• Welcome to The Bushcraft Forum

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to join then please Register

Very old hand forged felling axe.

Ystranc

Ystranc

Administrator
Staff member
Site Donor
Messages
11,654
Points
2,050
It's almost certainly British but I've never seen an axe with such sexy contours before, I'm unsure whether to clean it up and re helve it or leave it as it is with its current helve, rust an all.
I'd welcome any opinions...
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
 
Definitely leave as is for me :thumbsup: it dose have nice curves. Look lovely hung above a workbench:D
 
You have a lovely tool there @Ystranc :notlistening::whistle:

Lovely lines to it....... Looking at the pitting and rolls in the metal..... Do you think it could have been cast in sand?

Beautiful axe mate.
 
You have a lovely tool there @Ystranc :notlistening::whistle:

Lovely lines to it....... Looking at the pitting and rolls in the metal..... Do you think it could have been cast in sand?

Beautiful axe mate.

Wipe over with a bit of oil and leave as is.... My vote.
 
I don't know for sure if it was cast or forged, they're usually forged on an anvil to align the molecules of steel in order to make the iron/steel harder. I think working the iron in this way also introduces carbon into it. My guess is it's just old and pitted with rust. A casting may be too brittle for use as an axe.
 
Lovely axe, I myself would give it a wire brushing and then wipe it with some warm oil. You could revive the helve with some camellia oil, but I would replace in the interest of safety. Either way it's a lovely shape and has character.
 
Woodlander said:
Is that a fracture in the bit?View attachment 17211
Click to expand...
Well spotted! Without cleaning it I can't be 100% sure but it looks more like a chip in the edge, under close inspection (x25) there are a lot of sharpening marks that confuse the issue but the line radiating from the chip seems to be a scratch rather then a crack. It isn't right through and there is no corresponding mark on the other side.
I'm not sure that I can resist cleaning it up to find out for definite though.
 
I always have the urge to sharpen a tool up and actually use it but then the little voice in my head says "it's old , potentially irreplaceable , don't risk damage" and I give in to the voice , prrobably correctly if I'm honest. I think just a wipe over with a lightly oiled rag should suffice.
 
I will give it a few weeks, take it out to a couple of fairs and see if it sells without me cleaning it up. If it doesn't sell I'll do it up and keep it.
All my tools have to work for a living no matter how old they are.
 
Ystranc said:
I will give it a few weeks, take it out to a couple of fairs and see if it sells without me cleaning it up. If it doesn't sell I'll do it up and keep it.
All my tools have to work for a living no matter how old they are.
Click to expand...




You canā€™t call the hired help tools mate:rofl:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top