Budget Axe

[TheGreenMan]

I’m surprised to hear that the bevels are do-able, Red, I thought they would be beyond sorting, but I’m glad to hear that none-the-less, thanks.

When I took the sheath off it for the first time, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I honestly thought I’d had some sort of practical joke played on me.

I’ve never replaced a handle so I’m a bit anxious about doing it. About a year and a half ago, I bought one of those Swedish army surplus axes by Sater Banko with the short handle. Beautiful head, lousy handle on mine, I’d thought that that one would be my first re-handling job, though I’d put a full length handle on it to make it a proper full size felling axe. It would be worth the effort (and worry) to try and re-handle the Sater as the steel of the head is superb.

I thought I’d not bother with this one and just keep it as a curio, but now that you say that the head is salvageable, it might be the one to have a go at putting a new handle on first, as a learning experience.

I’m fairly confident that the retailer is right to assure me that it’s genuine stock from the manufacturer. On the retailer’s Web site it was described as a Forest Axe, and the only Forest Axe illustrated on the manufacturer's site is described as a ‘hand forged’ one, so I thought I’d take a chance and order it fom the retailer. Maybe it just slipped through the manufacturer’s quality control, maybe it never had its stamp on the head through error…dunno?

Although I said I’d rather not name the manufacturer, the photos below make it pretty clear who that is, I can’t see a way to avoid revealing who the manufacturer is and at the same time have a meaningful discussion of the problem.

The pics are not great, I’ve only just got my first digital camera and I haven’t got my head round all the focus and colour settings etc:

This one shows the reference number ‘TUR 085 26H’ which corresponds with the reference for the ‘hand forged’ Forest Axe on the manufacturer’s Web site:

And this is the delivery note that came with the axe:

It all seems to be ‘kosher’ apart from the missing stamp on the head. I’ve dealt with the retailer before, never had any kind of problem with them, in fact on a previous occasion they supplied me with one of the best hatchets I’ve got. Had to do a lot of work to the bit (ramps?) and cutting edge with files and stones to convex it more to what I imaging a felling grind would be like (rather than a splitting grind), but it’s a beauty:

Anyway, back to the axe in question, as there was no maker’s mark stamped into the head, it did cross my mind that perhaps they had started to import heads from elsewhere, and then assembled the axe in Sweden. The missing stamp really got me puzzled.

Best regards,
Paul.

PS: apologies to Donny and everyone else for hi-jacking this one.

 

[British Red]

Wett qualtiy control on the bevels is pretty dire to be honest - I had to re-work my belt axe and I know Heath and others have had similar problems. Theres nothing wrong with those bevels that a couple of hours with a mill b'stard file and some diamond hones won't sort out.

My article on "how to sharpen an axe" came from sorting out those very problems. The helve is not perfect but its serviceable - I wouldn't replace it straight off.

An afternoon with a mill file, some hones, some wet and dry paper, a sanding pad and some oil will have that axe as good as the Hultafors Paul.

I can coach you through it if you like? Or, if you can wait a while, I'll re-profile it for you

Red

 

[littleknife]

TheGreenMan, Wetterlings has both a hand forged and a drop-forged line.
Your head might be either a drop-forged one or they have reground extensively a handforged head and in the process removed the stamping. Is there some kind of indentation in the steel where the stamping might have been (or on the opposite side, like a shallow impressed area)?

I don't think they would import heads from abroad.

 

[TheGreenMan]

...I can coach you through it if you like? Or, if you can wait a while, I'll re-profile it for you...

Those are very kind offers, Red, thank you. I'd like to take you up on the later, if I may?

I was going to suggest a collaboration thread where you could give me instructions on how to proceed and I would post pics at each stage of the process, but having had another look at your Article to refresh the memory, I realise I haven’t got most of the tools needed.

For the Hultafors I used a flat and half-round ‘*******’, ‘second cut’ and a ‘smooth’, a 250/1000 Japanese combination stone, a 1200 stone and some assorted abrasive papers, and I’ve yet to do some fine honing.

I haven’t got any of the Gransfors files or puck stone (yet), and I don’t have any diamond stones either other than a DC4. Up until now I’ve just sort of grabbed what ever tools and stones I’ve got to hand when the project mood comes upon me, and sort of winged it. I actually supported the axe on my knee, handle in one hand and the tools in the other and worked away while watching TV (my usual sharpening technique for nearly every kind of blade). Most of the time I get pretty decent results, but I think that’s more luck than judgement.

So, as my coarse Japanese combi stone is almost as thin as a pancake and I'm missing most of the tools you suggest, I’d like to take you up on your kind offer of carrying-out the work on my behalf. I’m not in any hurry (I don’t ever actually expect to fell a tree…I just love edged tools and mucking around with them…it’s a bloke thing, as I’m sure many here will understand…I’m a city lumberjack who never does any lumberjacking), and it would be very interesting to see how someone of experience likes an axe ground. It would be good to look at an axe that has been worked on by someone other than me, and who knows what they’re doing. It would be an education for me.

You could PM me to let me know when you’d like the axe sent to you, and you could take as long as you like to carry-out the work, no pressure etc, it’ll be ready when it’s ready, type of arrangement.

What do you think?

Best regards,
Paul.

 

[TheGreenMan]

TheGreenMan, Wetterlings has both a hand forged and a drop-forged line.
Your head might be either a drop-forged one or they have reground extensively a handforged head and in the process removed the stamping. Is there some kind of indentation in the steel where the stamping might have been (or on the opposite side, like a shallow impressed area)?

I don't think they would import heads from abroad.

That’s an interesting idea, LK. I think you’re probably right about the imported heads thing. The strange thing is that on the manufacturer’s Web site, they don’t do a drop forged version of this axe.

This is the best I can do to show the grind marks, if it ever had a stamp, then this is the side (top photo) it would have it on:

Best regards,
Paul.

 

[littleknife]

Paul, I don't see anything even on your new pictures, but that doesn't men anything.
Maybe Cegga can help you, after all he is a pro + a master!
Is there any stamp or mark on the underside of the poll by any chance?

Other than the unusual smoothness, the head looks like a hand forged to me. Personally I like it a lot.

Best wishes,

littleknife

 

[British Red]

Paul,

No worries. I have a customer with a flap on right now so I'm city and pod hopping a lot. Drop me a pm and we'll work it out - not much chance of getting a free afternoon for a few weeks though

Red

 

[TheGreenMan]

Paul, I don't see anything even on your new pictures, but that doesn't men anything.
Maybe Cegga can help you, after all he is a pro + a master!
Is there any stamp or mark on the underside of the poll by any chance?

Other than the unusual smoothness, the head looks like a hand forged to me. Personally I like it a lot.

Best wishes,

littleknife

Well, I’m glad you think it’s a good one. Yours and Red’s positive comments have quite cheered me. I don’t mind doing the work myself, in fact I enjoy it, when I’m in the mood.

For instance, the Hultafors took a lot of work to put the convex on it. It came with a very small flat bevel, and was very thick at the edge, something like I imagine an old-time axe would have been like when bought from the store, not much of a cutting edge on it, but it would have been assumed in those days that the purchaser would understand and know how to dress the bit and cutting edge for their needs. The Hultafors took me days, on and off, with hand tools to get it to the state as illustrated. But it was very satisfying to do, and a great leaning experience.

And you’re right about Cegga, but I’d be embarrassed to ask him to do it to be honest, I’m sure he’s very busy with more important things, like making more Hultafors axes and hatchets, for instance, not to mention his own rather special work.

No maker’s marks in the areas you mention:

Anyway, I’m glad you like the axe, I very much like the weight of the head and the length of the handle, it’s a nice light weight axe that has the length of handle that would give the head the momentum for serious chopping. I was just a bit ‘freaked’ by the missing maker’s stamp, and disappointed by the grind, it’s so bad it’s almost funny. Perhaps I was expecting too much, and have been too fortunate to have this kind of thing turn-up in the Mail – I’ve done a little more work to the grind but it arrived pretty much as the photo:

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[TheGreenMan]

Paul,

No worries. I have a customer with a flap on right now so I'm city and pod hopping a lot. Drop me a pm and we'll work it out - not much chance of getting a free afternoon for a few weeks though

Red

Lovely stuff, Red. I'll PM you sometime in the next few days. Had to Google for 'pod hopping', I'm a bit behind the times with the technology stuff.

I'm a tortoise not a hare, so 'a few weeks' is pretty fast going for me

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[littleknife]

Paul,

This grind is pretty much typical for all Wetterlings axes, except for the smallest ones.

 

[TheGreenMan]

Paul,

This grind is pretty much typical for all Wetterlings axes, except for the smallest ones.

Thanks, LK.

Well, I was feeling a little foolish…but…I just had a quick google and took a look at a UK retailer’s site that has recently started, it seems, to stock Wetterlings and the stamp is on the head, and just to make things more confusing, the stamp on the handle is different to the one I have. And the grind looks very different and more like what I was expecting when I ordered mine, that said, it may illustrate a grind that has been put on after leaving the factory:

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/TUR08526H (click on the ‘zoom’ Link to get a bigger photo)

I’m just as confused as when I started, but thanks for trying to help

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[littleknife]

Paul,

Just to add to the confusion, it seems that Wetterlings changed several times over the last years the stampings on the handles, the handle treatment (varnished vs. soaked in linseed oil), the shape of the handles, the shape of the heads and even the stamping on the blades.

I have Wetterlings with heads stamped SAW Sweden and others SAW Wetterlings. On some on the other side there is a stamp, saying HANDFORGED and there are some without this stamp.

 

[TheGreenMan]

Thanks, LK, it is a little confusing, but useful, interesting, and somehow reassuring at the same time

All the best,
Paul.