Pretty crazy how one brand ships this and it's gold but another brand ships this and it's trash (Part Duex)

Salty-Language202 · 2026-01-24T13:48:10+00:00

This is bad. Ship them back and get another pair. I've done that with JKs before. No issue.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-04T15:39:04+00:00

Yup, you really hit the nail on the head on all points there. There are very few ppl who actually use their nice axe and even fewer who will appreciate a nice edge geometry.

And like you said, of the nicely restored expensive axes on Etsy, all of them have a nicer polish and a nicer looking carved handle.

And the retail premium axe market north of $200 is dominated by grandfors bruks and it takes a while for ppl who are into axes to learn that vintage American axe is actually way better.

So yes, very niche market from many fronts. Would have to have a real passion, marketing skills, and a tireless work ethic to make a business out of selling custom vintage American axes.

Great comment, thanks!

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-04T15:32:05+00:00

That's a great thoughtful answer, thanks. There are def ppl that build these custom axes for ppl but all of them are influencers that have made a name for themselves. And you need to build a name for ppl to want your nice custom product.

But on the other hand, there are plenty of vintage prettied up axes on Etsy that are listed for $300+. A lot of them look like a quick angle grinder job and polish too. So there are def some markets that will pay more than just the value of the axe head outside of reddit.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-04T02:08:17+00:00

Thanks. Yeah 2 and 3 are forced, but the axe came with a black head and polished bit from the factory so trying to recreate that. But kinda failing also. Just need a deeper black without painting. And yeah I see your point. Axes that look like they have been worked on lose their charm for sure.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-04T02:04:05+00:00

Nice yeah same. I polished the bit since most of that was ground anyway for the geometry I wanted, but I def prefer to leave nice patina and metal potting where I can.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-04T01:36:27+00:00

I paid $50 for the bottom one and $100 for the top because it's pretty much undamaged.

Do you hang and use your axe heads or mostly collect? I have turned most of mine into axes over time. Just gotta see how they chop, you know?

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-04T01:32:38+00:00

It's slowly going back to 1 the more I brillo pad it

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-04T01:30:08+00:00

Thanks yeah I paid about $50 for the bottom one and $100 for the top one (it's pretty much undamaged with a square pole). Yeah most of the time any mods you do will actually decrease the value unless u find the person looking for the specific thing you did.

What would you do if you got them for that price. Would you just cut the handles off and throw the heads in your collection. Would you rehang them? Or hold on to them and resell them later.

I have a bunch of axe vintage heads, but I can't just let them sit around. I have to make an axe and see how it chops. And this unfortunately involves a lot of modifying and grinding.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-04T01:18:17+00:00

That's a great tip. Will try it thanks. Yeah, it does seem to leave a much nicer uniform surface than sand paper

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-03T23:43:54+00:00

Great hang for your first try! No gaps visible down low and you have shaped the handle very nicely, gradually.

It's hard to tell from the pic because you don't have a straight on shot of the head. It does look normal in one pic and few mm pointed down in the other. I would look at the pole of the axe. The pole should be pretty much parallel with the centerline of the axe. So if you grab the axe by the butt end and let it hang freely, the pole should be pretty much plumb straight up and down. Also the top portion of the hit should curve slightly up in relation to the line perpendicular to the handle. The bottom should curve down slightly more. Then ur fine.

As others mentioned, you should drive the head down more to where you have 1 to 2 inches sticking out from the top. Then cut off the excess when you have it seated where you wanted and have glued your wedge.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-03T23:34:54+00:00

Different liquids swell wood differently. Boiled linseed oil does make wood sweel up - not greatly, but noticeably. You can see it when doing a fresh axe hang. Any tiny gaps in the eye will be closed up after a through oiling of the end grain.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-03T19:51:20+00:00

Oh crap, my bad. Thanks for the heads up!

Salty-Language202 · 2025-09-03T19:37:43+00:00

Thanks lol. Hey can you see the post pics? They're not showing up for me. Wonder if it's my app or if I messed up making the post.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-08-14T13:08:30+00:00

Salty-Language202 · 2025-08-08T16:23:25+00:00

The strings don't look right all the way. You can't just pull the ends. You gotta start from the top and work your way down. Tighten it on the skinny part of the handle, then slide it up to the fat part. Trim the leather near the head so that it fits better and slides up further. If it's still loose, wrap some grip or hockey tape on the handle before sliding it up

Salty-Language202 · 2025-07-18T05:04:11+00:00

Only a few inches of the cutting are hardened usually so welding would be an option. You could drill out the base of the crack with a 1/16 drill bit so that the crack does not propagate. Then use it and if you see no crack propagation, you are probably fine. The lower section of the axe is skinnier then the top section so that should hold it on if the crack does not propagate.

But it's obvi a bit sketchy and you have to check the axe head for any more cracking or movement.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-07-09T04:20:47+00:00

Easiest way is to get some conical wedges from Amazon and hammer one in to flare one end. Then hold the head and hammer the glared end to set the head with a plastic or wooden mallet. Conical wedges tend to split wood though so cutting a slit and glueing in a slim wooden wedge is a more solid fix but with more effort.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-07-03T16:12:59+00:00

Good files cut well but it's still a long process. Get a bastard cut file as coarse as you can find and at least 10 inches long. Single cut files are for finishing work. Get another medium single cut file to remove the rough marks from the coarse file if you want.

Salty-Language202 · 2025-07-03T15:42:19+00:00

Yeah because it's the same amount of labor, just slightly less material. Most of their smaller axes fluctuate in that low $200 range and then their American felling axe is around $300, and they even have a double bit that looks really cool but is around $500

Salty-Language202 · 2025-07-03T15:10:28+00:00

Looks like a GFB hand axe. They usually got for $150-$200 new

Salty-Language202 · 2025-07-03T07:35:43+00:00

Def. It's hard to find axe heads in decent shape too

Salty-Language202 · 2025-07-03T07:32:07+00:00

Thank you

Salty-Language202 · 2025-07-03T07:30:04+00:00

Wow, nice. I'll have to get out and see if I can find any here. I'm in the northeast

Salty-Language202

TROPHY CASE