Thread: Axe talk

I have driven in star droppers with a similar piledriver action and I'm not convinced that style of splitter would deliver sufficient impact for splitting our hardwoods.

But, it would be simple enough to make one up to test that out.

Does anyone have a Hytest in more or less original condition?

Would you be willing to measure the cutting edge geometry for me? Just say the included angle 3mm and 6mm behind the edge.

I'm not fussed which model. The reason is that I'm redoing the edge of a Craftsman, this time by file to produce the traditional convex shape, and it would be good to roughly reproduce what it came with.

Someone before me has had a go at sharpening mine, so not sure how close it is to the original geometry.

Measurements are:

3mil in 1.78mm thick
4mil in 2.58mm thick
6mil in 3.1mm thick

All the best.

Cool. Thanks Neil.

So, Neil's edge turns out to be way slimmer than mine started at (and somewhat slimmer than what mine finished at). Interesting that there was something of a cove running back from the edge at the heel producing a kind of blob at the very corner of the heel. Flat filing would have taken this out so I expect the DoD, a previous owner at some stage, didn't do much with a file.

The first axe I tried filing I gave up on as the file wouldn't bite and there was a lot of steel to remove. This head has proved much easier, with softer steel and less to take off, and it's a much more pleasant game than powered shaping.

Looks the goods, Ern.

A good included angle for our hardwoods.

Love the axe talk, and I may have missed it, but why so many american axes? Were they commonly retailed in australia? (Kelly, Collins and Mann were made locally here - at least in state or next state over, probably others, too - you can find a lot of kelly, collins and plumb on the ground here at flea markets, but the handles usually need replacing).

I should have taken more notice of the axes that were being used for serious work around me when I was a kid, but must admit that they didn't get as much attention as the many other things that took my attention. We lived in a sawmill town and I even got to go out sometimes when they were felling. By then (almost 60 years ago) they were just introducing powered saws, but they still used axes for trimming as the powered saws were very large and unsuitable for that task.

I didn't get close enough to the professional axes to get a close look, anyway. They kept them sheathed when not in use and the kids away from them when in use. I saw them being sharpened but didn't ask any questions, as I did with most other things.

Like most kids in the bush, one of my jobs was to split the kindling. As far as I can recall, that axe never got sharpened. But, on the other hand, none of us lost a finger either!

About the time I was born they were still felling with axes. The following photo is of jinker load of Australian red cedar (Toona ciliata var. australis) from our family farm. That is my grandfather and older brother in the photo. My older brother is close to eighty now, so that puts it close to seventy years ago. Wouldn't mind that load of red cedar now. It probably sold for a pittance at the time.

cedarlogs.jpg

Sorry about the quality of the photo. It was scanned from a very small original print.

Like the felled wood! My father is about your age, and my grandfather was older obviously, but cut and split a lot of wood to sell when he retired as a farmer. In both of their cases, they have no nostalgia for the old stuff other than as decoration, and my grandfather not even at that, I guess. They embraced modernity for sure, and like you remember, there wasn't much sharpening of things once you could reach for a machine too.

We cut and split wood (i'm not that old - 40, although I guess that's old to some) when I was a kid until oil got so cheap we didn't do that any longer, but the only thing that got sharpened was the maul, and calling what we did sharpening would've been overselling it. We filed the damage off of it very bluntly and didn't want it to stick in the wood. Still have an old true temper axe that dad has, but I guarantee it hasn't been sharpened in my lifetime and it is rust brown all over with a dried out handle. We did know how to sharpen a chainsaw, though, because that was definitely important!

At any rate, they don't remember that much about the quality stuff they used because they just would rather not remember using it.

My Grandfather felled timber for a living at one time in SE Queensland, and also was a champion axeman at shows in Far North Queenland, so my Dad tells me. Unfortunately he died when I was very young.

For much of my adult life I've lived with fireplaces or boxes for heating, sometimes as the only source of heat. Early on, when energy was high and money was low, I scrounged firewood and cut to length with a bow saw. These days it's a choice and while there's a chainsaw in the kit it's getting hard to scrounge anything worth burning. There was always a constant flow of waste from prepping turning blanks but that's ended too.

On another matter, a question for the collectors. What do you think would be a fair price for the rehabbed Hytest Craftsman? A mate is interested in getting an axe.

Originally Posted by rsser

For much of my adult life I've lived with fireplaces or boxes for heating, sometimes as the only source of heat. Early on, when energy was high and money was low, I scrounged firewood and cut to length with a bow saw. These days it's a choice and while there's a chainsaw in the kit it's getting hard to scrounge anything worth burning. There was always a constant flow of waste from prepping turning blanks but that's ended too.

On another matter, a question for the collectors. What do you think would be a fair price for the rehabbed Hytest Craftsman? A mate is interested in getting an axe.

I save a regular stream of old axe heads, for which there is a regular demand.

On a well known internet purchasing site the short answer is anywhere between 20 bucks and a lot more than you should pay.

$40 to 50 would be a fair price for a decent Craftsman. Pay more and you are spending money on high polish, which is not value for money; and/or a custom handle which may or may not be value for money.

Guidelines as follows:

Cleaned and moderately polished, no nicks in the cutting edge, "half sharp".
No current rust and minimal visible evidence of past rust.
Will possibly have shallow "spot' pits here and there, and some dark staining in places.
7 inches minimum or higher measured poll to cutting edge.
Probably will be head only or have a crap handle in it at that price. Make a judgement call on asking the seller to knock the handle out to save postage.
No cracks or welds. If the seller does not specify, specifically ask. Particularly for Hytest axes. They seem a bit prone to crack at the poll.

I'd urge you not to go cheap and speculate on an uncleaned head (at least in a retail environment). It is almost impossible to tell what they are going to be like underneath. Some will look evenly and lightly rusted and are pitted to bejesus underneath. Another one I had looked so heavily rusted I didn't clean it for ages, and it came up roses.

The other way is to scrounge around junk shops, car boot sales or farm sales. I pick up Hytest and Plumb USA axes (I'm more of a Plumb fan myself) and more rarely some other premium vintage axes on a regular basis for between two $2 and $5 each.

The clean up process is not rocket surgery, and at that price you can throw a few in the scrap metal until you find a real good'un.

Thanks for the expert advice GV.

As it happens, the axe was rehabbed by the previous owner and I've reshaped and sharpened the bit. It's got a new haft of spotted gum, which is pretty well fitted, and the head is sound and clean. So it's good to go.

Originally Posted by rsser

Thanks for the expert advice GV.

As it happens, the axe was rehabbed by the previous owner and I've reshaped and sharpened the bit. It's got a new haft of spotted gum, which is pretty well fitted, and the head is sound and clean. So it's good to go.

Now I feel foolish for not reading back.

Anyhoo. $40 to 50 for the head and $30 and up for an appropriate, well fitted handle. More than that for custom spotted gum.

On retail value, without having seen the axe, I would suggest that at $100 all up your mate has got a good deal and you have not given it away. $150 is not particularly unusual, but IMO at that price is paying overs for cosmetic considerations.