This is a project that has been on the back burner for a long time, but this past weekend there was an intersection of time, inclination, and suitable conditions that I decided to tackle it.

I found this axe/hatchet in the woods across the street from my house about 20 years ago. Who know how long it had been in the woods before I found it? It has been sitting in the garage in a state of neglect for all these years, and because I had recently been watching some youtube videos about axe restoration, I decided the time was right to give the old axe some new life.






As can be seen in the photos, the axe had a coat of peeling paint and rust. Someone had tried to tighten the handle with a nail and a screw, but it was still extremely loose, to the point of being unsafe and unusable.




After removing the handle, I used a wire wheel on an angle grinder to remove the old paint and rust, and I was left with an axe head marked with the Plumb brand. Another pleasant surprise was that there was a very good patina remaining under the paint and rust. I had thought that I would be in for a long session of sanding and polishing, but the patina was attractive and appropriate for a tool of this age so I decided to leave it alone at that point. I did grind off a small amount of mushrooming on the poll.





There were also some dents in the poll, but I decided not to grind them out as they seemed appropriate to a working tool of its age.



I did a small amount of internet searching for information about the axe, and as near as I can determine from the specifications (1 ¾ lbs, 19 inch handle) it is the Plumb House Axe. The head is slightly lighter than the Plumb Boys Axe, but the size of the eye is identical. That made the choice of replacement handle an easy one – a 28 inch Boy’s Axe handle. There are not any shorter replacement handle available locally, and I would rather not buy one off the internet. An axe handle is something that needs to be inspected in hand for proper grain orientation. I found a Link branded handle with excellent grain orientation at the local Ace Hardware.

The varnish on the handle was sanded off, and about an hour was spent fitting & refitting the head using the USFS method on this video:

An Axe to Grind

Three coats of tung oil on the handle, and here is the finished product:








Total weight is now 2 lbs. 6 oz. It is a size that ideally fits between my 1 lb. hatchet and a 3 ½ lb. Estwing axe.
Here it is in the woods where I found it:



The final edge still needs to be done with a stone, but that will have to wait until I make a sheath to protect the edge and user. That is the next project, but I have not yet decided on a sheath made of leather, plastic, or most interesting perhaps birch bark:

Making a birch bark axe sheath

Well done! Any idea how old it is, or how it could have gotten into the woods in the first place - an old cabin there or maybe a grown over scout camp? I have an old double bladed ax head sitting in a drawer waiting for the right moment. I'll have to have a look at those videos.

Nice job. It's always nice to see something brought back to life.

Jaywalker: "Well done! Any idea how old it is, or how it could have gotten into the woods in the first place - an old cabin there or maybe a grown over scout camp? I have an old double bladed ax head sitting in a drawer waiting for the right moment. I'll have to have a look at those videos. "

I am not an axe expert, but I know there are messageboards out there for axe enthusiasts. No doubt someone there could look at the marks on the axe and give an approximate age.

My guess is that the axe is post WWII. The woods was owned by the university prior to that, and used as a sheep grazing pasture. Ownership then passed to the city, and it has been undeveloped woods since then. My supposition is that some neighborhood kids took the axe to play lumberjack in the woods and misplaced the axe. How long it was buried in the leaf litter is a mystery.

For Youtube videos on axe restoration, I can recommend the US Forest Service video, An Axe to Grind. I also highly recommend Wranglerstar's axe videos. There are certainly many others, some valuable, some trash. I saw many guys use power tools to quickly shape the axe handle to the axe head. That, in my opinion, is a big mistake. You can easily remove a lot of wood quickly to achieve a slip fit, but that guarantees a loose head down the road. Better to work slowly with hand tools to achieve a tight fit and an axe that is safe to use.

What a great project- nice work!!

You will not regret the feel of a hand- hewn leather sheath. Use thick waxed thread and punch awl to sew it and it will be splendid. I ruined mine by putting a synthetic webbing strap on it- don’t do that- make it beautiful with good materials like the axe.

I've been bitten by the axe bug myself. Not lucky enough to find a good axe head but have picked up a couple at the big auction site. Seeing a newer plumb axe where the handle and head were joined with epoxy gave me the Idea to try it on my own axe projects. My thinking is that the epoxy would fill any void and make a really tight fit. I used coloidial silica to thicken the epoxy to a paste so it would stay in place.

Awesome stuff. I found a double bit this summer. I wish I had taken a before picture...it was completely rusted over. I just started tinkering with it last week.

iCallitMaize: "Awesome stuff. I found a double bit this summer. I wish I had taken a before picture...it was completely rusted over. I just started tinkering with it last week.
"

That is a great find. Do you see any manufacturer's marks? The cheek contours make me think this is a True Temper Kelly Perfect axe. Not rare, but a desirable axe for collectors.

Other than rust, it seems to be in good condition. Still plenty of edge left, and it seems not to have been excessively ground by some clueless homeowner with power tools. After you finish cleaning the bit I hope you can find a decent handle for re-hafting.

Keep posting updates on your progress!