Featured 100+ year old mast axe bought and brought back to life

I removed the old split handle and soaked the head in pure vinegar for two days and then in Evaporust for a day. Wire wheeled and sanded. The metal is pitted but turned out good. I replaced the handle. From blade edge to back of poll is about 11 inches and the head weighs about 5lbs.

Before pictures


After cleaning head




New handle and oiled

 

Sweet! I admire people who can restore ANYTHING. I have trouble refolding towels, so once used, nothing in my life is EVER brought back to the original.............and that includes my love life.......................

 

Nice work

 

Looks like it is signed.

If you are using it you did a great job.
If you plan to sell it, you may have ruined the value.
There are different thoughts about restoration.

 

Guess I forgot to add the picture

 

nice axe...put it to good use !!

 

I thought so too. Did a quick edit of the pic. It has the initials, "DM." They look hand done probably by original owner. I also edited the pic, 3rd, of the blade with a new handle for it looked like the other side of the ax, and might have something written in the same location. Had no luck making it out. The pic of that area was so small that when zoomed distorted that area.

--- Susan

 

Who couldn't love your sense of humor!

 

>100+ year old mast axe bought and brought back to life<

Hmmmm... 100+ year old ax... hmmmm... 1892 could fall into that timeframe. Hope it wasn't found in Fall River, MA. If so, you might want to be on the look out for the ghost of Lizzie Borden.

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one

--- Susan

 

But she didn't do it so.....

 

Agree, a nice job and good results.

As previously mentioned, opinions about restoration and cleaning vary a lot. Sadly, the best prices today on Ebay go to axes shining like a new nickel. I prefer a bit of patina left on them.

I clean up a lot of axes and other heavy metal tool-heads. My general rule is to never use acids on metals. I usually start with a pneumatic needle scaler if there is a lot of heavy rust, and then proceed with hand-sanding and wire-brushing. Repeated as many times as needed. Seems like there's a point where a certain glow and warmth return to the tool. At that point I warm them on top of the wood stove and wax them, although lately I've been using Tung oil with good results.

 

For your own collection and use, I'd say sand away. However, if you are reselling, you really want to stay away from this. I'm VP of an Historical Society and we wouldn't touch a refinished piece like that even if it had perfect provenance to an important person.

 

The one side is stamped D.M. and on the other side the only letters I can clearly make out are S_UGER. The letter after the S looks like an N, H or M. Might be the name of manufacturer I don't know. I will either breathe life into it by splitting wood or hang it by my fireplace and let it retire.

 

For ugly-rust items we know won't sell without some TLC, we use a liquid called "A Must for Rust." It is re-usable and lasts longer than other stuff we've tried. You can paint on or immerse, we always immerse because we're always cleaning quantities of same item. Check Amazon for lowest price in it, as price varies a lot among dealers.