Loose axe head magically fixes itself - Should I be worried?

[woodsorrel]

I ordered a small carving axe with an 18-inch handle and a two-pound head.

When it arrived, the head moved imperceptibly when I shook the handle and I could hear the head shake.

I spoke with the supplier and they shipped a new one to me. The original sat on my counter-top for the eight days it took the replacement to reach me. When I grabbed the axe to ship it back to the supplier, the head was tight on the handle. My guess is that the wood absorbed moisture after its cross-country journey and is back to its original size.

The original axe has slightly better workmanship than the replacement. Is it OK to keep the original or should I keep the not quite as nice replacement?

Thank you in advance for the help.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Kadushu]

It's probably absorbed moisture, like you say. What I do with mine is soak the end of the haft in linseed oil to replace the water with something that won't evaporate.

 

[Pattree]

Send back whichever you don’t want. No one will have time to check.

Warm the axe that you’re keeping in the oven at no more than 50 C for half an hour so that the air in the wood expands. Then submerge the head in cool oil overnight. As the air in the wood cools it will suck in the oil. Capillary action will do the rest.

Linseed is traditional but any non volatile one will do the job.

Warming the axe might just possibly loosen the head a little. If so make sure that it is set right before putting it in the oil.

 

[woodsorrel]

Thanks @Pattree and @Kadushu for the advice. I will give it a try.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Nice65]

Send back whichever you don’t want. No one will have time to check.

Rather than make it sound as if you’re cleverly trying to use trickery as a means to an end, it’s perfectly legal to buy as many as you would like of anything online and return within 14 days. I’m not sure why you’d be advising anyone to try and get one over on the company?

 

[Pattree]

There isn’t any “getting over” we were asked for advice. No one is cheating anyone. I don’t understand your issue.

 

[woodsorrel]

I think @Nice65 is concerned about the phrasing of the response. As he points out, I can return any of the two axes. And I did let the retailer know that I was returning the replacement axe so they would not be surprised that the head was on tight.

I do want to mention that in the United States there is no standard policy about returning items. Retailers make their own policies. In general, they take items back because it encourages online shoppers who know that they can return an item if they need. But they are not obliged to do so by law.

- Woodsorrel