John_R Posted July 10, 2019 Report Share Posted July 10, 2019 I have had this hatchet a long time now. It was weak around the neck when I got it, and a few years of chopping pieces of firewood for a small log burner took their toll. I do not know anything about the hatchet, other than a few google hits suggesting it is pretty old. I am not sure if I should just try to reshape the top of the handle, accepting it will change lengh and angle a little, or try to find a new handle that fits near enough with some fettling. Also, unless it turns out this hatchet is actually valuable I am tempted to weld a small chunk of flat to the back to give it a better hammer face. Anyone know much on these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatchap Posted July 10, 2019 Report Share Posted July 10, 2019 (edited) Its a Jenks and Cattel by the looks of the sticker on the handle and not of any particular value. Probably get a score for it on ebay. I would take an angle grinder to it and turn it into a bearded axe, Mirror polish it and give it a nice shaped handle with a leather weave at the top. Then put it on ebay and watch the bids pile up. Edited July 10, 2019 by fatchap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_R Posted July 10, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2019 (edited) The label does say Five Fifteen, was that a model made by Jenks and Catrell? I had to look up bearded axe, why do they sell well? In some ways I am curious to try your idea, and in other ways inclined to mend it and keep. Edited July 10, 2019 by John_R Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatchap Posted July 11, 2019 Report Share Posted July 11, 2019 6 hours ago, John_R said: The label does say Five Fifteen, was that a model made by Jenks and Catrell? I had to look up bearded axe, why do they sell well? In some ways I am curious to try your idea, and in other ways inclined to mend it and keep. Yes Jenks and Cattel made it. Bearded axes are quite the collectors items , I've made a few from old axe heads and they dont hang around on ebay for long. I'm still mastering the etching to make a real viking style axe. There are a lot of tutorials on you tube but they don't tell you the chemicals involved. There seems to be three they all use one does the actual etching. Then another goes on which looks like it removes it, then another which really darkens it and makes it really pop out. If you decide to fix and keep I would definitely give the axe head a mirror polish. a nice hickory handle coloured heare and there with a blow torch and then oiled and it will look the dogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmaxphil Posted July 11, 2019 Report Share Posted July 11, 2019 If you watch a YouTube channel by Alex Steele his mate in Montana uses instant coffee to darken the pattern on their damaskan steel if that's the effect you are after Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_R Posted July 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2019 Thanks for the info. Chemical treatments are not new to me so if I decide to have a go I'm confident I can get results. Food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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