on the handle. If it is dry rotted or compromised from not being oiled or taken care of for so long it could fail at any strike and you don't want a sharp axe head flying around. That being said if you can remove it without damaging it you maybe able to assess if it can be saved with oil, but from the look of the first two pics I would probably replace the handle.

Cool find though. I love old axes. No one ever sells them for a decent price around here though. It is cheaper for me to buy new and not have to restore with the crazy prices people want for a rusty no name just axe head.

I thought that might be the consensus on the handle. I’ll try to knock it out in one piece, but I’ll probably need a new one.

Hickory handles are not so easy to come by here because, well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hickory tree. Most serious wood choppers use one or two types of eucalyptus, but im not sure how easy or expensive it is to get. The handles in the hardware stores are mystery wood and not made in Australia.

I’ll probably just start cleaning up the head and worry about that later.

 

[sidpost]

Australia! Yep, that probably does make it harder to find a replacement. If you have an area with forestry, there should be some shops with replacement handles. Most of my European axes have Hickory handles from the USA. Hopefully whoever sells some of those axes locally can hook you up with what you need.

 

[rideon66]

I thought that might be the consensus on the handle. I’ll try to knock it out in one piece, but I’ll probably need a new one.

Hickory handles are not so easy to come by here because, well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hickory tree. Most serious wood choppers use one or two types of eucalyptus, but im not sure how easy or expensive it is to get. The handles in the hardware stores are mystery wood and not made in Australia.

I’ll probably just start cleaning up the head and worry about that later.

I bet our buddy at the vintage tool shop can find you on. Other woods work though. My Roselli has a birch handle.

 

[sidpost]

The European manufacturers and some Canadian options use Ash for some axe handles. I think Ash is used to reduce the "ringing" if you will on some axes professional loggers use.

 

[Legion]

Australia! Yep, that probably does make it harder to find a replacement. If you have an area with forestry, there should be some shops with replacement handles. Most of my European axes have Hickory handles from the USA. Hopefully whoever sells some of those axes locally can hook you up with what you need.

I bet our buddy at the vintage tool shop can find you on. Other woods work though. My Roselli has a birch handle.

I've been doing a bit of research, and most Australian tools have spotted gum handles. I went to the local hardware store today and they sold spare ones, so I'll probably go with that. I'd kind of like to find a suitable piece of wood and make the handle from scratch, but that might be a project for another day.

Anyway, I think I will make a seperate WIP thread about this, rather than keep hijacking this one.

 

[cotedupy]

eucalyptus, but im not sure how easy or expensive it is to get.

Yeah eucalypts are very rare in Australia. I noticed that.

Surely there are dozens of companies in Tassie that specialize exclusively in axe handles...?

 

[Legion]

Yeah eucalypts are very rare in Australia. I noticed that.

Surely there are dozens of companies in Tassie that specialize exclusively in axe handles...?

There might be. But I am not paying for a bespoke custom axe handle when I could make one myself if I had a correct lump of wood.

 

[cotedupy]

There might be. But I am not paying for a bespoke custom axe handle when I could make one myself if I had a correct lump of wood.

If only you had a working axe you could chop down a tree and make one!

(The Tassie Axe Handle Makers' business model hasn't just been put together by chance you know. You're a captive audience...)

 

[rideon66]

Just random hand forged axe info I came across today. So I follow a small carving axe maker out of Sweden Kalthoffaxes and always liked the looks and design of her carving axes. They are a bit pricey, but also turns out she is friends with Bernal Cutlery and they sell them. Still pricey $264. Which is about $40 more than buying direct, but after shipping I don’t know what the difference is. The interesting thing to me is they list some info about her I didn’t know. Julia learned to forge at Gränsfors Bruk , then moved to Wetterlings- first as an interim manager and then as CEO. Now running her own company, she appreciates every step of the manufacturing process and stays true to her values, maintaining the highest standards.