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Two axes and a tomahawk

us Offline Alan K.

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Two axes and a tomahawk
on: July 31, 2016, 04:23:55 PM
The big axe is interesting because I don't know anything about it.  It seems to be a typically heavy Michigan pattern axe, but it was so rusty that there are no markings on it.  I found this axe head when I was digging a fire pit for one of my reenactments.  It was 2 feet underground for who knows how many years, possibly decades.  The handle was long gone, but some wood remained in the eye.  I hammered it to remove loose chips of rust then spent a couple of hours filing an edge for it.  The replacement handle came from Home Depot and it is tight, but there are visible gaps due to the rust having eaten away some of the steel.

The smaller axe is relatively new.  It is a Fiskars 28 inch chopping axe (model 7558) that I just bought last week.  There's nothing interesting about it from a historical perspective since it is current production, but it is scary sharp and cuts like a machine.

Last is my Tomahawk. It is marked CAST STEEL, ALLAN MFG, WARRANTED. I bought it from a sutler at the reenactment of the Civil War Battle of Olustee around 1982 / 83 ( https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Olustee-Battlefield ).  I went to see it with my father because it was the only major Civil War battle that took place in Florida, and my high school history teacher who was participating invited me.  That was my first exposure to historical reenactments, and I was hooked.  Because axes didn't change very much for a few hundred years I use this tomahawk at my Renaissance period encampments for cutting firewood into kindling.

The large chunk of wood that I stuck them all into for the picture is a portion of the root from a Florida Live Oak that was lifting the sidewalk in front of my house.  I dug it out and chopped it off.  Oak root is still oak, and it will go into the smoker after it has aged for a year or so.  I waste nothing.
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gb Offline Sparky415

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #1 on: July 31, 2016, 04:36:14 PM

Nice looking Axes Alan  :tu:
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no Offline Grathr

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #2 on: July 31, 2016, 05:10:52 PM
Nice axes! :tu:
-Knívleysur maður er lívleysur maður.
 "A Knifeless man is a lifeless man" old Faroese proverb.


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #3 on: August 01, 2016, 03:33:45 AM
Sweet axes Alan :cheers: Anyway to see some closeups of the older axe you dug up out of the ground and refurbished :dd: :D


us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #4 on: August 01, 2016, 07:10:32 AM
Ask and ye shall receive. :salute:
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gb Offline Sparky415

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #5 on: August 01, 2016, 07:33:11 AM

Wow  :o that had more than a spot of rust when you found it  :ahhh
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us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #6 on: August 01, 2016, 09:16:41 AM
Like I said, it was probably buried for decades.  That is the cleaned up version after soaking in oil for a week and then hammering it to knock the flakes of surface rust off of it and filing it for over 2 hours to get a semblance of an edge on it.

I'm thinking of taking off this handle and trying to clean more of the rust off of it by giving it a cola soak. I didn't know about that method when I did this. Then I'm thinking of using an epoxy resin to fill the gaps and bond it to the handle.  Does that sound like something that should be done?  Would that make this axe actually usable?  As it stands now I'm afraid to use it too hard because the head might fly off the handle. That's why I bought the Fiskars to chop out the root.


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #7 on: August 01, 2016, 07:35:20 PM
Like I said, it was probably buried for decades.  That is the cleaned up version after soaking in oil for a week and then hammering it to knock the flakes of surface rust off of it and filing it for over 2 hours to get a semblance of an edge on it.

I'm thinking of taking off this handle and trying to clean more of the rust off of it by giving it a cola soak. I didn't know about that method when I did this. Then I'm thinking of using an epoxy resin to fill the gaps and bond it to the handle.  Does that sound like something that should be done?  Would that make this axe actually usable?  As it stands now I'm afraid to use it too hard because the head might fly off the handle. That's why I bought the Fiskars to chop out the root.

Thank you for the pics :salute:

You can buy epoxy kits for handles so I wouldn't see why that wouldn't help strengthen it to be usable :cheers: I would still gradually bring it into harder use though :D Maybe start out a bit lighter on it then get a little more physical with it after you have tested it out first ;)

Neat looking old axe anyways :D


gb Offline Sparky415

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #8 on: August 01, 2016, 09:59:34 PM

Can we see a picture of the eye Please
If the head is tight I would try using it  :tu:
(Putting linseed oil on the wood will tighten a handle)
An axe doesn’t have to be smooth to be useable, my rustiest  ;)

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us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #9 on: August 01, 2016, 10:16:13 PM

Can we see a picture of the eye Please
If the head is tight I would try using it  :tu:
(Putting linseed oil on the wood will tighten a handle)
An axe doesn’t have to be smooth to be useable, my rustiest  ;)



Nice and rusty :D I like it Sparky :cheers:


gb Offline Sparky415

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #10 on: August 01, 2016, 10:50:11 PM

Thank's theres more about that one here  ;)

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,58635.0.html
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us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #11 on: August 01, 2016, 11:10:18 PM

Can we see a picture of the eye Please
If the head is tight I would try using it  :tu:
(Putting linseed oil on the wood will tighten a handle)
An axe doesn’t have to be smooth to be useable, my rustiest  ;)


I can't quite get a clear enough picture to show the gaps but you can see daylight through some of them.  The eye was a little longer than the end of the haft so instead of using the wedge it came with I used a carpenter's shim (the ones used for installing doors and windows) that I cut to fit.
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nz Offline zoidberg

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #12 on: August 01, 2016, 11:53:04 PM
Awarded.   :tu:   :tu:


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #13 on: August 02, 2016, 12:31:49 AM
Love the little tomahawk mate, but your archaeological find is fantastic. :cheers:
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us Offline David

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #14 on: August 02, 2016, 02:55:36 AM
Good axes there Allan!
What? Enablers! Are you serrrrious? Where? I dont see any.
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us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #15 on: August 02, 2016, 04:35:48 AM


gb Offline Sparky415

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #16 on: August 02, 2016, 09:14:32 AM
Thanks,
I’ve used axes with gaps in before Alan you will probably be fine  :D
If it comes loose I would give the handle a good wack to make sure it’s seated
then try driving the wedge in a bit more, possibly adding a metal cross wedge then oil the wood

But oil is always good  :tu:
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us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #17 on: August 02, 2016, 02:16:08 PM
I'll try that. Thank you.


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #18 on: August 02, 2016, 04:42:13 PM
Thanks,
I’ve used axes with gaps in before Alan you will probably be fine  :D
If it comes loose I would give the handle a good wack to make sure it’s seated
then try driving the wedge in a bit more, possibly adding a metal cross wedge then oil the wood

But oil is always good  :tu:

Good advice and thanks for the link above :cheers:


us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #19 on: August 04, 2016, 11:31:18 PM
Here's one from the you're not going to smurfing believe this one file...

I bought the Fiskars axe a couple of weeks ago to chop out that root.  It didn't come with a protective blade cover so I contacted Fiskars customer service and asked them to send me the blade cover if it was supposed to come with one.  I got an email a couple of days ago saying my warranty claim had been approved and a package was on the way.  Here's what I just received. It's an X11 splitting axe.  I should have known something was off, when, according to the tracking information, the package weighed 6 pounds.  I can't really complain because I'm obviously ahead on this deal, but I still need a blade cover for the silly chopping axe! :facepalm:
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« Last Edit: August 04, 2016, 11:33:12 PM by Alan K. »


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #20 on: August 05, 2016, 02:58:21 AM
Time to try making a Sparky PVC pipe cover?  Can't complain too hard about getting a free axe. :D

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,27818.msg650852.html#msg650852
« Last Edit: August 05, 2016, 03:04:36 AM by Gareth »
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us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #21 on: August 05, 2016, 03:45:10 AM
Oh wow you can't beat a free axe :ahhh :ahhh :ahhh :tu:

Yes I would either make one like in the link above or rig something else up :D


gb Offline Sparky415

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #22 on: August 05, 2016, 06:32:00 AM
Wow, What a good company  :tu:
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scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #23 on: August 05, 2016, 01:00:02 PM
The other option is do a bit of leatherwork.  Doesn't have to be fancy to get the job done.

Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #24 on: August 05, 2016, 02:27:43 PM
I'm now wondering if there is someone who got a edge cover when what they needed was a replacement X11. :think:
Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #25 on: August 05, 2016, 02:45:49 PM
I'm now wondering if there is someone who got a edge cover when what they needed was a replacement X11. :think:

I was wondering that myself.  I think I will make a cover out of plastic but of a similar design to your leather cover.  Right now, all of the axes are leaning against a wall where I hope they are out of the way, but if somebody (me) were to stub their toe on an axe in the middle of the night, the axe would win.  Or, another way to put it, stub your toe on an axe and you could really stub your toe.


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #26 on: August 05, 2016, 04:30:15 PM
I'm now wondering if there is someone who got a edge cover when what they needed was a replacement X11. :think:

I was wondering that myself.  I think I will make a cover out of plastic but of a similar design to your leather cover.  Right now, all of the axes are leaning against a wall where I hope they are out of the way, but if somebody (me) were to stub their toe on an axe in the middle of the night, the axe would win.  Or, another way to put it, stub your toe on an axe and you could really stub your toe.

Just email them and tell them you need two axe covers now :whistle:
« Last Edit: August 05, 2016, 05:26:12 PM by Poncho65 »


us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Two axes and a tomahawk
Reply #27 on: August 05, 2016, 10:36:04 PM
The X11 came with a cover but that cover won't fit the chopping axe.  Some sources (mostly e-bay sellers) are claiming that the 28 inch chopping axe has been discontinued.  I don't know that for certain but it would be a shame if it is true. I'd blame it on Gerber's influence if Fiskars has stopped making the 7558 chopping axe while instead offering those ridiculous, Klingon looking tools they recently came out with.


 

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