Many e-bayers buy antique axes on e-bay for the "collector" value of the axe/head. Highly sought after axes include Mann, Kelly, Collins, Plumb, Wm Frankfurth, and others. For these collectors, the markings on the axe, whether it has the original handle, its condition, and its uniqueness are of paramount concern.
However, as many tool enthusiasts already know, good tool-grade steel is hard to come by these days and you must pay a premium for it in a new product. This is why many Milwaukee bits and blades are made in Germany or Switzerland. However, antique axes are often made of the highest quality steel with good Rockwell hardness. In fact, it is often very difficult to sharpen them by hand without a diamond file, and they will hold an edge like you won't believe. Moreover, they are a timeless tool and will last more than a lifetime if properly cared for.
The tool enthusianst who buys an axe head for use has different priorities than the collector. For the enthusiast, rust, an original handle and clear markings are not very important, as all that matters is the steel and the edge. Many axe heads that lack the collector qualities can be bought at a very reasonable (dare I say cheap?) price. However, if you're going to rehandle and sharpen and use the axe, there are certain things that you need to be concerned about that the collector does not. First, make sure there are no chips in the blade, because as I stated, sharpening the axe is a real chore, and you shouldn't do it with a power grinder (you'll ruin the temper in the blade and it will become brittle and chip easily), so you don't want any chips which will take FOREVER to file away by hand. (Collectors probably don't have to be concerned so much with blade chips as they can be said to confer "character" to the head). Often, the sellers don't know anything about axe heads and don't know what you plan to use it for, so they take a photo over some surface like carpet or newspaper that may obscure chips on the edges. Request a photo over a plain white surface or ask specifically about chips. Also, there should be no cracks in the head, which often occur around the "eye" of the axe. In addition, because axes are often abused, make sure that the sides of the eye have not been beaten to death (when, for example, the side of a double blade axe overlying the center/eye is used as a hammer) such that the channel of the eye is narrowed and re-handling will be difficult if not impossible. Also, some users will whack on the top or bottom edge of the axe to force the handle on or off, and if the steel mushrooms over the edges of the eye, this can make rehandling difficult also. One last thing is to make sure you know the dimensions of the eye, as odd-sized eyes can be difficult to find handles for.
Regarding the steel of the axe, the best is thought to be in Mann axes (knot klipper), or Kelly (vulcan and others); however I have a Wm Frankfurth that is RAZOR sharp and SUPER hard, and stays that way. But really, you can't go wrong with most of these axes including Plumb, Collins, Warren, Keen Kutter and others, many of which were hand hammered and are very very good quality steel. To get such quality steel in a modern axe, you will pay $75-150 for a Sweedish axe from Wetterlings or Gransfors.....and you won't have the joy of selecting, sharpening, and rehandling it yourself! (You can hand select quality replacement handles at Sears for $8.99). When you're done, you'll have a highly functional, German tool-steel quality, antique axe that you can take pride in when you use it or when you simply display it!
Orignal From: Antique Axes: buying them to use them
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